The downbeat reaction of Martin O’Neill after this slog of a victory perhaps said it all.
While getting three points was all that really mattered for Celtic on Saturday, there could be no sugar-coating the underwhelming nature of their performance as they edged past St Mirren.
The veteran manager, who deserves great credit for simply keeping this dysfunctional squad in contention to retain the Premiership title at this stage of the season, wasn’t about to try and put a positive spin on their laboured display.
In truth, it was nothing that the Celtic supporters couldn’t see for themselves and have been aware of for some time.
The Scottish champions’ issues are many and manifest but by far the most glaring of them is the paucity of striking options available to O’Neill.
They were ultimately grateful here for a fine 15th minute finish from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain during their most vibrant period of the contest. Their failure to go on and find a second goal to take the strain out of what became a tortuous afternoon for the home fans was yet another example of their lack of cutting edge up front.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s second goal in Celtic colours proved to be another crucial winner
Celtic’s recruitment in that department has been utterly wretched and they may yet pay a huge price for it.
Tomas Cvancara, despite his misfiring performance at Dundee the previous Sunday, retained his place in the starting line-up as central striker.
The big Czech international, on loan from Borussia Moenchengladbach, flopped woefully again. He looks utterly devoid of confidence, his lack of conviction in failing to beat St Mirren’s sub keeper Ryan Mullen — called off the bench after Shamal George was injured — summing up a player who has scored just two goals in his 13 outings so far.
Just after the hour mark, with Celtic flagging badly as St Mirren enjoyed a bright period in which they passed the ball with poise and purpose, O’Neill had seen enough and replaced Cvancara with Kelechi Iheanacho.
The Nigerian did provide more of a physical presence and helped drag Celtic further back up the pitch in the closing stages as they saw the game out.
The former Manchester City striker remains capable of delivering big moments and who knows just how vital his late winner at Dens Park last week may yet prove to be in the final analysis.
Substitute striker Kelechi Iheanacho spurned a glorious chance to extend Celtic’s lead
Iheanacho, though, miscued a relatively simple near post chance to double Celtic’s lead against Saints and his tally of four goals in 17 games this season tells its own story.
Most of those appearances have come from the bench with O’Neill freely admitting that the 29-year-old’s regular fitness issues leave him unconvinced he is capable of completing 90 minutes.
Alternative solutions for the No 9 role are not exactly screaming out at O’Neill. Daizen Maeda, a shadow of the performer who was Scotland’s Player of the Year last season, has now gone 17 games without a goal and seems unlikely to be switched again from his preferred wide role.
As for the two strikers Celtic scrambled to sign on loan in the dying embers of the winter transfer window, neither Junior Adamu or Joel Mvuka were even named among the substitutes on Saturday.
Callum Osmand, who made a positive impression during O’Neill’s first spell in interim charge earlier this season when he scored in the League Cup semi-final win over Rangers at Hampden last November before sustaining a serious hamstring injury, is back in training and may be available for selection soon.
Tomas Cvancara’s only significant contribution was to injure Saints keeper Shamal George
It would be asking a lot of a still inexperienced 20-year-old striker, however, to expect him to come to the rescue at this critical point of the campaign.
The reality is that Celtic will likely have to have to depend on goals from other departments of the team in the manner provided by Oxlade-Chamberlain on Saturday.
The former England midfielder was a real bright spark in the first half, although doubts also remain about his fitness levels and he had fallen out of the game by the time he was replaced by Luke McCowan in the second half.
It was only Oxlade-Chamberlain’s second goal since joining Celtic in February but just as vital as his stoppage-time winner against Livingston that month.
Remarkably, Swedish midfielder Benjamin Nygren is still the only Celtic player to have reached double figures so far this season with 19. South Korean winger Yang Hyun-jun is next best with nine.
O’Neill has little choice but to hang his hat on those two underpinning Celtic’s firepower over the next few weeks.
He will also be anxiously monitoring the condition of captain Callum McGregor who started the game on Saturday despite an unspecified fitness issue and who had to be replaced by Reo Hatate midway through the second half.
Last season’s Player of the Year Daizen Maeda has now gone 17 games without a goal
As Celtic go into next Sunday’s Scottish Cup semi-final against St Mirren at Hampden before the post-split Premiership fixtures commence the following weekend, the influence and experience of McGregor could be invaluable.
With three of their last five league games at home, including against title rivals Hearts and Rangers, it’s a scenario where Celtic would normally be strongly fancied to get the job done.
This, though, is a team whose vulnerabilities have replaced the old certainties which have surrounded them in recent years.
St Mirren, who had the outstanding player on view in 18-year-old Manchester United loanee Jacob Devaney on Saturday, will certainly go into the cup semi-final with no trepidation next week. This is a Celtic who have lost the fear factor.
