Celtic selection decisions under scrutiny after Rangers derby defeat
Yahoo Sports commentary questioned Martin O’Neill’s decision to start Sebastian Tounekti and Sam Johnstone in Celtic’s 3–0 loss to Rangers at Ibrox.
Celtic’s team selection has come under scrutiny after a 3–0 Scottish League Cup defeat by Rangers at Ibrox on 13 September.
Yahoo Sports singled out the decision to start Sebastian Tounekti ahead of Haissem Hassan, James Forrest or another alternative. Tounekti was withdrawn at half-time, with Hassan introduced for the second half.
The commentary said Hassan made an immediate impact, while noting that Martin O’Neill reportedly explained the player’s omission by saying he had been deprived of sleep the previous night. That explanation has not been independently corroborated in the supplied material.
Yahoo Sports also questioned the selection of Sam Johnstone in goal ahead of Viljami Sinisalo. Johnstone had started after what was described as a solid midweek performance in Celtic’s win over St Johnstone in Perth, but the commentary criticised his display against Rangers and linked it to the selection decision.
Rangers led 3–0, with Dan Neil reportedly scoring the third goal in the 75th minute. The supplied material presents the selection criticism as commentary and does not independently establish that the decisions caused Celtic’s defeat.
