A STUNNED Martin O’Neill admitted he felt “really, really terrible” after Celtic’s 5-1 Champions League play-off collapse against LASK in Austria last night.
The Hoops led 4-0 on aggregate before flopping 5-4 on aggregate after extra-time in a woeful display that left the travelling fans staring on in disbelief, utterly amazed at what they had just witnessed.
Callum McGregor added to last week’s 3-0 first leg triumph before the roof caved in on a team that got lost in a maze of mistakes, wayward passing, dreadful defending and a general disintegration of overall play.
The Austrians were allowed back into the tie following a catastrophic passback from Benjamin Nygren and, capping a thoroughly miserable evening, substitute Luke McCowan presented the opponents with the winning fifth goal.
Asked to describe his emotions following his team’s capitulation, O’Neill answered: “Feeling terrible; really, really terrible.
“We should have had the game out of sight. We missed some glorious chances and we gave them a lifeline just before half-time and then again just after the interval.
“It gave them momentum and they carried that for some time.
“At one stage, I thought we were going to see it through.
“We didn’t do it at the end and that’s my responsibility. It’s the most disappointing night I’ve had in a long, long time.”
O’Neill, speaking to the CelticPlayer, continued: “I’d put it down before the disappointment of losing the UEFA Cup Final in 2003. It’s so, so disappointing.
“We should have been out of sight by half-time. We scored a goal, which was great, we missed two great, great opportunities.
“From our viewpoint, we conceded not good goals at all. But that’s my team and that’s my responsibility.
“I’m disappointed that we’ve conceded the goals in the manner which we did.”
Quizzed whether his squad was strong enough, O’Neill replied: “I thought they were a fine side.
“But that doesn’t matter. We should have been able to have seen it through. And we didn’t do.
“Talking about the squad, that’s for another day.”
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