# Martin O'Neill Friday for Saturday **By:** Josh McCafferty **Published:** 2026-10-23T18:00:00Z **Source:** [Celtic Way](https://www.celticway.co.uk/interviews/26664044.oneill-spots-common-celtic-theme-honest-european-verdict) --- O'Neill spots common Celtic theme in honest European verdict Celtic manager Martin O'Neill. (Image: Andrew Milligan/PA) As the ball fell to Javi Rodriguez on the edge of the box, time stood still. Just three minutes after drawing Celta Vigo level with a bullet header, the Spanish defender rasped home from 20 yards to put his side in front after Mika Baur had given Celtic the lead in the second-half's infancy. There was something crushingly inevitable about this latest European collapse. Having lost to both Ferencvaros and Benfica in the Europa League already, Celtic really had to get up and running on Thursday evening. Instead, yet again, continental football proved a step too far for this team. Celtic have no points from their first three league phase outings, rendering their chances of progression to the knockout stages increasingly remote. Manager Martin O'Neill, though, still believes in his players. "It’s easy for me to say so, but if we can get up and running there’s still a chance," O'Neill said. "I thought the other night would have been the chance to do it, particularly after Sunday. "It didn’t happen, but we’re still not out of it in terms of the points we can gain. But each game that passes when we don’t get on the scoreboard it becomes more difficult. "It was tough after the Ferencvaros game. It was the opening game of the competition and we were beaten at home. "I felt that might have been difficult coming back. I don’t want to go back to it too much but I felt the second half against Benfica was fine and we produced on the Sunday. "It was definitely disappointing to drop three points the other night." (Image: Andrew Milligan) Rodriguez's winner had an all too familiar theme. Dan Neil scored twice from the edge of Celtic's box in September, with Laurent Mendy also netting Hearts' consolation on Sunday via a similar area. "I think it’s something we really have to look at, closing down players on the edge of the penalty box, rather than giving them space," O'Neill added. Celtic have five league phase fixtures remaining at home to Besiktas and Marseille, and away against Torreense, Omonia Nicosia, and Union St-Gilloise. Last season, nine points was enough to earn a place in the top 24. The year before, ten was the magic number. Those tallies feel light years away for a Celtic side that struggles greatly in translating its domestic form on to the continental stage. O'Neill's charges have lost just one league game this season and sit four points clear of Rangers at the top of the William Hill Premiership. Last Sunday's trouncing of Hearts once more demonstrated their capabilities, but in Europe, their myriad weaknesses are left exposed. Supporters are frustrated watching their team dominate in Scotland at the weekends and get dragged back to reality in midweek. "Benfica won again on Thursday night. I see LASK won in the Champions League. We are up against reasonable opposition," O'Neill asserted. "I thought the other night was the night to get off the mark. "Is Europe a step too far for us? I’m hoping not. It might be right at the end of it all but I don’t think so. "You want to compete here. I’m not saying it should be an absolute joy but it should be a spur to play in these games against really decent opposition." There's an unquestionable gulf in quality between Hearts and Celta Vigo, and Benfica really are a Champions League team playing in the Europa League. That said, in years gone by, Celtic would more than fancy their chances against these clubs, both home and away – they knocked Celta out of the UEFA Cup en route to Seville in 2002/03 and were on an even keel with Benfica in the Champions League in both, 2006, 2007, and 2012. Ferencvaros and LASK operate at a fraction of Celtic's budget, yet both emerged victorious, and neither result came as a major surprise. Still, given their current European predicament, it's easy to forget that just 18 months ago, Celtic pushed Bayern Munich to stoppage time in the Champions League's knockout stage play-offs. The regression since then is stark. "I know it’s easy for me to say, but Celtic will be back," O'Neill said. "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. I get it’s three games without a point though. "There’s no question the European games are a step up. They [Celta] are playing in the Spanish top division and have some decent players. "They have some younger lads and then the experience of [Iago] Aspas, and sometimes you need a bit of experience around you. "They are decent but I believed they were beatable the other night, and that’s the disappointment. But you do learn, even I am still learning." Back in domestic action this Sunday, Celtic travel to face bottom-of-the-table Hibernian. It marks the first of three league games on the bounce and an opportunity to return to winning ways. Decisions will be made on Cameron Carter-Vickers and Alistair Johnston, while Jota, who isn't in Celtic's UEFA squad, is back available. "I think those two lads and Jota will definitely be a real plus for us in the coming weeks," O'Neill continued. "Cameron Carter-Vickers and Alistair Johnston are coming back from hamstring injuries so we will have a look and see if they are available. "They will be a major plus for us and hopefully we’ll have Yang back in a few weeks as well." It remains to be seen whether Auston Trusty will feature after his father sadly passed away in midweek. "He’s very, very down, which is totally understandable," O'Neill continued. "We’ll have to see what he wants to do. I don’t want to talk out of turn but I think there will be a celebration of his father’s life that he’ll want to go out to. "He’s naturally very down at the moment but we’ll give him time and see how he is." O'Neill made just one change to his starting XI on Thursday as Sam Johnstone replaced Viljami Sinisalo in goal. It was the Englishman's third appearance since joining Celtic on loan from Wolves last month. "He needs to play. I want him involved and him to really feel part of this," O'Neill explained. "He’s come in and I was delighted he came up to the football club. He really wants to compete with Vil for the position. "I thought he did okay. Will he stay in the team? I’ll have a look and have a wee think about it." Win on Sunday, and things become rosier. That underbelly of European frustration will fester for some while, but all O'Neill can do is look ahead. "You can’t have excuses going into Sunday. That’s how the club is built," he said. "You need to be competing. We have to physically recover and get ourselves right for the game at Hibs. "I don't think the other night will cause us any serious psychological damage. You never know, it's a tough old schedule for us. It's been a tough week with going to Portugal and so on. But no excuses. "We are where we are and we have to try to win. Sunday becomes a big game for us."