“The Penny Has to Drop”: McGregor Issues Rallying Cry as Celtic Grapple with Early Season Turmoil
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At Celtic Football Club, expectations don’t waver. They don’t dip, soften, or recalibrate. Winning isn’t a goal — it’s the baseline. It’s the currency of survival. For generations, Celtic have stood as one of football’s great institutions, revered for a commitment to attacking football, silverware-laden seasons, and a fierce pride born of fanatical support. But just a few weeks into the new season, those expectations are being sorely tested.
Celtic’s campaign has begun not with a roar, but with a stutter — a confusing, unconvincing murmur that has left fans frustrated, critics circling, and the squad searching for answers. Already, murmurs of discontent are growing louder, and after Thursday night’s damaging 2–0 home defeat to Braga in the Europa League, patience is wearing thin.
In the eye of the storm stands Callum McGregor — the captain, the metronome, the ever-present symbol of Celtic’s modern identity. And now, perhaps more than ever, he’s being called upon to steady the ship.
Shadows of Last Season
To understand the weight now bearing down on Celtic Park, one needs only to recall the contrast with last season. Under Ange Postecoglou, the Hoops romped their way to another domestic double, playing a brand of fast, fearless, and free-flowing football that swept teams aside with an almost arrogant ease. The squad oozed confidence, goals came from all over the pitch, and the Celtic faithful were entertained weekly by a team that not only won — but excited.
But Postecoglou’s departure to Tottenham in the summer left more than just a tactical void. It left a psychological one. Celtic not only lost their manager but the architect of a footballing philosophy that had reinvigorated the club.
In his place, Brendan Rodgers returned — the prodigal son of sorts, back for a second spell that had split the fanbase even before a ball was kicked. His previous tenure brought a historic unbeaten domestic treble, but it ended acrimoniously when he left mid-season for Leicester. Now, back in the Parkhead hotseat, Rodgers finds himself at the helm of a squad that’s failing to click.
Mixed Results and Mounting Questions
So far, Celtic have won just six of their opening 12 matches in all competitions, failing to score in five of them. The Braga defeat was the latest in a string of disjointed performances that have left fans scratching their heads. The tempo is off. The rhythm is inconsistent. The slickness of previous seasons has given way to a clunkier, less confident iteration of Celtic’s attacking play.
And it’s not just in Europe. At home, Celtic have looked vulnerable — even beatable. A narrow escape here, a dropped point there. For a club used to dominating the Scottish Premiership, these lapses matter. The pressure builds quickly at Celtic, and in the current climate, even a draw can feel like a crisis.
Rodgers has pointed to the need for patience, citing the integration of new signings, injuries to key players, and the inevitable tactical transition. But for McGregor, now in his 10th season as a first-team regular, the message is far simpler: it’s time to wake up.
“We have to keep working. It’s a collective,” McGregor said in the aftermath of the Braga loss.
“Everybody has to understand the responsibility when they play for Celtic. Drawing games, losing games is not good enough. As much as you play well for parts of the game, it’s not what’s required. We have to win games of football and we have to play well.”
There’s no disguising the frustration in his voice — not anger, but urgency. A captain calling on his squad to grasp the magnitude of what it means to wear the green and white.
Leadership in Transition
McGregor has seen it all at Celtic. From the dizzying heights of quadruple trebles to the chaos of managerial changes and painful European exits, his leadership has often been the glue holding things together. But in a dressing room featuring a number of new faces — and lacking some of the stalwarts of previous years — his role has grown more important.
This season’s squad is a blend of returning title-winners and raw potential. The likes of Odin Thiago Holm, Hyun-jun Yang, and Gustaf Lagerbielke have all shown flashes of promise, but McGregor knows that bedding in takes time — and time is a luxury Celtic can’t always afford.
“It’s a new team with some new players, some different attributes within that as well. Now you have to find the right blend and the right combination of players to make it work,” he explained.
“I think it’s easy when you have the reference point from last season where the team started so well. They were scoring five or six goals a game — but that’s not always a true reflection either. People go off that reference point. But we are working hard and we will continue to work hard to get the maximum out of the players we’ve got.”
That willingness to shift the narrative — away from the shadow of Postecoglou’s legacy and toward building a new identity under Rodgers — is crucial. But it comes with a challenge: how long will the fans wait?
Motherwell Test Looms
Celtic’s next chance to reassert themselves comes this Sunday against an unbeaten Motherwell side. On paper, a home fixture at Parkhead should be routine. But this isn’t just another match — it’s a must-win, the kind of game that could either stem the bleeding or deepen the wounds.
Motherwell arrive with confidence, having claimed a late 2–0 win over Aberdeen last weekend and a valuable draw with Rangers earlier in the season. Under new boss Jens Berthel Askou, the Steelmen are playing expansive, brave football — something McGregor acknowledges could create opportunities for Celtic, but only if they seize them.
“Yes, they’ve started the season really well. I’ve watched them. They’re really committed, trying to play the right way,” McGregor said.
“They’ll come here on Sunday and try to play, which gives us an opportunity to be aggressive in the press and try to implement our style onto the game.”
Askou hasn’t shied away from ambition either, boldly claiming that Motherwell are heading to Celtic Park to win. But McGregor wasn’t fazed.
“Every manager and every team turns up at the weekend wanting to win. If he said anything different, you’d question it. We’re the same. We turn up, we want to win, and we want to play good football.”
With the international break looming, Sunday’s result will linger. A strong performance and a convincing win could settle nerves and offer a launchpad for the coming months. A poor showing, however, could escalate concerns and draw further scrutiny toward Rodgers and his players.
Time to Deliver
There are still many games to play, and Celtic remain within touching distance in the league. European hopes, while bruised, are not beyond rescue. But the warning signs are there — and McGregor has seen enough to know when a line needs to be drawn.
He isn’t demanding perfection — he’s demanding accountability. And at Celtic, accountability means results. Beautiful football is part of the identity, yes. But at its core, Celtic must win.
“I’ve been here long enough and I know what it takes to be successful,” he said.
“We’ll get there — and it’s our job to make sure we do.”
As the season gathers momentum, the margin for error shrinks. If Celtic are to meet their lofty ambitions, the penny must drop — and drop fast.
Because for all the tactical tweaks, new signings, and philosophical transitions, McGregor’s message is timeless and simple:
This is Celtic. And that means winning.