Manager calls on his team to ‘kick on’ - starting against Celta Vigo
Martin O’Neill savoured a “great” 7-1 win for Celtic over Hearts and hopes his team can use it as a catalyst for the rest of the season.
The Premiership champions were rampant as they trounced Hearts at home to move four points clear at the top of the Premiership, with Callum Osmand and Benjamin Nygren netting doubles as well as strikes from Kieran Tierney, Camilo Duran and a Jamie McCart own goal.
O’Neill did not want to put too much emphasis on what the victory could do for Celtic’s title hopes, but with a must-win match against Celta Vigo coming up in the Europa League on Thursday, the manager urged his players to build upon their excellent performance against last season’s title rivals.
“It was a great, great win,” said O’Neill. “I thought the performance was great, certainly gave us confidence going into Thursday evening, and maybe trying to continue that on. Obviously they're [the players] are delighted. The team as a whole are delighted in there, individually I think they should be really pleased.
“I think it's very early [in terms of a four-point lead]. We were four points behind with about seven games to go last season, so it can be it can be eroded very, very quickly.
“But it's nice to win today, and and winning the manner in which we did. From Hearts' viewpoint, probably just a bad day at the office, but and they they'll still be challengers, they've got some really decent players who can play a bit.
“I just think the manner in which we got breaking up play, getting forward, obviously finishing off the chances that we had. This time last week we created a lot of chances against Motherwell, didn't take them, today we took them, and that was probably the most pleasing thing.
“If we lose on Thursday, it'll be crisis back again, so you know, I’ve been here before. You just have to try and win, and we know that anyway. It won't be easy for us, but it would be nice, and that will definitely give us a boost.”
O’Neill reserved particular praise for right-back Colby Donovan, who kept Hearts’ in-form winger Josh McPake quiet for the majority of the match. “They they were really good, but I particularly pleased with Colby was up against a really decent player as well today,” remarked O’Neill. “His improvement in a year has been really it's nice to see.”
O’Neill was also pleased with 20-year-old forward Osman’s contribution, with the Englishman netting twice in a whirlwind first half. The former Fulham kid was taken off as a precaution at half time, with the manager revealing he had a hamstring issue.
‘He had a hamstring problem - I’m not surprised really because he's not played that much,” said O’Neill. “It was more precautionary than anything else.
“It’s just that I was worried. Tim the physiotherapist said just leave him out, and I think he would have said that even if it had been 0-0. I think he he wanted to continue for a while, but I think he saw sense, and I think he should be okay for for Thursday.
"He deserved the chance last midweek. I think he and Hassan coming on at halftime gave us that a bit of impetus in the second half in the match on Thursday, so they both deserved to start the game.
“Callum did great, he has a goal-scoring instinct, there's no question about that. I'm not saying that wide left is his is his strongest position. He's small, so leading the line might be a difficult might be difficult for him, but playing alongside somebody quite strong, I think he could do really well.
“Listen, he wants to play anywhere as long as he's getting into the team.”
Osmand should be fit for the visit of the LaLiga side but winger Yang Hyun-jun and defender Cameron Carter-Vickers aren’t likely to be involved.
“The answer would be no, definitely not for Yang,” revealed the manager. “He’s doing well, he's back on the on the grass as they say now, but no, he'll not be ready for a week or two yet.
“Cameron, the earliest with would probably be seeing him would be the Hibs game [next weekend].”
O’Neill admitted that he had to apologise to fourth official Colin Steven after Hearts goal, which made it 4-1 at the time, believing that the free-kick that led to Laurent Mendy’s strike was taken out of position.
“I apologised to the fourth official,” added O’Neill. “I apologised because I thought the referee allowed the ball to be taken 20 yards further up the field.
“That's the problem with the multi-balls, and when the multi-balls don't go in your favour, then you’re not happy. When they go in your favour, you don't say a word.
“But they scored the goal from that, and I just thought it was a rather large distance.
“I’m going to check it on the on the game again, but it was a large distance, and I've apologised to the fourth official.”