Chris Sutton insists ‘nobody fears’ Celtic and their recent displays are not of title-winning quality…
Although the Hoops have managed to grind out victories against Dundee and St Mirren in the past week, their performances in both games have been iffy.
Speaking post-match after the 1-0 victory over the Buddies at Celtic Park, Martin O’Neill stressed that results are the priority at this stage, but Sutton argued that overall performances cannot be overlooked.
The former Celtic striker also pointed to a perceived lack of cohesion among the players, suggesting that this disconnect on the pitch could ultimately hinder the Hoops’ chances during the closing stages of the season.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain scores Celtic’s opening goal during the Scottish Premiership between Celtic and St. Mirren at Celtic Park on April 11, 2026. (Photo by WM Sport Media/Getty Images)
Speaking via Sky Sports, Sutton said: “If Martin O’Neill is right with his calculations he says Celtic need to win all five games… Celtic can’t win the league with their level of performance. They just can’t.
“Unless the wheels fall off Hearts and Rangers in their position I just don’t see it. Because performance is important? Why? Because they haven’t beaten Hearts or Rangers all season, I don’t think Hearts or Rangers fear Celtic. I don’t think any team fears Celtic and that’s a problem.
Miguel Freckleton of St Mirren challenges for a header during the Scottish Premiership between Celtic and St. Mirren at Celtic Park on April 11, 2026. (Photo by WM Sport Media/Getty Images)
“It’s okay getting the Green Brigade back in and people talking about atmosphere, but where I think at Rangers and Hearts the whole club are connected, I don’t think there is that connection at Celtic.
“And I’m talking about on the park as well, just the players. 112 goals last season, 59 this season, that’s remarkable!”
Following Celtic’s 1-0 victory over St Mirren on Saturday, O’Neill wasn’t convinced by the performance but insists the three points are the most important thing with five matches remaining.
Celtic Manager Martin O’Neill reacts during the Scottish Premiership between Celtic and St. Mirren at Celtic Park on April 11, 2026. (Photo by WM Sport Media/Getty Images)
“I thought we didn’t play very well,” he said. “I’ve just said in a couple of interviews, I suppose it’s worth repeating, I just thought that energy levels looked low, which I think is, if it had been the last, let’s say, ten minutes of the game, you’re holding on to something, I can understand that, but it set in pretty early in the second half, which was a bit of a concern.”
“But we’ll try and rectify that if we can for next week. We need to. But just winning the game was really important, but we didn’t play well.”
🗣️ "Celtic can't win the league with their level of performance… I don't think any team fears Celtic"
Chris Sutton, Kris Boyd and Scott Arfield analyse the Hoops' 1-0 home win over St Mirren ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/EDIlOi1Vx6
— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) April 12, 2026
Conor Spence
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