Celtic were humiliated in the Champions League play-off round as they blew a four-goal lead to LASK in Austria to crash out of the competition and into the Europa League
Martin O’Neill has shouldered responsibility for Celtic’s catastrophic Champions League exit.
The Hoops tumbled into the Europa League after surrendering a FOUR-goal advantage against LASK in Austria.
Celtic had established a three-goal cushion from the first leg, with Callum McGregor adding to their tally with an away goal in Linz to make it 1-0.
However, the Parkhead outfit capitulated spectacularly, succumbing to a 5-1 extra-time hammering in their worst European second-leg performance in over six decades.
O’Neill declined to point fingers at summer signings for the debacle, maintaining that Celtic ought not to have crumbled so drastically, reports the Daily Record.
He said: “No, absolutely. Shouldn’t do, and I accept responsibility.
“That is down to me, regardless of how it turned out to be, whether it’s fitness, whether it’s… it’s just everything perhaps, but we shouldn’t have done that.
“From the position that we were in, you shouldn’t even have been near to this extent.
“I’m responsible for the team. I’m responsible for it. I’m the manager of the side and I’m just hugely disappointed.
“Disappointed for obviously for the side, for the aspect, and for the people who come to the performance, and hugely disappointed.”
Celtic’s record shows six consecutive Champions League qualifying failures, with LASK joining recent conquerors including Kairat, Cluj and Ferencvaros on that unwanted roll call.
O’Neill acknowledged: “I’m responsible for this one, and I don’t know what’s happened in the last… but it’s not a good statistic.
“I think that what these games, these type of games show you is that we obviously a lot of work to do in that aspect.”
People say you can overcome that at certain stages, you know, but overall, like, these games are real, real tests for you, and unfortunately, we failed that test tonight.
Celtic had opportunities to secure the result and were ahead in Austria before a disastrous second-half collapse.
O’Neill reflected: “We lost control. In the first half, we had clear-cut chances; one of them should have gone in.
“We allowed them to get before that, and it gave them something to hold onto.
“Just after half-time again, they scored, so momentum went with them. We were unable to stem the flow at that particular stage, and yeah, just really disappointed that we didn’t see it through.”
O’Neill acknowledged that missing out on Champions League qualification – along with the substantial £40m payday – may affect his ability to strengthen the squad during what remains of the transfer window.
He stated: “It’s really major. It’s major in every aspect, for financial, football, for prestige, for everything.
“And again, Europa League is some consolation tonight, but we’ll pick ourselves up because that’s what I have to do. That’s my responsibility.
“I think that I said last week that if you could qualify for the Champions League, I think there would be players that would be wanting to come, and that’s no longer the case. So we’ll see.
“And I’ve got to say that we’re short, and maybe I’m not a million miles away.
“We played brilliantly the other evening, brilliantly in the game. I thought they were a fine, fine side, and they’ve got some great goals. And tonight, you know, we fell way short, particularly in the second half.”
You must be logged in to post a comment Login