O’Neill happy with Celtic’s performance as champions rediscover winning formula at Fir Park
Martin O’Neill hailed Celtic’s response to their recent struggles after a 2-0 victory over Motherwell lifted the champions back to the top of the Scottish Premiership and provided a timely reminder of their capabilities.
Camilo Duran’s clinical ninth-minute opener and Benjamin Nygren’s composed finish after the break secured a deserved win at Fir Park, where Celtic produced the energy and attacking purpose that had deserted them during successive Old Firm defeats before the international break.
The result lifted them two points clear of Rangers at the summit and offered O’Neill welcome relief as he chalked up his his 250th victory manager of the club. The 74-year-old had briefly considered his future after a difficult sequence of results but chose to remain in charge, insisting that his team needed to rediscover the qualities that had previously made them successful.
“We played really well today, we created a lot of chances and from start to finish I thought we were excellent,” O’Neill said. “We just had to refocus on the things that have made the team good. I think that we fell short in that there in terms of closing players down, things like this here, that extra energy.
“The first goal’s really important, a great finish by Camilo. And then it settled us down, which was good, although I thought up until then we had a lot of possession. Do I think we should have scored more? Oh, we had a lot of chances and we could have, but delighted to win.”
Kasper Høgh was among those unable to take advantage of a flurry of opportunities, but O’Neill defended the Danish international’s overall contribution and reckons a goal would help restore his confidence.
“He slipped up at a time when it looked as if he was going to score,” O’Neill said. “I think he just needs a goal. The rest of his game I thought was really fine, he just needs a goal, that’s what strikers thrive on.”
Asked whether the result had helped silence the criticism surrounding Celtic, O’Neill acknowledged that the club had contributed to the unrest. “There was a lot of noise and a lot of it we brought on ourselves as well too,” he admitted. “So, nice to win.”
The return of Jota after 18 months on the sidelines with an ACL injury provided another significant boost. Introduced late the second half, the Portuguese winger received a warm reception from the travelling support.
“I think he’ll be great for us, really great,” O’Neill said. “Personally speaking I didn’t think that he would be back as quickly as this. If he stays clear of big injuries again, I think he’ll be a big asset to us.”
Attention now turns Thursday’s Europa League assignment against Benfica in Lisbon, with O’Neill recognising the challenge of balancing European commitments with the domestic title race. He also suggested that Rangers’ lack of European football could offer their rivals an advantage.
“The most important thing for us is to stay up there in the league,” he commented. “But the European games … it’s what the club are aspiring to. If we’d been beaten today, of course, that’s like four in the trot, so that doesn’t help any manager.”