O'Neill Dismisses 'Jekyll and Hyde' Label for Celtic Amidst European Struggles

Martin O’Neill has rejected the notion that Celtic are a ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ team, attributing their struggles in European competition to a higher standard of opposition rather than a flaw in mentality.

Celtic’s European campaign has been marked by a third consecutive defeat in the Europa League, following a disappointing run that extends back to their Champions League play-off exit. This has left the Scottish club near the bottom of their group standings. In stark contrast, Celtic remains at the top of their domestic Premiership league, having suffered only one loss in their last nine matches.

O’Neill suggested that the disparity in results stems from the quality of opponents faced in European tournaments. "I don’t think it is [a Jekyll and Hyde team]," O’Neill stated. "We are up against reasonable opposition. I thought the other night was the night to get off the mark."

He acknowledged that European games represent a significant step up in competition. "There’s no question the European games are a step up. They (Celta Vigo) are playing in the Spanish top division and have some decent players," he observed. O’Neill expressed belief that his team was capable of winning their recent match but found the outcome disappointing. "But you do learn, even I am still learning."

Celtic’s next European fixtures include home and away matches against Besiktas, as well as games against Portuguese outfit Torreense and Omonia before the end of the year, concluding with ties against Marseille and Union SG in January. O’Neill conceded that the team would likely need to accumulate around ten points from the remaining five group games to have a chance of progressing.

"I know it’s easy for me to say, but Celtic will be back," O’Neill stressed. "You can definitely learn a lot from the European games. Like last season against Midtjylland, we were physically blown away. But we fought back and got some good results. That’s what we want to try to do again."

Looking ahead to domestic duties, Celtic are set to play at Easter Road on Sunday. O’Neill is seeking a strong response from his squad, similar to their bounce-back after a previous loss. "You can’t have excuses going into Sunday," O’Neill insisted. "That’s how the club is built. You need to be competing."

Reinforcements are expected for the domestic league campaign, with Jota available for Sunday's match. Cameron Carter-Vickers and Alistair Johnston are nearing a return from hamstring injuries, though Auston Trusty will be absent for a period following the death of his father. O’Neill confirmed that Yang Hyun-jun is also expected to return from injury in a few weeks.

"I think having those two lads and Jota will definitely be a real plus for us in the coming weeks," said O’Neill regarding the returning players. He also addressed Trusty's situation, stating, "He’s very, very down, which is totally understandable. We’ll have to see what he wants to do... We’ll give him time and see how he is."