Martin O’Neill has given another indication that Celtic could become more flexible tactically as he looks to get the best from Camilo Duran and Kasper Hogh.
O’Neill was absent from the touchline as Celtic swept Kilmarnock aside in a 5-1 win at Rugby Park.
Shaun Maloney took charge from the dugout and revealed afterwards that O’Neill had met the players at the team hotel before the squad travelled to the ground.
It was a convincing Celtic performance and much closer to what supporters have been looking for.
There is still an interesting question developing at the top end of the pitch, though.
Duran has started Celtic’s opening two competitive matches on the right despite looking more naturally suited to operating through the middle.
The Colombian came close to opening his Celtic account against Killie, rattling the crossbar after cutting inside onto his left foot.
With Hogh currently occupying the central striking position, O’Neill has decisions to make over how he fits both forwards into the same side without limiting Duran’s influence.
Speaking to Celtic Player, O’Neill made it clear he sees Duran’s long-term role differently:
“I thought the team did brilliantly, really well.
“Duran, I think perhaps even playing out of position at this moment, I think he’s a centre forward or he can play off the centre forward.
“So I think we have to be a bit more flexible in our teams as well, too. We should be able to play a number of systems without too much bother.
“I know that it’s been pretty rigid here for quite a number of years and been successful, which is great, and one doesn’t really want to change a great deal.
“But I think if you’ve got two players like that, who are both capable of scoring goals, I think then you have to try and find different ways of performing.”
That final point is the significant one.
O’Neill clearly does not want Celtic tied to one shape if it means asking one of his main attacking threats to spend too much time away from his strongest position.
It does not necessarily mean an immediate change of formation from the first whistle. Celtic will still have situations where Duran starts from the right, particularly if O’Neill believes he can hurt opposition defenders by moving inside.
But the manager openly talking about getting him and Hogh into positions where both can score goals suggests this has already been given plenty of thought.
There will also be matches when Celtic need to change during the game. O’Neill has never been precious about systems for their own sake, particularly when a match demands something different.
His first spell at Celtic was built heavily around a physical 3-5-2, with Henrik Larsson, Chris Sutton and John Hartson giving him different combinations through the middle.
Nobody is suggesting a repeat of that exact approach more than two decades later.
The principle, though, is familiar. If you have forwards capable of hurting teams, find a way to get them into areas where they can actually do it.
Duran spending significant stretches of the season pinned to the right simply because the system demands a winger there would make little sense if O’Neill believes he is a centre-forward.
The arrival of Haissem Hassan adds another layer to the discussion. The Egyptian is a left-footed right-winger capable of hurting defences with his dribbling prowess and ability to beat his man.
He will be expected to deploy that position, so it could mean altering to a 4-4-2 diamond formation. Again, this is something that could come when games are crying out for a change.
With the games coming quickly, Celtic supporters may start seeing those tactical tweaks sooner rather than later.
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