Frank McAvennie: Celtic may be Conference League-bound after losing fear factor

Frank McAvennie has warned faltering Celtic they are staring at the prospect of being in the Conference League next season after losing their fear factor.

The Hoops have won the Scottish Premiership in 13 of the last 14 seasons while they threatened a Champions League upset against Bayern Munich just 14 months ago before going down 3-2 on aggregate.

But they have lost their way since then and, after being defeated in their last two domestic finals against Aberdeen and St Mirren, they are third in the league, three points behind leaders Hearts, with just five matches remaining.

A top-two finish would earn Celtic a crack at Champions League qualification while winning the Scottish Cup would take them into the Europa League third qualifying round but former striker McAvennie remains unconvinced about their ability to do either.

“Nobody’s scared of Celtic anymore, that’s the biggest problem,” said McAvennie, speaking at Hampden on Tuesday to promote Premier Sports’ coverage of Sunday’s Scottish Gas Scottish Cup semi-final between two of his former clubs, Celtic and St Mirren.

“Every team’s having a go at them. The last 13, 14 years, it’s been trophy after trophy after trophy. These young boys (among the support) have never seen Celtic where they are, and it’s hurting them.

“People say to me, ‘would you be surprised if St Mirren beat Celtic on Sunday?’. No, I don’t think anybody would. It wouldn’t be a surprise the way it would be a couple of years ago.

“I don’t get it, (just over) a year ago, we went and drew with Bayern Munich, great team – what’s happened? Very quickly it’s turned into the show it is at the moment, and it’s not the best show in town.

“They could finish third this year, and if they finish third and don’t win the cup, they’ll be in the Conference League.

“I don’t think even boys like Callum McGregor and Kieran Tierney have been under pressure the way Celtic are at the moment.

“These boys know what it’s like to win games, and to win leagues, but not coming from behind when, by all accounts, they’re the third best team in Scotland at the moment.”

McAvennie lamented Celtic’s lack of dependable attackers as he urged manager Martin O’Neill to consider moving prolific midfielder Benjamin Nygren up front.

“God knows where they’d be without Nygren’s 19 goals, but he doesn’t contribute to the midfield,” said the 66-year-old.

“Celtic have always had three good strikers that any manager could rely on, and they’ve not got that now.

“I don’t know why they don’t put Nygren up front. I played four years in midfield at St Mirren before I went up front, so it’s been done before.

“It would allow you to bring another midfielder in. I would like (Arne) Engels, (Reo) Hatate and Cal Mac together in midfield, and then you can bring (Alex) Oxlade-Chamberlain on later on.”