Callum McGregor went into striking detail on Celtic’s tactical issues after their 2-2 draw with Dundee United.

Despite scoring the first and last goals of the game, the Hoops were left with just a point having conceded two quickfire goals in the late stages of the first-half.

Many supporters were critical of the team’s performance, particularly regarding their defending and lack of control in midfield. Martin O’Neill spoke of his encouragement at parts of it, however.

Giving his own two cents, captain McGregor said that the team were allowing games to become ‘basketball’ by falling into the temptation of ‘doing it themselves’.

Callum McGregor’s concerning Celtic answer: ‘We don’t do things properly’

Asked if it was a frustrating evening or a point gained, McGregor said: “Probably a bit of both. I think the disappointing thing is that in the first half we sort of waste 45 minutes of football.

“We don’t really do things properly. The shape of the team’s not right. And then, that can happen; you get done on set pieces and you put yourself under pressure.

“You have to then react, and then the second half looks a lot better in terms of how you want the team to function. Attack in the right areas, and probably in the end you’re unlucky not to go and win the game.

“You probably had enough of the game that you deserved to go 3-2, but yeah, on reflection, it might end up being a good point.”

He continued on Martin O’Neill’s comments on the team’s lack of control: “Yeah, I do agree with that. That’s something that we’re trying hard to fix, obviously, because what that does is bring you control in the game, there’s less counter-attack moments.

“Probably Motherwell (2-0 away win earlier this month) was as close to the way that we would want it to look. You get to the certain area of the pitch, of course you want to attack. But if it’s not on, you’re two-vs-one against you, and there’s no space, you just cap out and pass it to your mate.

“Then we try and recirculate the ball into a better area. And that’s always been the message. Like I say, when you get one or two new players, you have to try and hone in on that.

“The temptation can be to try and do it on your own, but actually, if you’re giving yourself to the team, you will actually get your goals and assists. We’ll get you in the right areas to go and affect the game properly. So it’s something we’re working hard on.”

He continued on the shape of the team with three strikers in the front three: “I think probably what you’re seeing is a lot of that, it’s not really having a nailed down profile for each of the positions. The players behave like a winger, or they behave like a striker.

“You can get away with it for a few games, but if it’s a striker playing as a winger, you are going to get that behaviour a lot of the time. You’ve got enough quality so you can score goals and get away with it, but we have to try to get the team functioning the way it should.

“Then that will alleviate all the other problems that we are encountering, where it becomes a bit [like] basketball, you lose control and spend the next 15 minutes trying to get possession back.

“You waste energy at that point and then when you need to get a goal, you are coming down as opposed to up the way. There are a lot of wee bits to piece together and pull together, but there was a lot to like in the second half in terms of how we should look in the performance.”

He said finally on the need for control: “For players, you want control in games as ultimately that cuts everything else down. It’ll cut running and transitions down and that is the type of team we want to be – and have been.

“When you have a template like that you know works, you try to get as close to it as you can. That is what brings success and at times, it has been good.

“We have been free flowing and scored goals. But it’s over a 60 game period. How sustainable is it really? That is the question. We are getting closer to that in the second half against United and the Motherwell game. But there is a long way to go and a lot of games to play. The team will get better.”