Celtic

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Former captain Scott Brown has called for outspoken Celtic players to stop airing their complaints in public - because there are too many "vultures" waiting to pounce.

After the 1-0 home defeat by Rangers, defender Cameron Carter-Vickers said Celtic's play was "too random" and they lacked "consistency of messaging, consistency of ideas".

That came a few days after captain Callum McGregor said of the 3-1 Europa League loss at home to Ferencvaros: "You can see that it's a little bit broken in how we want to play, it's a bit nervy and awkward at times."

Brown, speaking on The Warm-up Podcast,, external said: "Me personally, I never did that. I had a go once years ago and then I thought, 'I need to rein this in'. There's a time and a place.

"Now football's changed because there's TikTok, Twitter, there's everything, and everyone can go on and say what they want.

"Then when Callum comes out and says something, they jump on the bandwagon yet again. And the 'randomness' and whatever Carter-Vickers was talking about, I don't know if that's shape, if that's the style.

"But I'm not too keen on them always coming out and being too open. We were always told everything stays in-house. The more that you put out there, the more there's vultures that want to jump on top of it.

"Celtic have got good players, but they all need to be on the same page. And they need to not be saying everything in the media every two weeks.

"When I played, I gave absolutely nothing (in interviews). I'd always keep it low key, and that's what we got drilled into us. But now there's too much (coming out).

"Even when it is negative, it should stay in that dressing room.

"I don't like it coming out in public like that. If you have a problem, I would rather you see the manager. And I'm sure Martin (O'Neill) or Shaun (Maloney) would happily speak to him.

"I think Carter-Vickers is a fantastic player, but you don't like to see that bit creeping in because that lets a lot of people change the persona of Celtic to be a negative."

• Celtic lost their last league match 1-0 to Rangers; only once before have they suffered successive league defeats under Martin O'Neill, doing so in May 2001.

• Celtic have won their past six away league games, while the last side to win 7+ in a row on the road in the Scottish Premiership were the Hoops themselves from April to December 2024 (10).

• Motherwell have won just one of their past 34 league matches against Celtic (D5 L28), although that was a 2-0 victory in December last season.

• Celtic have won 11 of their past 12 league visits to Motherwell (L1), scoring 2+ goals in each victory.

• Motherwell have lost their past three league games, their longest losing run since suffering five successive defeats in January/February 2025.

Nick McPheat
BBC Sport Scotland

Are underlying numbers from the start of the Scottish Premiership season suggesting a refreshed approach could be taking hold across the league?

Well, the success stories at Motherwell and Falkirk last season seem to have had an influence.

Dundee United boss Jim Goodwin was humble enough to reveal that Jens Berthel Askou - now head coach at Toulouse in Ligue 1 - has inspired him to change his ways after more than 15 years as a player and manager in Scotland.

Goodwin's side are one of a number of Premiership teams to have undergone a stylistic shift this term, and that is reflected in the league's overall numbers, albeit the sample size remains small after just seven matches for each club.

Compared with the previous five Scottish top-flight seasons, passes per game have soared to 886. That is an increase of 58 on last term. Five years ago, the average was 795.

Passing accuracy is also at a high of 81%, which is quite a remarkable increase on the 73% recorded in 2023-24.

That is down to more short passing. The percentage of long passes across the league (13%) is now at its lowest level of the past five years. Perhaps surprisingly, Hearts and Rangers go long more than any other teams.

Goodwin's United, meanwhile, have gone from average possession of 42% last term to 50% this season. Their accurate passes per match have rocketed from 219 to 320.

It is a similar story for St Mirren under Craig McLeish and Neil McCann's Kilmarnock, while league leaders Celtic and Alfred Johansson's Motherwell are locked at the top of the possession chart on 61%.

The promotion of St Johnstone back into the league, replacing Livingston, has added another side who aim to play a more expansive brand.

The recent appointment of Dutch head coach Marink Reedijk at Hibernian will only enhance that.

Read more: Why early-season data points to Premiership style shift

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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BBC Sport Scotland has been taking a look at away ticket pricing in Scottish football.

It is an issue which has been tackled at the highest level south of the border, with a £30 away ticket cap having been in operation in the Premier League for a decade.

