Former Republic of Ireland defender Richard Dunne believes Celtic look "a bit lost" under Martin O'Neill following the champions' 2-0 defeat at Falkirk on Sunday. The result saw Celtic miss the chance to move seven points clear of rivals Rangers, who can cut the gap at the top of the Premiership to one point by winning their game in hand.
Recent struggles
The loss comes after Celtic's 2-2 draw with Dundee United in midweek, when they again failed to capitalise on Rangers dropping points away to Hearts. Dunne, who played under O'Neill at Aston Villa in the 2009/10 season, has been unsettled by the Hoops' troubled run of results in recent weeks.
Speaking to Snabbare, he said: "It's unusual to see a run like this at Celtic. They need to settle down and get back to winning ways. Losing to Falkirk and struggling in European games shows that recent recruitment hasn't been right and they've lost their strength. We've spoken about the European losses to Benfica and Celta Vigo, but Celtic used to compete with the biggest sides in Europe, so they look a bit lost right now."
Rebuild needed
Dunne added: "If Martin O'Neill can rebuild their confidence, they should be strong enough to challenge, but they need a proper rebuild to become a superpower again."
He also backed Sam Johnstone to help get the team back on track with strong performances in goal.
He said: "When a keeper loses confidence, it affects the whole defence. You have to give other players a chance and hope things click and that's what Martin has done with Sam Johnstone. Sometimes a single clean sheet can turn your whole season around. That's what Celtic are desperate for right now. Doing the basics right and having a keeper in form could be the catalyst to turn their season around."
