Celtic: Martin O'Neill takes time to reflect, but where do Scottish Premiership champions go from here?

There is no denying Martin O'Neill is a legend at Celtic, but is a change needed before their problems become a crisis?

The 74-year-old has already said he will stock and decide if it is "time to wrap it up" following the 1-0 loss to Rangers at Parkhead.

That defeat was their second against the Old Firm rivals inside a week that also saw them go down 3-1 to Ferencvaros in the Europa League.

Celtic in 'big trouble' and need 'reset' after Old Firm defeat

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Each display has been as concerning as the last, with the Hoops fans worried about what the rest of the season holds if nothing changes during the international break.

What the form says

Celtic started the latest defence of their Scottish Premiership title with six straight wins, but at times they were unconvincing.

Their epic collapse in their Champions League play-off against LASK - from 4-0 up to crashing out 5-4 on aggregate - raised questions about O'Neill and his players.

A pasting last weekend against Rangers in the Scottish League Cup, followed by another abject display in the Europa League, saw the pressure increase.

Then came a 1-0 loss to their Old Firm rivals in front of 60,000 of their own fans.

They are still top of the top flight heading into a three-week international break, but it is a two-point gap rather than the commanding eight-point lead they could have had.

Who is to blame for results?

It is easy to point the finger at the manager when the results do not come, but Celtic's problems are bigger than that.

There were fan protests against the club's board last season and calls for change at the top have not gone away.

Questions have been asked about the quality and timing of the summer signings.

While record signing Kasper Hogh and Camilo Duran were brought in before their Champions League exit, the club then spent almost £20 on Mika Baur, Haissem Hassan and Joel van den Berg before Deadline Day.

O'Neill is still trying to find the best way to use them and his other five late signings in his team.

He has tried a series of different midfielders to no avail. He even dropped his wingers entirely in Sunday's Old Firm defeat, instead starting with five defenders and moving Kieran Tierney further forward. It was the same outcome.

Celtic have won 14 of the last 15 league titles without replacing some key players when they have been sold.

Some supporters feel domestic dominance has led to complacency from the board. But now there is a far stronger challenge from Rangers and Hearts.

Celtic have spent big this summer but many of them fear only a trophyless season will deliver their message that having vast money in the bank might not be more important than the right players on the pitch.

Is O'Neill's legacy at risk?

Things can turn quickly in Scottish football.

O'Neill returned to Celtic twice last season as interim manager and managed to steady the ship to deliver what had seemed an unlikely league and cup double.

The 74-year-old decided he was not ready to return to retirement and took over at Parkhead on a permanent basis, 21 years after his first spell came to an end.

The Irishman was a force to be reckoned with during his first spell at Parkhead when he delivered seven major trophies and a UEFA Cup final place in 2003.

He had a side hard to beat, which is the opposite of what can be levelled at them this season.

The Celtic supporters love Martin O'Neill, but even the most loyal are questioning whether it is time for him to walk away.

He made huge calls from the previous weekend's loss at Ibrox going into the clash with Ferencvaros in midweek.

They did not work. He made more changes for Rangers on Sunday and they also did not work.

He could still match last season's achievements. But if he cannot fix the big issues in his squad, he could be left with a trophyless season and a tarnished legacy.

Reason for optimism

With all the doom and gloom, it could be forgotten that Celtic are still top of the Scottish Premiership.

After Sunday's defeat to Rangers, O'Neill told Sky Sports he did not think "there's very much between the teams" and insisted "the history of the club proves it will fight back" from a week of turmoil.

He called for a bit of perspective, adding: "It's concerning. Is it a disaster? I don't think so. We have to rethink and reset."

He is right; the season is far from over.

They have played just seven of their 38 Premiership games and have another seven Europa League matches to play.

The current turmoil could still end in another season of success at Celtic.

Celtic's upcoming fixtures

October 11: Motherwell vs Celtic, ko 12pm - live on Sky Sports

October 15: Benfica vs Celtic, ko 8pm (Europa League)

October 18: Celtic vs Hearts, ko 3pm

October 22: Celtic vs Celta Vigo, ko 8pm (Europa League)

October 25: Hibernian vs Celtic, ko 12pm - live on Sky Sports

October 28: Celtic vs Dundee Utd, ko 7.45pm

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