Is anything similar on the agenda north of the border?

While it doesn't appear to be at the moment, we have been canvassing the thoughts of fans across the Premiership.

An adult away supporter attending a Premiership match at Parkhead will pay £37 for category B matches and £40 for category A matches.

There are also some restricted view seats. For example, earlier in the season Falkirk fans had the option of buying those for £34.

The Hoops also offer concessions for over 65s, u16s and u13s which range from £17 to £26.

Celtic fan Paddy Loughran, of The Celtic Exchange Podcast: says: "I would love to see it (an away ticket cap). I think £30 would be a universally accepted guide for all the teams.

"Fans should be in unison in trying to put this argument to the league. I think there should be a bit more of a unity here and making sure we are holding the right people accountable."

Read more: Are SPFL away tickets too expensive?

Former Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna is taking time to consider his next job amid links with Celtic. (National - subscription required, external)

Former Celtic captain Scott Brown says there needs to be unity at the club to help the players on the pitch (Scottish Sun), external.

Read Thursday's Scottish gossip column in full.

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Motherwell manager Alfred Johansson does not "buy" that there's a crisis at Sunday's opponents Celtic.

The reigning Scottish Premiership champions and current leaders travel to Fir Park having lost three games in a row, one each in the League Cup, Europa League and Premiership.

"I find it quite strange when the team that is number one in the table, they lose a couple of games and then it's a crisis," Johansson told Sky Sports. "I don't buy it.

"The team that we'll face on Sunday is so talented. They have so much quality in their team and in their staff so obviously it's going to be a very tough game and we need to make sure that we are the best version that we can be rather than thinking about them, so that's going to be our task.

"We expect the atmosphere to be great. We expect two teams that want to play football on the pitch. Massive, exciting."

Well themselves have lost three in a row and Johansson hopes his side can get their strategy right in order to play with bravery.

"We need to make sure that everyone knows exactly what to do and we need to gel all these new relationships together and they need to understand everyone," he explained.

"We need to be, as a team, intense in the way that we defend, intense in the way that we press, intense in the way that we protect our own box.

"We need to make sure that we play with a lot of movement. We're a mobile team.

"Then we can be brave to play our way with deep runs, with movement between lines and all of that."

Tino
Fan writer

The previous time we heard Martin O'Neill speak, he was openly questioning whether it might be time to walk away.

Yesterday, we heard something very different.

O'Neill said he was "extremely prepared" to lead Celtic forward, the recent run was "certainly not the end of the world", and his period of reflection didn't take him all that much time.

But most importantly, he made his position as Celtic manager abundantly clear:

"I want to lead the club, I want to try and win the league... and I'm as determined now as ever before."

Even if many supporters remain unsure whether O'Neill is still the right man for the job, I think we still needed to hear that.

Uncertainty at the top helps nobody. If the manager is questioning himself, then naturally everyone else starts questioning things too. The players feel it, the supporters feel it, and the noise around the club grows louder.

So hearing O'Neill sound decisive, committed and ready to go again is of some importance.

That confirmation of course doesn't suddenly solve Celtic's problems.

It doesn't fix a midfield that has looked badly out of balance, it doesn't erase those three straight defeats, and it certainly doesn't guarantee everything suddenly clicks into place at Motherwell.

But it does make one thing clear. O'Neill 100% wants to be here. He feels he can make a difference and at least for now we can move on from that recent uncertainty.

His comment about the recent run not being "the end of the world" was interesting. Because as painful as those defeats were, Celtic are still top of the league.

The season hasn't just disappeared because of two losses to Rangers and a poor European result.

There's still plenty to play for. And maybe part of O'Neill's job now is making sure the players don't allow those recent setbacks to become bigger than they need to be.

A bad run's one thing, but allowing that bad run to define everything that follows is another.

So perhaps this was exactly the tone Celtic needed from him. Not denial, not panic - just perspective, certainty and a clear message he still believes he can lead this team where it needs to go.

Of course, words only take you so far. The next part is what happens on the pitch.

Will Celtic look more settled? More confident? More like a team that knows what it is trying to do? We'll find out in a few days' time.

O'Neill has made his decision. Now we'll discover if the Celtic players who walk out at Motherwell on Sunday are equally certain about what comes next.

