A self-confessed worrier all his days, anxiety is never far away from Martin O’Neill even in times of plenty.
Across his two spells in charge at Celtic this season, sources of concern have been many and varied in nature. Standing by a keeper in Kasper Schmeichel when the Dane’s performance levels began to dip could not have been easy.
Identifying ways to win a football match without a goal-scoring centre-forward will also have caused him many a sleepless night. More than any other facet of the team, however, it will have been the elusive search for the right midfield combination which will have most occupied his mind.
For the man who once automatically selected Neil Lennon, Paul Lambert and Stiliyan Petrov, establishing the current trio to give the side control of matches has been an arduous task.
Even when Celtic have won games, it’s often been in spite of the midfield chemistry – not because of it. Injuries have played a significant part in this. And you suspect they will continue to do so across the four games which will determine if Celtic retain their title.
Managing the minutes of those who are carrying knocks or lacking match fitness will be a prime consideration for the Northern Irishman. It’s not just about just deciding which individuals can start a game. O’Neill needs to determine how long they’re good for and what he can get out of those who replace him.
Celtic’s form has picked up since Belgian midfielder Arne Engels returned from injury
Martin O’Neill has toiled to find the right combination of players in midfield
Part gut feeling and part dictated by sports science, it’s a difficult calculation to make.
If O’Neill gets it right, his side might yet pull this one out of the fire. If not, it’s going to be a huge ask.
As his ponders his side for Sunday’s trip to Easter Road, though, the veteran boss does appear to have a clearer picture in his head of who he now trusts and which three-man combination is a non-starter.
When Celtic lost 2-0 at Tannadice on March 22, the poverty of the performance was alarming. O’Neill started with Callum McGregor, Reo Hatate and Benjamin Nygren. None of them finished the game.
They were out-run, out-fought and out-passed all afternoon. The only crumb of comfort the manager was the harsh lesson he learned.
Even though he’s been carrying a minor injury, McGregor, the skipper, was never going to be the fall-guy. Nor was O’Neill likely to drop Nygren, whose 20 goals have kept the season afloat.
Hatate has been an unused substitute in three of the past four games, his one appearance from the bench coming late in the league game against St Mirren.
O’Neill isn’t the first Celtic boss to discover that the Japanese can’t be relied on. When he’s hot, he’s sensational. When he’s not, the team are a man down.
While both McGregor and Nygren have stayed in the side, for different reasons, their selections have still come under scrutiny. McGregor’s last 90 minutes came the following week in the win at Dens Park. He’s been subbed off in the three subsequent matches to protect the muscular concern he’s been wrestling with.
He’s still managed to make 52 appearances this season. Only Nygren has made more. It’s a remarkable number for a player who’ll soon turn 33. People have been too quick to conclude that he’s now on the slide. Provided he rests up this summer, he could emulate Scott Brown by playing some of his best football in his mid-30s.
Right now, though, he’s not quite the dominant force we’ve been accustomed to seeing. He needs help. Nygren’s is a curious case. The midfielder cost Celtic just £1.7m from Nordsjaelland.
Celtic have managed the game time of club captain Callum McGregor
For that money, his goal return has provided extraordinary value. He has an knack of being in the right place at the right time in the penalty box. You can’t teach that.
He’s off to the World Cup soon with Sweden. You would not be surprised if Celtic are soon entertaining big offers for him.
Why is it then, that he still hasn’t bowled over the entire Celtic support? While it’s hard to be critical of a player who’s dug them out of so many holes, it’s legitimate to say that Nygren doesn’t influence games like a classic No 10.
He lacks the legs for a high-pressing game and to play on the flank. His game has attributes and deficiencies. O’Neill’s response to the Tannadice debacle was to combine Nygren, McGregor and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain for the trip to Dens Park.
While Celtic got the job done, the Englishman was only good for 67 minutes. He’s now made 11 appearances, including five starts, since signing as a free agent in January but has yet to play a full a game.
He’s offered some moments of quality but has struggled with the pace and physicality of the Scottish game. Like Nygren, closing opponents down isn’t his strong suit. There’s a price to pay for fielding him.
Celtic were the better for Luke McCowan replacing Oxlade-Chamberlain that day. The Scot gives the side an infusion of energy.
He’s made 40 appearances this season and has just signed a new contract. He’s a good option for O’Neill at either end of a match.
He certainly has more of a chance of playing a part than Paulo Bernardo. The Portuguese has completely vanished. Last seen as a substitute against Motherwell in mid-March, he does not appear to be in O’Neill’s thoughts.
Benjamin Nygren brings goals from midfield but lacks the legs for a high-pressing game
More than anything, though, it’s the return of Arne Engels which will have had O’Neill sleeping a little easier of late. Sidelined for two months after facing Livingston on February 11, his absence underscored what he brings to the table. Engels missed 10 matches which included losses to Stuttgart, Hibs, that game at Tannadice and a draw at Ibrox.
He returned as a sub in the league match with St Mirren, started the Scottish Cup semi-final against the same opponent the following week and managed his first full 90 minutes since facing Hearts on January 25 against Falkirk last weekend.
Celtic didn’t win those three games purely because he was in the side. But the legs and physicality in the middle of the park were back.
Even critics of the £11m man – and there are many – can surely see why Nottingham Forest had a £25m bid for the player turned down in January and why Lazio want to take him in the summer.
Putting price tags to one side, the Belgian has been a fine player since moving from Augsburg. Celtic, unquestionably, are a better side when he’s part of it. It’s hardly his fault that many insist upon viewing everything through a monetary prism.
Alongside McGregor and Nygren, Engels is clearly now O’Neill’s third man in a starting 11. Just when it looked like the manager’s problems were insurmountable, he might just have stumbled on the right formula.
