Falkirk coach Stephen McGinn has offered a grounded view of where Celtic stand under Martin O’Neill as the title race tightens. Speaking from the perspective of a coach who has faced the top sides this season, he pointed to small margins rather than any clear gap.
Falkirk have tested themselves against the leading teams, and those matches tend to show where sides fall short. John McGlynn’s side have had moments, but against Celtic and Hearts they have not been able to turn that into points. That tells its own story about control in key moments of games.
Celtic’s performances under O’Neill have followed a pattern. They stay in matches, adjust when needed, and find a way to push games in their favour over time. It is not always smooth, but it is effective when it works.
The complication has been availability. Just as players return, others drop out. That affects the starting XI. It also changes how the team builds attacks, especially when key roles in midfield or wide areas are altered from week to week.
McGinn said: (Sky Sports), “We managed to beat Hearts on penalties in the Scottish Cup, but in the league games against Hearts and Celtic, we haven’t taken any points.
“They have been a step ahead of us in the game, and in different ways. I think it’s really close between them.
“We had a bit more joy against Rangers in the two games, and obviously, we have them in a few weeks. I don’t think there is much between the three teams.
“I genuinely thought, sitting here, if you said to me when Martin O’Neill came in for his second spell, just with title know-how, with a manager that has won the league before, I thought if it looked like this with about seven or eight games to go, then Celtic would win it.
“But every time you check a Celtic team, you think they are getting key players back, then another key player is out, so that could make them fall short, in terms of not having your best players available to them.”
That last point is where the run-in could turn. Celtic have shown they can handle pressure, but constant changes in the team affect how quickly they move the ball and how well they press after losing it.
O’Neill’s experience still shows. His teams rarely drift out of games. They stay close and wait for moments. That can be enough over a season, especially when matches tighten late on.
The gap between the top sides looks narrow. Results against each other, and who can keep their best players on the pitch, will shape the final weeks more than anything else.
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