Tino can be found at The Celtic Exchange, external

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Ex-England striker Emile Heskey believes a loan move to Celtic or Rangers could help fast-track the development of Arsenal teenager Max Dowman. (The Herald - subscription required, external)

Former Liverpool and Leicester City striker Emile Heskey has revealed he was courted by Celtic during Martin O'Neill's first tenure. (Glasgow Times, external)

Kelechi Iheanacho continued his good post-Celtic form by scoring for Nigeria in yesterday's friendly draw with Russia, adding to his 11 goals in eight appearances for Bursaspor. (The Herald - subscription required, external)

Tottenham Hotspur and Hull City are reported to be interested in former Celtic striker Oh Hyeon-gyu but Besiktas would only sell if they received a "very astronomical offer" for the South Korean. (Fotospor - via Glasgow Times, external)

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Martin O'Neill hopes Jota will be like a new signing for Celtic as the Portuguese winger approaches a long-awaited return from injury.

Jota suffered a cruciate ligament injury in April 2025, but featured in a training match against Falkirk during the ongoing international break.

O'Neill also revealed influential right-back Alistair Johnston is nearing a return to full fitness after picking up an injury against Kilmarnock in August.

"Jota did 45 minutes in a bounce game we had against Falkirk last Friday and that was really good," O'Neill said in an interview with CelticTV.

"Alistair Johnston is on the grass, doing some build-up work and that's encouraging.

"We're making progress. The game against Falkirk was very competitive and worthwhile.

"Jota will definitely feel like a new player coming to the club, as far as I'm concerned anyway."

Top of the table. Six wins from seven. The joint most goals scored and joint fewest conceded.

On the face of it, Celtic's Premiership title defence is off to a smooth start - but a storm of discontent continues to hover.

And a look at the numbers behind Celtic's league start - plus a comparison with last term's opening - flags up issues.

Attacking wise, there is reason for positivity. The Martin O'Neill side of 2026-27 has accrued more points, scored more goals and created more chances in their first seven matches than Brendan Rodgers' team of early last season.

However, Celtic's current vulnerabilities at the other end are laid bare by Opta's data. Although Celtic this season have only conceded one more goal (four to three), they have faced almost twice as many shots - 79 compared to 41.

And there's also a chasm of difference in shots on target faced - 29 in contrast to 12 last term.

Celtic's goalkeeper has made 21 saves - last season it was just nine - and kept just three clean sheets, two down on last term, while the team's xG against stands at 7.1 compared to the 4.91 of 12 months ago.

O'Neill's side have conceded seven more corners - 29 - and won possession 301 times compared to 337.

Of course all this isn't merely a defensive problem, with the manager struggling to find the right midfield balance to prevent his team being too easy to play through.

Having gone into the three-week international break on the back of three damaging defeats - two of them to Rangers - in all competitions, O'Neill was left considering whether he still had the stomach for the fight.

He remains in charge and has had plenty to ponder and work on during the hiatus. So will we see a more robust and cohesive Celtic when they resume action against Motherwell on Sunday?

In two trips to Fir Park last season, Celtic lost 2-0 in December and then needed a controversial 99th-minute Kelechi Iheanacho penalty to rescue a crucial 3-2 victory in May during their late surge to the title.

With the Parkhead club facing unrest on and off the pitch, the need for victory in North Lanarkshire is stark.

Tom English
BBC Scotland's chief sports writer

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Stephen Welsh's story starts at Celtic, a product of their academy who turned down overtures from Udinese and Toulouse in his time. He wanted to stay and fight for his place but it was all stop-start.

After making his debut in the spring of 2020, Celtic kept signing centre-halves - Carl Starfelt and Liam Scales, Cameron Carter-Vickers and Yuki Kobayashi, Moritz Jenz and Maik Nawrocki, Gustaf Lagerbielke and Auston Trusty.

He played 70 games in total. It wasn't enough. "It's not easy but at a club like Celtic, they always want to improve, bring in more players because that keeps the competition," Welsh says. "It's football. You're not guaranteed to play even though you want to.

"For your boyhood club, to play every game, would have been the best-case scenario. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. I'm a big boy, I can accept that players are going to play in front of you. That's fair enough."

