Donati offers Celts nothing, blasts Burley

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• More Celtic news

In a no-holds barred appraisal of the players placing Gordon Strachan under severe pressure, the former Scottish Player of the Year accused Celtic's underperforming midfield of pinning too much responsibility on Aiden McGeady.

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Offering nothing? Celtic's Massimo Donati

Also pointing the finger at £4.5million signing Scott Brown, the Setanta analyst believes too many big-name players at the club are falling short. Currently seven points behind a Rangers side which has a game in hand, Celtic need to win the Old Firm double-header to have even a faint hope of retaining their title.

Burley fears, however, that his former club will fail unless change occurs soon, saying: "McGeady is a younger player in that squad and it's difficult to just say to him: 'You've got to change the game for us' all the time.

"He's been arguably their best player, along with Scott McDonald, for most of the season, but the lad has got to be allowed a bit of tiredness and loss of form. You can't keep expecting him to deliver all the time.

"Somebody else has to step up to the mantle; where are Scott Brown's runs from midfield? With Massimo Donati, for me it's quite simple - he offers nothing. At the moment, he is offering nothing - £3million and nothing.

"You need someone in there who is going to roll their sleeves up and get you goals. You can't keep looking to the strikers all the time. You've got to get guys forward from midfield into the box and people who want to take responsibility. Where are they?"

A title winner under Wim Jansen a decade ago, Burley scored 15 goals from midfield that season and emerged as a strong personality in the dressing room.

Right now, he sees little evidence of similarly single-minded players in Strachan's ranks.

"Over the years, when the going has been tough, Celtic have had guys who are going to change games - maybe a Stan Petrov, with a goal from midfield, John Hartson, Chris Sutton or Henrik Larsson. But I'm looking at them at the moment and there are not too many sticking their hands up."