Martin O’Neill has revealed what he told his Celtic players following their humiliating 3-0 defeat to Rangers at Ibrox.
The Hoops were miles off the pace during the Premier Sports Cup quarter-final and can have no complaints about the result.
Celtic’s players failed to match Rangers physically, but the management must also accept responsibility.
The entire setup was wrong. Celtic appeared to have no coherent game plan and could not deal with Derek McInnes placing an extra player in midfield.
More concerningly, there was no effective response.
Half-time gave O’Neill and his staff an opportunity to regroup and make the tactical changes required to regain control. Instead, the second half followed much the same pattern as the first.
Rangers continued to find space, while Celtic looked unsure of how to play through their opponents or prevent them from dictating the contest.
Speaking ahead of Thursday’s Europa League opener against Ferencváros, O’Neill disclosed the message he delivered inside the dressing room at full-time.
“I said to the players, I’m not so sure whether Rangers beat us or we beat ourselves in that sense,” O’Neill told Celtic TV.
“You’ve got to put the work in, you’ve got to do it and you’ve got to do it every single week.
“It doesn’t matter whether it’s a home game against somebody who’s at the bottom of the league or away at Ibrox. You’ve just really got to put the work in.
“That has defined Celtic teams in the past, putting this work in. That’s what we did at the back end of last season.
“Hopefully, this will be the last time I mention it. We showed heart, grit and determination to fight back, having been beaten by Dundee United, to win the next seven games, including winning against Rangers and Hearts.
“Some of those matches, I think we won through sheer desire. So you’ve got to have that.
“There’s no point in having all the talent in the world if you don’t apply the determination and the will to win. Sometimes that defines players.
“I’ve said this to the players in the dressing room, and it doesn’t hold all the time, but sometimes you can make assumptions on players’ character about what they do on the pitch.”
O’Neill is right to demand greater effort and character from his squad. Celtic were outfought by Rangers and too many players fell short of the standards expected in a derby, but effort alone will not solve everything.
The players need a clear structure and must understand how to react when an opponent changes shape. Celtic showed neither at Ibrox, even after the coaching staff had the interval to intervene.
Thursday now offers Celtic an immediate opportunity to respond.
The players must display the hunger and determination O’Neill has demanded, but the manager must also give them a plan capable of delivering a far better performance.
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