Rightly or wrongly, Kasper Schmeichel has become public enemy number one at Celtic in recent weeks and months, following a string of error-strewn displays this season.
At fault for at least two goals in the first-leg Europa League tie against Stuttgart, the 39-year-old did start in the defeat to Hibernian, before being replaced by Viljami Sinisalo in what initially looked like almost a dead-rubber second-leg in Germany.
That might have been mere rotation, ahead of the weekend Glasgow derby, although Schmeichel was then curiously absent from the trip to Ibrox, reportedly due to illness.
Regardless of what the ins and outs are of that absence, the issue remains that even in the Dane’s absence, Celtic’s flaws were brutally exposed in Sunday’s first half, with Martin O’Neill‘s problems lying far deeper than just his ageing goalkeeper.
Why Celtic’s trip to Ibrox showed Schmeichel isn’t the only issue
When Celtic, then led by Wilfried Nancy, welcomed Rangers to Parkhead in early January, the home side flew out the traps, racing into an early lead through Yang Hyun-jun’s solo stunner.
Celtic XI vs Rangers (2nd Jan 2026)
Position
Player
GK
Schmeichel
RCB
Ralston
CB
Trusty
LCB
Tierney
RM
Yang
CM
Engels
CM
McGregor
LM
McCowan
RAM
Nygren
LAM
Maeda
ST
Kenny
As had been the common theme during Nancy’s ill-fated tenure, however, a blistering first-half was followed by an almost inevitable collapse, with Schmeichel at the scene of the crime as Mikey Moore grabbed the clincher late on, after an earlier brace from Youssef Chermiti.
That Jekyll and Hyde performance was flipped on its head this time around, with the Hoops creditably fighting back through Kieran Tierney and Reo Hatate, clinching a vital point to remain in contention for the title.
Such a second-half resurgence has sparked renewed positivity regarding O’Neill’s men, although the nature of the first-half can’t be overlooked, with the men in green and white having been all at sea as Rangers cranked up the pressure.
The Hoops were caught out down the right flank by the advancing Tuur Rommens, in the build-up to Chermiti’s overhead kick opener, while Julian Araujo was bypassed for the Portuguese’s second, after an errant swipe from Dane Murray in the build-up.
There was a sense that removing Schmeichel might provide a quick fix, although inside 26 minutes, that was firmly quashed, with something of a new-look, makeshift backline having wilted under that early pressure.
Celtic star is becoming a bigger liability than Schmeichel
With Schmeichel no longer the obvious target, the focus of attention may have to fall elsewhere, with a repeat of Sunday’s first-half simply not sustainable if the club’s title ambitions are to be realised.
Related
“Strange” – Chris Sutton says Celtic star played like it was a “testimonial” against Rangers
The pundit wasn’t impressed.
The aforementioned Murray had a real moment to forget, having failed to deal with a routine ball into the box, although the 22-year-old stood firm thereafter, producing a commanding display otherwise to ensure no further damage was inflicted.
In truth, the young Scot looked like the superior, senior centre-back at times, with Liam Scales having again endured a difficult outing in that left channel.
In a defensive sense, the Irishman did win eight of his ten ground duels, while registering 11 clearances, yet there is a clumsy quality to his game that sparks a sense of nervousness, often ambling in possession, putting both himself and the team under pressure.
That was seen in how the 27-year-old lost the ball 16 times in all at Ibrox, having also been accurate with just 17% of his attempted long balls, regularly creaking when faced by an advancing forward.
Of course, the £500k signing has creditably risen from peripheral figure to regular starter in recent years, although the latest 2-2 draw sadly exposed his flaws, perhaps highlighting why he had found himself out of the team during Nancy’s brief tenure.
While the French coach may have got little right in his eight games at the helm, it was telling that he opted to oust Scales from his side in that time, with the left-footer starting just two of Nancy’s six league games in charge.
An unused substitute in the 4-2 win over Livingston, Scales was only introduced late on against Dundee United, Aberdeen and Rangers, with Nancy prioritising the ball-playing ability of Tierney as a left-sided centre-back.
When he did feature, Scales later admitted that he struggled with the new manager’s demands in that role, outlining “fatigue” as an issue when being asked to routinely bomb forward, resulting in a lack of quality in the final third.
While Nancy’s stubborn refusal to change didn’t reflect well on him, it could be argued that he was right in not viewing Scales as the modern-day, progressive centre-back he was after, with the defender’s limitations having only again been highlighted at the weekend.
Supporters may have been keen to see how this side looks without Schmeichel, although the trip to Ibrox was evidence that the veteran ‘keeper is not the sole cause of Celtic’s problems, with the players ahead of him – i.e Scales – doing him nor Sinisalo any favours at present.
Related
Celtic man who looks like a “young Van Dijk” is a worse signing than Schmeichel
This Celtic flop who was compared to Virgil van Dijk looks like an even worse signing than Kasper Schmeichel.