Celtic manager Martin O'Neill believes a significant 3-0 defeat to rivals Rangers in the Premier Sports Cup quarter-finals should act as a wake-up call for the club's new recruits. The loss at Ibrox saw Celtic, who fielded four new signings in their starting lineup and brought on three more from the bench, soundly beaten by a Rangers side that secured their victory with two goals from Dan Neil and one from Kevin Kelsy.
O'Neill acknowledged that his team was comprehensively outplayed. "We were well beaten," he stated. "The 3-0 scoreline doesn't hide it, it was a tough afternoon for us. We were second best."
He emphasized the importance of the Old Firm fixture and the need for new players to grasp its magnitude. "I think there has to be a realization of how big this game is. It's so important to the fans, so important to everybody," O'Neill said. "It's still one of the great fixtures, as mentioned, in European football, if not the world. And people have got to know that."
The manager suggested the experience might be a culture shock for some of the new arrivals, recalling his own similar experience 26 years prior. "I'm sure it will be. It was a culture shock for me 26 years ago when I came here, we got smashed 5-1," he commented.
Despite domestic successes, O'Neill noted the team's performance against Rangers highlighted areas for improvement. "You can go on, you can win some games, which we've been doing domestically and it's been fine. We've found a way to win a couple of matches which were difficult for us. But we were beaten today. Did Rangers surprise me? No. I think they're strong. I think they're physically strong. So it'll be a big test for us next Sunday again, in every aspect."
O'Neill singled out Colby Donovan as one of the few players who performed creditably. "I think young Colby has come out of this with great credit. I think he's an absolute warrior. Sometimes we misplace passes, but he's got a big heart. I think we can all learn from that. And because of the size of his heart, he was booked in the first half, but he kept going right to the end," O'Neill explained.
Looking ahead to the next league encounter at Celtic Park, O'Neill anticipates a different atmosphere with the home crowd present, contrasting it with the absence of away fans in the current season's Old Firm matches. "Next Sunday will be a different ball game when we've got the home crowd with us and if they make the same sort of noise as Rangers made today that will be very helpful. We can learn from this and that's the most important thing. We need to."
He also reflected on his own decisions regarding team selection and substitutions. "If you've been beaten in the game, you always think about selection. I will think about my own part in proceedings and then we'll see. I wanted people to experience this atmosphere and they certainly did."