Martin O’Neill believes Celtic must use Hearts’ title challenge as motivation to strengthen rather than rest on their laurels.
The Hoops secured the Scottish Premiership title on the final afternoon of the campaign with a 3-1 victory over Hearts, courtesy of strikes from Arne Engels, Daizen Maeda and Callum Osmand.
Speaking post-match, O’Neill warned that Celtic cannot afford to stand still amid growing competition at the top of Scottish football.
“I think Hearts have been the story this year,” he said via The Herald. “They came roaring into it.
“They will get stronger, and if Rangers have anything to do with it, they’ll get stronger too. We have to try to get stronger, not just match it.
“Like what Jock Stein set down in 1967 – we’ll never get close to that – but we should be thinking about trying to compete in European football. That takes a really fine player to be able to cope domestically and have a bash in Europe.”
O’Neill believes Hearts’ emergence under Tony Bloom should serve as a warning to Celtic if they are to preserve their grip on Scottish football.
Asked whether the campaign had acted as a reality check for those in charge at Celtic, the 74-year-old admitted the challenge from Hearts had caught many by surprise.
“If you want to stay dominant, then yes,” O’Neill added. “I don’t think anybody saw Hearts’ challenge coming up, considering where they finished last year.
“But they bought some really fine players and they had the advantage in a sense of not having European football and going out of the domestic cup competitions.
“They were playing one game a week while we struggled through those times. That can happen. For Celtic, this was a wonderful day and it took an enormous effort. We’d not been in front in the league until we scored the second goal.
“Celtic are used to dominating but you can’t take that for granted – you shouldn’t do. With Hearts and Rangers getting stronger, we need to do the same.”
O’Neill also reflected on the unusual nature of his return to the dugout, having overseen two separate spells in charge during the season.
After a brief eight-match stint earlier in the campaign, he was reappointed in January following the dismissal of Wilfried Nancy.
The 74 year-old revealed he had effectively been living out of a hotel throughout much of his second spell back in Glasgow.
“I’ve stayed in the hotel for the whole time,” he explained. “I went home a couple of times, but only if there wasn’t a midweek game or anything.
“There hasn’t been much chance to be honest. They were getting me a little flat down the way but my wife couldn’t come up because she’s doing some classes and it would have been too much to change.
“And the hotel worked out cheaper because I got a better rate! It’s been great, though. Fantastic.”
Conor Spence
Quick Tip – Add Celticshorts.com as your ‘Preferred Source’ on Google News for quick access to the Celtic content you value the most. It takes just a few seconds and you’ll notice the difference straight away! – Click HERE….Hail Hail!
1 Comment
We are not going to be in a position to sit upon our laurels as a football club whatsoever.
Potentially already in a far higher pressurised situation, than where we were a year ago, and all without a confirmed manager in position either?
The expected want away players is at a higher number already, and that’s without the effects of what a world cup, could also bring, with potential extra interest in players, that we wouldn’t want to lose, but every player can come with a price upon there heads also?
So therefore the demands upon player’s fitting into a set up of a team, of a managers choosing, is going to be at an even bigger demand this summer. Even moreso that we haven’t got the time factor upon our side either?
It has taken 2 seasons alone for Yang to contribute more within a season alone, this despite the quality factor potentially in play also for himself?
Same could have been directed at Engels at times, and never happened whatsoever for Paulo this season, along with a number of other players also imo?
So the actual development of players still needs to be addressed, in order to be able to contribute moreso within such a squad game in operation these days?
The overall squad depth will have to be improved, to match the demands are club depends upon.
We are still nowhere near CL levels, so a testing summer awaits as to whether we will be in a competitive situation?
Still going to be a longshot imo, especially with a world cup in operation, that’s going to slow the overall transfer market down as a result, where we haven’t got such time available to ourselves, without a strong core group within our squad, who are already in place with ourselves imo?
The loan market, produced more misses than hits this season, which remains a concern upon the quality of player that we can attract nowadays?
Always going to be an ongoing problem for Scottish teams especially, but still require better results regardless hopefully?
Our decision for taking overseas players in order to develop, was in general a massive failure this season.
Osmand and Donovan only ones really showing promising signs, but need a bigger number than just 2 over a course of a season, especially when 1 of them in Osmand wasn’t even available for the best part of this campaign?
Therefore, I would hope for more of our youngsters given the opportunity, moreso in looking for the overseas players in regards of potential development, which may be more beneficial in the longer run for our team, upon the pitch instead of the bank balance imo?
Wouldn’t totally disagree with the policy taken, especially within such a packed footballing calendar in place nowadays for key players.
But don’t agree with how it was implemented either this season, especially as we can’t continue to ignore the importance of the 8 homegrown quota rule, has upon forming 25man European squads?
The likes of having Donovan as a B list player, increases the overall squad numbers to 26 which may be required, especially if injuries should impact ourselves in the same manner that happened this season?
To many players going through the motions of picking up a wage packet, without the desire to really succeed at our club, is not something I want to see again, that was in existence this season. Balikwisha leading the way in that regards, but wasn’t solely on his own either?
Can accept mistakes made within the transfer market, but not to the degree that was on show this season, and desperately needs to improve than what occurred this season imo?
Not interested in who is to actually blame for the likes happening any longer, just know that massive improvement is required within whatever process is in operation regarding recruitment, as a must imo?