MARTIN O’NEILL didn’t hesitate for a heartbeat when he was asked what he thought of his Celtic players’ performance in the 3-1 Europa League victory over Feyenoord in Rotterdam.
“Really fantastic,” was the interim manager’s rapid response to the Hoops’ first away win in European competition since Ange Postecoglou led the side to a 3-2 success over Ferencvaros in Hungary in November 2021.
The team that triumphed at De Kuip was totally transformed to the side that limped to back-to-back Premiership losses against Dundee at Dens Park and Hearts at Tynecastle, Brendan Rodgers’ last game in charge before his abrupt resignation.
DEEP IN THOUGHT…Martin O’Neill.
O’Neill had now guided the side to five wins in his six matches as stand-in gaffer and went some way to banishing the memory of a stumbling display in Denmark against FC Midtjylland earlier this month, his only defeat since his remarkable return to the dug-out.
Immediately after the victory over the Dutch side, the 73-year-old Irishman gave a snap judgement on the display when he said: “I thought the team were really fantastic.
“Essentially from their first attack Feyenoord scored, but after that we controlled the game.
“We were magnificent, we basically passed them off the pitch. The whole team were brilliant.
“To come here and win away from home, in Holland against Feyenoord, it’s just fantastic. We were terrific.”
The victory keeps the Parkhead men in contention to make progress in the competition with AS Roma up next under the lights in the east end of Glasgow a week on Thursday.
THREE AND EASY…Benjamin Nygren and Auston Trusty celebrate the Swede’s strike to make it 3-1.
O’Neill, speaking to Celtic TV, added: “We’ve got seven points and we need more points on the board.
“There’s another three matches, two are at home, and I’m leaving it now for the man in charge to take it on from here.
“But it was a lovely night, I must admit, a really nice night. It brought me back.
“These players, they refresh you, they keep you young, even the backroom staff keep you young.
“It was a wonderful night, we’ll celebrate it for a couple of hours and then we’ve got a big game on Sunday.”
O’Neill is poised to bring down the curtain on his final flourish as Celtic boss against Hibs at Easter Road – and no-one would bet against him going out in a blaze of glory.
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