Celtic let a commanding 2-0 lead vanish into thin air against AC Milan yesterday, ending up with a 2-2 draw in their pre-season friendly at Celtic Park. This brutal second-half meltdown immediately put the focus on manager Martin O’Neill’s update regarding our World Cup trio, Auston Trusty, Benjamin Nygren, and Alistair Johnston, especially with Flag Day and the league opener arriving next week. We needed a statement, and we got a question mark.
The Second-Half Collapse Against European Royalty
What a gut punch it was to watch, honestly. The Bhoys came out absolutely firing in the first half, looking sharp as hell. Camilo Duran, our red-hot and in-form Colombian signing, bagged a goal that sent a shockwave of excitement, and then the legend himself, James Forrest, scored a peach of a goal too. Can you believe it’s his 17th season? Talk about a footballing fairytale story! We were up 2-0 against Italian giants AC Milan, feeling good, thinking this friendly was gonna be a real statement before the season kicks off.
But then the second half began. And it felt like watching a completely different team, the same old problems showing their ugly face. AC Milan quickly snagged a penalty, even if it looked dubious, then Francesco Camarda hammered in a well-worked header. Like that, we were drawing 2-2. It was eerily similar to the issues that plagued us last campaign before the split: getting one good half of football, then inexplicably crumbling. This is a friendly, thankfully, but those lingering issues? They are shouting for attention before the real games begin.
O’Neill’s World Cup Trio Update Raises Eyebrows
So after that mess on the pitch, O’Neill had to deliver the lowdown on the World Cup guys. First up, Auston Trusty. He’s coming back on Monday, July 27th. Sounds like he had some family things, so the gaffer gave him a little bit of extra time, saying he absolutely deserved it. Gotta respect that from O’Neill.
Then there’s Benjamin Nygren. He’s actually here at Celtic Park right now, but get this: he didn’t play because he’s got an Achilles problem. Seriously? That’s definitely not what we want to hear with the league opener so close. O’Neill did say he’s probably less concerned about those boys, Trusty and Nygren, because they did play matches in the World Cup. He’s taking a bit of a break, clearly not wanting to rush them back, even noting Kieran Tierney only played 60 minutes today as an example. The good news? The manager confirmed everybody will be back by Monday.
And then we have Alistair Johnston, our highly-coveted Canadian right-back. O’Neill was really hoping Johnston could get maybe 20 minutes in the friendly, and the man himself was ready for it! But nope. The manager had to be guided by those “sports science boys,” saying if anything happened to Johnston, he’d “get it in the neck” from them. So, no Johnston on the pitch today. It’s honestly frustrating that the fan media is still excluded from these post-match conferences, meaning the important questions we all have aren’t being asked. We’re relying on mainstream journalists, and you know how that goes!
What’s Next: Flag Day and Urgent Signings
So, with the friendly out of the way, the real work starts a week from Monday. That’s when Dundee rolls into Celtic Park for Flag Day. Supporters are eager for new signings to come through the door and help this group that’s already here. After watching that second-half collapse against Milan and hearing about Nygren’s Achilles, it feels like we need those new faces more than ever. Flag Day against Dundee isn’t far off at all, and we need this team to be firing on all cylinders, not falling apart after one good half.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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