Challenging years, though. A time for mental fortitude.

"That's probably the thing that people don't see," he remarks. "What you need then is a good support group around you, good family, good friends. My agent was excellent for me. They just need to be there. That's the main thing, just be there.

"Psychologically, it can affect players but I don't think it affected me too much. I never took anything personally. That's just the way it goes. The best players, technically, probably don't [always] get to the top. It's the players that are mentally strong.

"Look at John [McGinn] and Robbo [Andy Robertson]. The mentality that they have. They're obviously fantastic footballers but it's the mental strength as well. To churn out performances every week, to turn up in good shape, to be ready to play tactically, technically, physically and mentally. That's the biggest challenge."

In an effort to get game time, Welsh signed a loan with Mechelen in Belgium before making the move of his life to Motherwell. He says he had one conversation with Jens Berthel Askou and he was hooked.

"Going from Celtic to Motherwell doesn't look the most brilliant move in the world, but…" it made him. "How he coached me on and off the pitch, it was top level," Welsh recalls.

Watch: Welsh on Celtic, Scotland & Askou, external

Celtic manager Martin O'Neill will revert to a back four against Motherwell on Sunday as the back three adopted in their latest Old Firm derby was merely to try to match Rangers' shape in a one-off game. (Football Insider, external)

It will only take a goal to kickstart forward Kasper Hogh's Celtic career, believes former club striker Gary Hooper. (Sun, external)

Sweden team manager Kim Kallstrom has defended their squad workings after Celtic midfielder Benjamin Nygren was one of five players sent home from their camp after a sickness bug. (Herald - subscription required, external)

Nigeria striker Kelechi Iheanacho insists he moved to a tough league after rejecting a new deal with Celtic to join Bursaspor, who are joint top of the Turkish second tier and for whom he has scored 11 goals and provided two assists in just eight matches. (Glasgow Times, external)

Tuesday's Scottish gossip

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Former striker Gary Hooper is convinced manager Martin O'Neill can get Celtic back on track after a "good reset" during the international break.

The Parkhead side went into the extended interval on the back of three straight defeats, with derby losses to Rangers bookending a disappointing night in their Europa League opener against Ferencvaros.

O'Neill said he would consider his future during the three-week break following the league match against their city rivals last time out, but Hooper is backing the 74-year-old to use the time off to his advantage.

Asked if he believes the veteran boss can turn things around, former Celtic forward Hooper said: "Yes, of course. He's been there, he's done it."

Speaking to BBC Scotland, he added: "The international break has probably come at the right time after losing both [derby] games.

"It's a good reset for the team and everyone at the club and they can start again after the international break."

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Celtic winger Haissem Hassan missed Egypt's 1-0 friendly defeat by South Africa on Sunday amid a report that he has returned early to the Scottish champions. (Glasgow Times, external)

Celtic have concerns about Kasper Hogh's recent form but are sure the £11m summer signing from Bodo/Glimt will lead the line successfully in the years ahead. (Football Insider, external)

Joe Ledley backs the new players at former club Celtic to come good after getting over the initial "shock" that comes with a move to Glasgow's east end. (Sun, external)

Monday's Scottish gossip

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Winger Hyun-jun Yang will return to Celtic after winning the Asian Games with South Korea.

They beat Japan 1-0 in the final to win their fourth successive title in the competition.

Yang, who has been suffering with a hamstring issue throughout the tournament, was declared fit for the final but didn't come off the bench in the narrow victory.

The 24-year-old will now be exempt from South Korea's mandatory military service, subject to completing a period of basic training, after winning gold in the competition.

Usually South Koreans have to complete 18-21 months of military service which Yang would have had to take before the age of 28.

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Sean Dyche will seriously consider becoming the next Celtic manager if an offer is tabled for the former Burnley, Everton and Nottingham Forest boss. (Football Insider, external)

Celtic winger Jota played 45 minutes of a behind-closed-doors match against a Falkirk yesterday after 18 months out with an ACL injury. (Scottish Sun, external)

Winger Sebastian Tounekti has returned to Celtic earlier than expected after Tunisia cancelled a friendly with Mali at short notice. (Scottish Sun, external)

David Currie
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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The Tennent's Sixes returns for the first time in 26 years this weekend, albeit in a legends format.

