Kelechi Iheanacho in Celtic spotlight after Gordon Duncan calls Hugh Keevins’ remarks ‘unreasonable’
kelechi iheanacho was dragged into a sharp public row over Celtic’s form on the eve of their Scottish Cup semi-final against St Mirren at Hampden on Sunday. Hugh Keevins made blunt comments about Iheanacho and Tomas Cvancara, while presenter Gordon Duncan pushed back and called the remarks “unreasonable. ” The exchange came as Celtic continued to face heavy scrutiny over their season and their hopes of salvaging a domestic double.
Blunt words, immediate pushback
The row centered on a hard-edged assessment of Celtic’s attacking options. Speaking on Clyde 1 Superscoreboard, Keevins described Cvancara as “useless” and said Kelechi Iheanacho would need “medical assistance” to get through a match, prompting Duncan to say the comments had crossed into “unfair, unreasonable” territory.
Keevins did not soften his view. He said the front line was “non-existent” and repeated that the question over Iheanacho’s fitness is central to how Celtic are being judged right now. Duncan replied: “Tell us what you really think. ”
The discussion landed in the middle of a tense week for Celtic, with the Scottish Cup semi-final carrying added weight. Martin O’Neill is relying on goals from Cvancara and Kelechi Iheanacho to push the club toward a possible domestic double, even though the Premiership title remains out of reach in the current outlook described on air.
Kelechi Iheanacho and the wider Celtic criticism
The criticism was not only about one player. It reflected a broader frustration with Celtic’s performances, with Keevins arguing the team have been “tepid” and “scraping by, ” while O’Neill’s own remark about not being good enough to dream too far ahead was used to underline how fragile the mood has become.
That backdrop matters because the message from the punditry was as much about the season as it was about one striker. The focus on Kelechi Iheanacho showed how tightly Celtic’s current problems are being tied to fitness, output, and whether the attack can deliver when the pressure rises.
What Celtic are trying to salvage
Celtic go into the Hampden tie needing a result to keep alive any realistic hope of ending the campaign with silverware. The strong criticism surrounding Kelechi Iheanacho and Cvancara sits alongside broader concerns about whether the team can steady itself after a season marked by inconsistency and heavy external judgment.
There is also a clear split in tone: Keevins is prepared to say the quiet part out loud, while Duncan is challenging the language as too severe. If Celtic do manage to win the Scottish Cup or push on in the remaining matches, that debate around Kelechi Iheanacho could shift quickly. If they do not, the scrutiny is likely to sharpen further, and Kelechi Iheanacho will remain part of the conversation.
