Celtic manager Martin O'Neill expressed his disappointment after the Hoops made hard work of a tie against sixth-tier side Auchinleck Talbot in their Scottish Cup quarter-final. The 1-0 victory, courtesy of Johnny Kenny's first goal for the club, was welcomed with lukewarm applause from the Parkhead faithful, who felt that their team didn't do enough to win.
O'Neill acknowledged that his squad had "made hard work" of the tie and admitted that he didn't learn much more about them than before. The Celtic manager went on to say that he was concerned about the game, something he's done for 30 years, but ultimately felt that his team should have played better.
In terms of transfer business, O'Neill remains hopeful that the club will sign players in the January window. Despite being halfway through the deadline period with no new arrivals at Parkhead, the manager remained optimistic that Celtic could get their summer signings in place before the end of the season.
The criticism from former Celtic defender Jackie McNamara and Hearts striker Ryan Stevenson was evident, as they pointed out that O'Neill's team struggled to create scoring opportunities. The manager himself admitted that his goal-scoring record had been patchy in recent weeks, but remains confident that he can get back on track, particularly with crucial matches against Bologna and Utrecht coming up.
The disappointment from the Celtic supporters echoed through Rugby Park as they chanted "sign a player" after their team was left unimpressed by the fare on the pitch. However, O'Neill maintained his focus on the task at hand, knowing that every striker misses chances, and he hopes to spark a better run of form before crucial matches in Europe and domestically.
O'Neill acknowledged that his squad had "made hard work" of the tie and admitted that he didn't learn much more about them than before. The Celtic manager went on to say that he was concerned about the game, something he's done for 30 years, but ultimately felt that his team should have played better.
In terms of transfer business, O'Neill remains hopeful that the club will sign players in the January window. Despite being halfway through the deadline period with no new arrivals at Parkhead, the manager remained optimistic that Celtic could get their summer signings in place before the end of the season.
The criticism from former Celtic defender Jackie McNamara and Hearts striker Ryan Stevenson was evident, as they pointed out that O'Neill's team struggled to create scoring opportunities. The manager himself admitted that his goal-scoring record had been patchy in recent weeks, but remains confident that he can get back on track, particularly with crucial matches against Bologna and Utrecht coming up.
The disappointment from the Celtic supporters echoed through Rugby Park as they chanted "sign a player" after their team was left unimpressed by the fare on the pitch. However, O'Neill maintained his focus on the task at hand, knowing that every striker misses chances, and he hopes to spark a better run of form before crucial matches in Europe and domestically.
they're not gonna win the league with the squad o'neill's got rn. 6th tier side whoop, it was supposed to be an easy tie lol. can't say im surprised tho, team's been struggling to score for weeks now. should've signed some decent players in january, but nah, they're still stuck on their patchy goal-scoring record 
gotta hope they get back on track before europe & domestic matters 
. I mean, yeah, they didn't exactly cover themselves in glory against Auchinleck Talbot, but come on, it was a Scottish Cup quarter-final, not the Champions League final 
. The guy's still got 30 years of experience under his belt and he's worried about his team playing better? Maybe he should be more concerned about getting some decent strikers in there to start with 
. And honestly, I don't see what all the fuss is about - it was a hard game that went against Celtic, but they still managed to get the win 
. Can we just chill out for one minute and give O'Neill a break? 
Still, gotta give credit where credit is due, Johnny Kenny scored that goal and it'll get him some decent game time. Maybe O'Neill just needs to tweak the squad a bit to get the goals flowing again? 
January transfer window should bring in some new faces and that could be just what they need to kickstart a winning run 
...and i'm with him on wanting new signings in january - celtic needs some fresh faces to spice up their attack 
Celtic's squad just didn't gel right, ya know? 30 years as a manager, and it still hurts when they don't perform. But you gotta keep hope alive, like him 
The criticism from Jackie and Ryan is harsh, but O'Neill knows his team can do better. January transfer window is around the corner – fingers crossed they get some fresh blood in 
️ Maybe we'll see a new era of Celtic success? Here's to the manager sticking with his plan and hope that it sparks a winning streak 
I mean, Auchinleck Talbot's not the toughest opponents out there, so I'm a bit surprised O'Neill's squad struggled that much. But, at the same time, I get why they're frustrated - it's like they felt Celtic just coasted through that one. 
Still, you can't win 'em all, right? 
And hey, O'Neill's still got faith in his team and he'll keep pushing for those signings in January... fingers crossed! 