Celtic starlet 'one positive' from Rangers loss but Parkhead struggler warned he's running out of chances

For the second weekend running, Martin O’Neill’s men were not at the races as Ryan Naderi’s first-half strike sealed all three points for the visitors, and cut the champions' lead at the top of the table to just two points ahead of the three-week international break.

Having suffered a 3-1 loss to Ferencvaros in the Europa League in midweek, the veteran boss has now lost three consecutive games for the first time as Celtic manager, with his players facing the heat after a desperately poor week for the club. However, according to former Celtic favourite Aiden McGeady, one player who has been a net positive for the club this season is teenage defender Donovan.

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“I thought Celtic were thoroughly beaten,” said McGeady. “I don't think it was a fantastic game by any stretch but I think Rangers followed on from last weekend. They were stronger, quicker, had more energy, were more aggressive, and their game plan was better thought out.

“Colby Donovan is an academy player who came through the system, and it's always good to see young players getting a chance. He was probably one of the few who came away with some praise for sticking to his task, but it was tough for him. He was up against [Djeidi] Gassama, who was very direct and quick.

“It highlights a wider issue, we simply don't have enough young players coming through and playing in the first team. To be honest, Donovan is likely playing by default because Alistair Johnston has been injured. In an ideal setup, you'd want four or five academy graduates in that Celtic squad.

“Increasing domestic game time is something the SFA is actively looking into, as the national team suffers when Scotland ranks among the lowest in minutes given to homegrown players. So, from that perspective, seeing him feature is certainly positive.”

Meanwhile, the former Celtic winger believes Tunisian international Sebastian Tounekti may be running out of chances at Parkhead. The 24-year-old was dragged off at half-time in last week’s 3-0 defeat to Rangers in the Premier Sports Cup quarter-final, and struggled in the return clash against their fierce rivals at the weekend, being introduced as a late substitute in the 1-0 defeat.

Yet to register a goal or assist this season, Tounekti has received criticism for his lack of impact since his £5.2million arrival from Hammarby a year ago, and McGeady admits he is concerned that the attacker is running out of chances at Celtic.

“The life of a wide player is very difficult because the onus is on you to be creative,” McGeady told BOYLE Sports, who offer the latest football odds. “But with Tounekti, I don't know, he's been given a lot of chances since he signed. You can see that there's ability there, but I think that ability only comes out when he feels he's up against a full-back he knows he can beat, like against St Johnstone or Falkirk. But in the bigger, more difficult games, I think he's been found wanting, to be honest.

“I don't want to be too critical because I know what it's like as a player when ex-players criticise you in the press, but he has to show more. For me, he looks short of confidence, and at the weekend probably wasn't the right game to play him in either. He was coming off the back of the St Johnstone game where he took a lot of criticism, and then he started at Ibrox against Rangers in a really tough environment. You need your big players to stand up, and on more than one occasion since coming to Celtic, he hasn't performed in the big games.”