Callum McGregor has responded to Martin O’Neill’s comments after Celtic’s Champions League play-off misery.
McGregor opened the scoring on the night, but disaster followed in the second-half showing. O’Neill took full responsibility for the Hoops’ collapse in Austria, having been 4-0 up on aggregate only to lose the tie 5-4 after extra time.
It is a result that will take a while to get over, but the Celtic players have no choice but to dust themselves off and gear up for their Premiership match with Falkirk on Saturday.
Mika Baur admitted there was an eerie silence in the dressing room post-match. A new experience for him, but the Celtic support have become accustomed to failure at the play-off stage of Europe’s premier competition.
After the match, O’Neill said:
“We can’t get out for 10 minutes and then we seem to have weathered the storm, looked as if we were going to see it through at the end.
“They score with a couple of minutes to go and that takes it to extra time.
“So really, obviously disappointed. Disappointed that we’ve conceded the goals in the manner which we did.
“And again, I’ve just got back to you, it’s my team and I’m responsible for it.”
McGregor will understand that more than anyone.
Despite O’Neill carrying the blame, fans know the players have a lot to answer for. There is simply no way you can account for such a capitulation when having such a healthy lead in the tie.
McGregor apologised to the fanbase and said the team looked scared to go and try to win the game. That much looked obvious, but for your captain to admit that is a glaring truth.
The 33-year-old understands that his manager is protecting his squad in the public eye, but insists they need to look at themselves first and foremost. McGregor said (TCW):
“It’s on the players. The manager is obviously trying to protect his team, which he will do, and I will do as well.
“But there is no getting away from it, we’re the players who go out onto the pitch. It’s nothing to do with messaging or anything like that.
“We were 3-0 up and then 4-0 up. When you don’t see it, the blame only really lies with the players, to be honest. I appreciate what he’s trying to do there, but we have to take the responsibility.”
“The team underperformed, and we’re out of a competition when we were in a strong position to go through,” McGregor added. “At some point, we have to take responsibility. It’s a game of football and we’re 4-0 up and lose it. It’s not good enough.
There is no getting away from the failure to qualify. It makes it back-to-back seasons without Champions League football after Celtic lost on penalties to Kairat Almaty last year. This one stings a lot more given the circumstances of the defeat, though.
Where the Celts go from here will be telling.
Europa League football now awaits, but there is no feeling of anticipation for what’s to come. The blame will be pointed in all directions, and every debate will carry its own weight. It has left the club in disarray after a week of positivity; McGregor now has to do what a captain does and pick his teammates off the floor, given that the season has only just begun.
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