Pat Bonner believes starting Sebastian Tounekti over Haissem Hassan against Rangers on Sunday was the wrong call from Martin O’Neill.
The Celtic manager made the decision based on Hassan’s lack of sleep before the big derby in the quarter-final of the Premier Sports Cup.
As far as excuses go for not starting a £6.5million summer signing, O’Neill’s was an all-timer but the call to play Tounekti backfired with the Tunisia international winger hooked at half-time.
Bonner reckons the former Hammarby wide man has not shown enough for Celtic to prove himself a “dominant” player within the squad and that should be a worry for the club who will have to rely on the 24-year-old at times this season.
And if his rotten performance in Celtic’s 3-0 hammering away at Ibrox was anything to go by, former goalkeeper Bonner, during his punditry work for BBC Sport, admits he is nervous at the thought.
“I said before the game, we all did, the question was Tounekti,” Bonner told the Beeb. “Was he going to perform today again. Last week I watched him against St Johnstone, awful. Second-half as if someone told him, ‘You just get to the byline every single time you get the ball’.
“The whole second-half he probably went to the byline half a dozen times. Today not once.
“Is it in his head? He’s got the ability, and I have no doubt he is a good lad and you work with him, but that where he’s got to mix his game up, sometimes on the inside, sometimes on the outside he can become a real handful.
“Dujon Sterling absolutely dominated him and remember Sterling was playing almost like a third centre-half. He should have been getting on that ball every time he had space and get to it. And demand it, demand that ball comes out quicker so he can take him on. But he was going 10 yards and turning back.
“That’s not good enough. So that was a question, (O’Neill) went with him but I think he now realises maybe he’s not going to be the player who’s going to be dominant in this team.”
Hassan improved the Hoops after he replaced Tounekti at half-time but it was not enough to prevent defeat.
The Egyptian at the very least ran directly at the Rangers defenders which is what was missing in the first-half. Of course it was not just in the wide areas where Celts flopped.
Their midfield failed to grab control of the game with Callum McGregor quiet and Mika Baur posted missing for the most part.
And goalkeeper Sam Johnstone may have nightmares about his derby debut having sold the jerseys more than once.
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