There is something rather interesting about Martin O’Neill echoing Callum McGregor’s recent comments about Celtic’s tactics, team selection and, most importantly, players being used in their natural positions.

I have to admit, I found McGregor’s remarks particularly significant, because they were not simply the usual post-match observations from a captain trying to explain another disappointing performance. There was something much more important underneath them.

And now, with O’Neill seemingly agreeing with his captain, I believe Celtic supporters have every right to start asking some rather uncomfortable questions.

Let me examine this properly, because Callum McGregor is not some inexperienced footballer who has suddenly discovered that playing football involves tactics, positioning and understanding your teammates.

He is Celtic’s captain, an experienced midfielder who knows this club, understands the demands of playing at Celtic Park and has witnessed enough football to recognise when something is not working.

When he speaks about players playing in their natural positions, I am inclined to listen.

And frankly, I agree with him.

Football is not rocket science, although sometimes watching Celtic recently might leave me wondering whether somebody has accidentally handed the coaching staff a particularly complicated mathematical equation.

Players have positions for a reason. They develop their understanding, confidence and effectiveness in those positions. Of course, versatility is valuable, and there are occasions when tactical adjustments are necessary.

However, constantly asking footballers to perform unfamiliar roles is hardly a recipe for consistency, especially when Celtic are already struggling to find consistency.

Here comes the interesting part.

Martin O’Neill has echoed McGregor’s comments, seemingly agreeing with the principle that players should be deployed where they naturally belong.

Wonderful. We have agreement between the manager and the captain. Surely that should be the beginning of something positive? Well, not quite.

Because I cannot help asking one rather obvious question: if O’Neill recognises the importance of players playing in their natural positions, why does he continue to select certain footballers outside their preferred roles?

This is where the contradiction becomes difficult to ignore.

I am not suggesting that a manager should never experiment, change formations or make tactical adjustments. Football requires flexibility. Injuries, suspensions, opposition tactics and the availability of particular players can force difficult decisions.

I understand that perfectly well.

However, there is a considerable difference between making an occasional tactical adjustment and repeatedly asking players to compensate for a system that does not appear to be working.

Celtic have looked disjointed at times, lacking fluency, understanding and the sort of attacking organisation that supporters have every right to expect. We have witnessed players struggling to make an impact, not necessarily because they lack ability, but because their responsibilities and positions do not always appear to suit their strengths.

And then we wonder why the performances are inconsistent. Perhaps we should stop wondering and start examining the decisions being made.

There is another aspect of this situation that I find particularly interesting.

I wonder whether O’Neill’s agreement with McGregor is entirely straightforward, or whether the manager is also taking a rather diplomatic approach to a situation that could become uncomfortable very quickly.

After all, the last thing Martin O’Neill needs right now is a public disagreement with his own captain. McGregor is an important figure in the dressing room. He is the senior player and somebody whose influence extends beyond simply wearing the armband.

Having your captain publicly questioning aspects of the team’s tactical organisation is not necessarily a disaster, but it certainly deserves attention. And having your manager respond by acknowledging the same principles is probably the sensible approach.

However, I would like to know whether this agreement translates into actual changes on the pitch. Because words are relatively inexpensive. Results, performances and tactical improvements are considerably more demanding.

I would also be careful not to interpret McGregor’s comments as some sort of dressing-room rebellion. I have no evidence of that, and I am not interested in inventing a crisis for the sake of a dramatic headline. What I do see is an experienced captain making observations that deserve to be taken seriously.

Perhaps he is simply saying what many Celtic supporters have been thinking for weeks. And perhaps that is precisely why his comments matter.

Let us focus on the bigger picture.

Celtic cannot afford to spend another significant period of the season looking like a team still trying to work out what it wants to be. We need structure, clear responsibilities and players who understand exactly what is expected of them.

I want to see Celtic playing with purpose. I want to see our midfield functioning properly, our attacking players receiving the ball in positions where they can cause damage, and our footballers understanding their roles without having to spend half the match correcting somebody else’s positioning.

Is that really too much to ask?

We have invested considerable money in this squad. We have players with quality, experience and potential.

Kasper Høgh, Camilo Duran, Nygren and the others should be part of a functioning footballing structure, not participants in an ongoing experiment in which their responsibilities seem to change depending on the afternoon.

And I certainly do not believe that spending millions on footballers only to use them in roles that diminish their strengths is particularly clever recruitment or management.

There is also a responsibility on the coaching staff. If players are repeatedly struggling to understand their roles, perhaps the answer is not simply to demand more from them. Perhaps the tactical instructions, formation or selection need examining.

That is what proper coaching involves.

I will give Martin O’Neill credit for acknowledging McGregor’s comments rather than dismissing them or turning the situation into an unnecessary confrontation. That is sensible management.

However, I am not going to hand out a distinction simply because the manager agrees with a principle that he himself should be implementing.

My English teacher’s final mark? Agreement: very good. Consistency between words and actions: still awaiting submission.

I want O’Neill to demonstrate that he understands what McGregor is talking about by making the necessary adjustments.

I want to see players returning to positions where they can perform at their best, a more coherent tactical approach and a Celtic side that looks as though it knows exactly what it is doing.

And if there are genuine limitations within the squad, I want those acknowledged rather than hidden behind diplomatic press-conference answers.

There is no shame in admitting that something needs changing. There is, however, a considerable problem with recognising what is wrong and then continuing to do exactly the same thing.

I remain supportive of Martin O’Neill, but support does not mean unconditional approval. His history at Celtic deserves respect, but the present demands accountability, just as it would from any other manager.

Callum McGregor has raised an important point. O’Neill has echoed it.

Now I want to see the football reflect it.

Because Celtic supporters do not need another beautifully worded explanation of why things are not working.

We need solutions.

And please, for the love of everything green and white, let us stop making footballers look like strangers to their own positions.

We are Celtic, not a tactical laboratory where everybody gets randomly assigned a new job every Saturday.

Paradise deserves better.

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