The original version featured first-team players from the Scottish top flight and ran from 1984 until 1993.

The roll call of sixes medallists is impressive. Quite a few have two, including Davie Cooper for Rangers in '84 and '89, scoring in both finals. Dave McPherson with Rangers in '84 and Hearts in '91. John Robertson, Gary McKay and Henry Smith were two-time winners with Hearts.

John Collins was a winner with Hibs in 1990 and with Celtic two years later. Aberdeen won back-to-back titles in '86 and '87 with similar squads including the likes of Jim Leighton and Neil Simpson.

But only one player has three winners medals. Winger Joe Miller was a winning Don in '86 and '87 as well as a victorious Celt in '92.

His goal for Liam Brady's Celtic in the 4-2 win over St Johnstone in the final is the stuff of sixes legend.

"John Collins or Tony Cascarino tried to play a one-two," Miller tells BBC Scotland. "The St Johnstone goalkeeper came out to tackle me and I just dipped my shoulder and let the ball run through me and into the open net."

The cheeky dummy was Miller's 10th goal of the 1992 sixes. Little wonder he remembers it fondly.

"That was probably my best memory of the sixes as it was my third win," said the 58-year-old who also finished top scorer and won the player of the tournament award.

"I loved the sixes. Current first team players played in it and treated it very seriously.

"Imagine today's players being asked to play in it. They'd be on to their agents straight away."

That was the only trophy Celtic won that year and it was the first they'd lifted since the 1989 Scottish Cup in which Miller scored the only goal of the match against Rangers. They wouldn't win another trophy until 1995.

Miller who'd been a part of the double winning centenary season team in 1988 and won both domestic cup competitions with Aberdeen would taste further glory - sort of.

"I also won a couple of Masters six-a-side titles after that, but that would be milking it," he added.

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Celtic midfielder Mika Baur was hailed as an "insanely clever" player by Jurgen Klopp after becoming Germany's 1,000th men's international.

Baur made his debut as a 77th-minute substitute in Klopp's first victory as head coach, the comfortable Nations League win over Serbia.

"Baur is an amazing player. Insanely clever, with an unbelievable technical ability," said former Liverpool boss Klopp.

Germany were already two goals up when the 22-year-old, who was signed by the Parkhead club from Paderborn in the summer transfer window, entered the field following goals from Bayern Munich midfielder Tom Bischof and Liverpool forward Florian Wirtz.

Baur helped Klopp's side see out the result, registering 18 touches during his 13-minute appearance and completing 10 of his 12 passes.

He also created one chance and made two recoveries during a lively cameo at Allianz Arena.

Speaking to German media, Baur described his debut as "surreal".

He added: "The team were incredible from the first to the last minute. It was a highlight for everyone today, not just for me with my debut.

"We put into practice the things that we discussed, like making life difficult with our gegenpressing paired with some players who like taking risks.

"I didn't even realise at first that I was going to be brought on. I was surprised, my heart was thumping, but it was business as usual when I was on the pitch."

Germany will travel to Greece for their final fixture of the current extended international period on Sunday before Baur returns to Celtic, where he has scored twice in 10 games this season.

At £132m, Rangers have overtaken Celtic by nearly £19m as having the most valuable squad in Scotland after a 4.6% increase this summer, with Heart of Midlothian third at £22m after a 15.5% increase, but St Mirren have the biggest percentage increase at 18.6%, with Hibernian the biggest drop at 10%. (Transfermarkt, external)

Former Celtic forward Robbie Keane, who was linked with the Scottish champions as manager this summer, says he has had lots of approaches since leaving Ferencvaros but it happy to wait for the right opportunity. (Daily Record, external)

Former Celtic youth winger Karamoko Dembele, the 23-year-old now with Queens Park Rangers, says a racist remark by a team-mate at a Scotland camp made it easier for him to change allegiance to England. (The Athletic, external)

Celtic winger Yang Hyun-jun has been told he will only play in the Asian Games final if he can prove he is 100% fit after sitting out the semi-final win over China following a hamstring strain. (The Herald, external)

Read Friday's Scottish Gossip in full.