After months of hard work, stress and even a hospital stay Martin O’Neill got to enjoy a Celtic performance again.
Twice last season the Irishman was called in as interim manager. The second occasion after Wilfried Nancy led Celtic to six defeats in eight matches.
O’Neill and Nancy are polar opposites, not only in terms of results as Celtic manager.
Against LASK O’Neill led Celtic to their 13th successive victory despite lukewarm backing from the club.
While Michael Nicholson has been busy selling players O’Neill has managed to bring in four new signings.
Just as importantly O’Neill has started to forge a team, players with understanding of each other and what is required of them on the pitch.
O’Neill gets to deliver his side and his style
The arrival of Kasper Hogh has taken Ben Nygren to a new level. Four matches into the season the Swede has four goals and four assists to his game.
Hogh brings the creative aspects of the Celtic side together. Last night be occupied and more LASK’s back three which gave Nygren and Camilo Duran the space to do damage. They delivered.
Not since Peak Postecoglou have Celtic carried such a goal threat.
Back then Kyogo and Giorgos Giakoumakis alternated as striker. On the right Postecoglou had James Forrest and Lial Abada. On the other flank Jota and Daizen Maeda carried the threat.
With one foot in the Champions League Celtic need to finish the job on Tuesday, preferably free of stress.
A week today the draw is made for the Champions League which is when the hard work really starts.
Celtic should aspire to match or surpass the 12 points won by Brendan Rodgers’ side two seasons ago.
There is a strong chance that there will be two Norwegian sides in the 36 team tournament.
A top 24 finish isn’t beyond Celtic, especially if O’Neill is allowed to spend on another three or four players of the calibre of Duran and Hogh.
The players are out there. Without the interference of Paul Tisdale there is no reason not to put a real Celtic side into the Champions League.
https://youtu.be/uboYgwG2_Po
O’Neill uncovers strikers as Camilo Duran arrives on the scene as a Celtic player
He was exceptional. Really exceptional, I said to him. He’s been fantastic for us since he’s arrived at the football club.
And his goals were terrific, his play was great. His running back, helping full backs, helping Colby out on a number of occasions. It was just a magnificent performance.
He’s going to be a really, really good player.
I think that whatever we paid for Duran, I think he has paid his ticket by now. He’s only entered his fourth game. So I don’t think it was an awful lot of money when you consider some of the fees that they’re talking about for the Premier League.
I think he’s a real bargain. Four and a half million or something like that there. Centre-forward has given us a bit of presence there, which I don’t think we had last year, despite Daizen Maeda probably winning the league for us single-handedly.
Will money be invested, are there more players coming in?
We are on the plus side in terms of money at this minute, and probably the number of players that have left, I think in terms of the wage budget and things like that. So we’re actually in the plus.
I think that regardless of what happens next Tuesday night, I think we’ve still got European football. I think then, and while it has been mentioned yesterday, that Champions League football is a big carrot for a lot of players, and that would be nice, I still think that hopefully we will get somebody in to augment the squad for European football anyway.
O’Neill gives his thoughts overall on the match, the tie
I thought there were periods where we played some really fantastic stuff, there were periods where they played some fantastic stuff. It was really like a basketball game, particularly in the first half. We rode a little bit of luck.
They had a great shot in the first minute, just marginally offside. They had a great chance just a moment or two after that, so they started the brighter. And it took us time to get going, but when we did then we scored.
Great goal by Benjamin Nygren to take a bit of pressure off, give us the lead. And then Duran’s two goals were fantastic. The game was absolutely in the balance.
The tie isn’t over?
I didn’t even have to say it in the dressing room to the players. They know, they absolutely know this.
I think that what we are, I think we’ve shown, I think we’re capable of scoring, which we probably would need to do. But yeah, they are a fine side. I’m not playing it down at all.
I just think that this game, as I said, their goals were just fantastic. I mean, good enough to win any football match, but yeah, we’ve got a long way to go yet.
A team performance, a Champions League performance?
Well, I genuinely think that we can improve. We can improve in the sense that I think that will bring us on in terms of fitness as much as anything else.
Really strong game. Had to be at it almost every single minute.
But overall, I thought the defending was strong. I thought Viljami Sinisalo did really great. Made a big save for us at 2-0. It goes 2-1 and they’re in the ascendancy at that stage. So, lots of things happened during the course of the game. Can’t probably take it all in.
But when I analyse it again, I think like the rest of the staff, and I’m sure the supporters think this is far from over.
Is there more to come from this team?
I think that when you reach a proper level of fitness, I think that we can do it.
The problem with sometimes, as I’ve known this in the past, when we’ve had to play, way back, 20-odd years ago, when we had to play Champions League qualifying games, you were worried about just the start of the season. Sometimes you were playing away for teams that were already halfway through their own season, or at least maybe 10 games into it. I felt that those games were always tough.
Tonight, that was a consideration. I know we’ve had a number of games, we’ve played three before this, but it’s just… I think once you hear the music, you just feel it’s a different level.
O’Neill on Colby Donovan
He did great. He really did great. He’s got a big, big heart, and that’s nice to see. Really nice to see. He’s a local lad as well too, and loves it.
Loves the football club, loves playing. His enthusiasm is boundless. He stuck to his task brilliantly tonight.
He just goes for it. He’s always trying to improve his game, trying to improve his first touch, things like this here. But overall, I don’t think you can compensate for the heart that he has.
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