The Celtic boss has “selection options” not a “selection headache.”

Last night’s team selection would have caused plenty of debate before kick-off. There were changes, there were surprises and there were players involved who have not always been first choices. In the end, though, Martin O’Neill got it absolutely spot on. Watching the way Celtic went about their business, a few things stood out immediately.

The first confirms something I’ve been saying for a while.

Colby Donovan is an excellent footballer, and he’s a better footballer than his counterpart Tony Ralston.

It’s no coincidence that Ralston has almost disappeared from the first-team picture since the manager arrived. O’Neill clearly likes Donovan and clearly believes there is a player of genuine quality there. He looks comfortable on the ball, composed under pressure and capable of contributing to the team’s overall rhythm rather than simply filling a position.

The second point is that Sarrachi is, by some distance, the best of the loan players.

Celtic should be looking seriously at making that deal permanent, even if it comes at a significant cost. He has made a compelling case for himself and, importantly, he gives the manager real flexibility.

His presence strengthens the argument for using Kieran Tierney in central defence when required, particularly for a big game on Sunday. With Sarrachi at full-back, that move looks far less like a gamble and far more like a calculated adjustment.

Elsewhere, the midfield configuration was tweaked slightly, and I liked the way it functioned.

Hatate produced one of his better performances in a Celtic shirt. O’Neill seems to trust him, and more importantly, he appears to know how to get a tune out of him. He can still be frustrating at times, but there’s no doubt he’s one of the most technically gifted players at the club. If the manager has found a way to integrate him more effectively, that could have a real impact on the remainder of the season.

Up front, Adami used space intelligently and linked play well.

His lay-off for the goal was excellent and showed the kind of awareness you want from a forward operating in tight areas. Luke also had a strong game and remains one of those players who rarely gets the credit he deserves when he performs well.

At the back, Dane Murray turned in a cracking display alongside Big Trusty, while Sinisalo’s inclusion in goal raises an interesting question in its own right. These are the kinds of performances that make a manager think. Fringe players didn’t just fill shirts; they staked genuine claims.

I always find it interesting how the media handles these things.

When it comes to Martin O’Neill, they call it a “selection headache”.

With other managers, they describe the exact same scenario as strength in depth or being spoiled for choice.

The difference in tone is subtle but consistent.

With our manager, they present it as a problem, a dilemma or an issue.

With others, they sell it as an advantage.

The truth is that Celtic probably don’t have the depth to give the manager endless dilemmas.

Still, it’s encouraging to see squad players step in and perform well. Competition is healthy. Players pushing for places raise standards across the board. That’s exactly what you want as the season moves into its decisive phase.

Yet somehow, the broader narrative still turns that into a negative. When a player performs well, the story shifts to keeping people happy instead of focusing on improved quality and real options. At other clubs, the media would praise that situation as strong squad management and smart recruitment.

Managers everywhere make decisions. That’s the job.

Every manager in the league wrestles with selection calls every single week. The boss across the city certainly does. The difference lies in how people talk about those decisions. Over there, it’s depth and options. Over here, it’s pressure and problems.

This isn’t something that keeps me awake at night, and some will see it as a minor issue. Still, I’m always curious about how people use language when they talk about Celtic. Words shape perception. Repeat a certain tone often enough and it becomes the accepted reality.

Last night’s performance deserves to be seen as proof that the squad has players ready to contribute when the manager calls on them. That’s not a headache. That’s exactly what every manager wants.

If Celtic are going to navigate the run-in successfully, contributions from beyond the usual starting eleven will be essential. On the evidence of this performance, there are players ready to step up.

The real story isn’t that the manager has problems. It’s that he has options.

And in football, especially at this stage of the season, options are everything.