Chris Sutton admits that Martin O’Neill got it all wrong as Celtic capitulated against LASK.
O’Neill oversaw one of the worst collapses in Celtic’s history as they surrendered a four-goal lead in Austria to exit the Champions League play-off round.
After the defeat, O’Neill said that the Hoops were “a million miles away’ from the finished article, something that Sutton finds alarming given there is less than a week to go until the transfer window shuts.
Though recruitment remains a glaring issue that needs to be resolved, Sutton criticised his former boss for the way in which he set his side up.
“There’s no doubt some of the tactics, the set-up, and substitutions can only be described as odd”, Sutton said (RecordSport).
O’Neill said the responsibility lay with him, but Sutton doesn’t believe the blame lies solely on his shoulders.
“The manager doesn’t dodge the blame. Everyone knows my respect for Martin O’Neill, and it was admirable the way he took the hit for what happened in Linz.”
However, he affirmed: “He might have got it wrong the other night but he was also badly let down by the players.”
To lose a four-goal lead is a submission for the ages. Last year’s shootout defeat to Kairat Almaty was bad in its own right, but this seems like another level.
Sutton highlighted Callum McGregor’s comments after the LASK defeat, in which he admitted the team looked “scared” to win the game.
“It was telling seeing Callum McGregor admitting the side looked ‘scared’ to go and win the game – that was more damning than anything any pundit could say.
“It’s the captain pretty much saying they bottled it.”
There is simply no way of sugar-coating it. Everyone involved with the club knows how big an opportunity missed this was. To secure Champions League football would’ve maintained the positive feeling around the place; instead, it came crashing down within a week.
Where the club go from here will be telling. At the very least, a goalkeeper, left-back, right-back and central midfielder are required; will the board put their money where their mouth is?
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