Did O'Neill get team selection wrong in Old Firm defeat?
September 13, 2026 17:16
Celtic were beaten 3-0 by Rangers at Ibrox in the Premier Sports Cup quarter-final, having trailed by a goal at half-time. Martin O'Neill's starting choices drew attention: Sebastian Tounekti began on the right wing but was replaced at half-time by Haissem Hassan; Kasper Hogh led the attack with Camilo Duran moved wide, and both were later substituted. O'Neill also reshuffled his defence, bringing Kieran Tierney back at left-back and shifting Liam Scales inside rather than keeping the Carter-Vickers–Trusty pairing intact, while Sam Johnstone started in goal ahead of Viljami Sinisalo.
KEY CONTEXT
Tounekti had only recently started at St Johnstone and was criticised there for losing possession frequently; former goalkeeper Pat Bonner called his first-half display in Perth "awful". Hassan is a summer signing from Real Oviedo for a reported fee of up to £9m and was introduced at Ibrox despite suggestions he might not be fully match‑fit. Carter-Vickers and Auston Trusty had been a regular centre-back partnership this season, having started seven of Celtic's first nine games together. Sinisalo had kept four clean sheets in eight appearances this campaign, while Johnstone's Ibrox outing was his second competitive match since March.
WHY IT MATTERS
The selection decisions prompted sharp criticism from pundits and supporters in the aftermath, who singled out wing and striking choices and the goalkeeper call as pivotal to the defeat.