Celtic 1-0 Dundee – “I didn’t think we played particularly well,” Martin O’Neill

Celtic got off to a winning start last night with a narrow 1-0 victory over Dundee at Celtic Park with the goal coming from Benjamin Nygren, who headed home a fine cross from Kieran Tierney…

While Celtic could have scored a few more, the main thing was to collect the three points then to address the clearly apparent need for new recruits on a night where it could possibly by the last appearances in the Hoops for both Alistair Johnston and Arne Engels.

Afterwards, Martin O’Neill spoke to the mainstream media, with the club’s disgraceful, spiteful, cowardly and totally unjustified ban on Celtic fan media continuing into the new season, proving their ‘under review’ excuse was nothing but a lie.

Perhaps the Celtic Board should go back and read the results of the fan survey to see what the support said about where they get their Celtic news…

Here’s everything that Martin O’Neill had to say to the mainstream media after the 1-0 Flag Night over against Dundee…

Q: Your thoughts on the game?

Martin O’Neill: “I didn’t think we played particularly well for most of the game. We did enough to win. Despite that, we had some really great chances that maybe could have put the game to bed a lot earlier. But overall, yeah, we were a bit rusty, I thought. I’m hoping it’s almost like a typical first game of the season for us. And I’m obviously hoping we’ll get better for next week.”

Q: Competitive debuts for your two new signings, how did they fit in?

Martin O’Neill:  “Okay, I do think that when the season progresses that they will be really good for us. I don’t think that wide right is really Camilo Duran’s position. But we put him there because we haven’t really had a chance to practice that much with maybe the two of them playing together or him playing just behind. So hopefully he’ll do that in the next couple of weeks. Kasper Hogh, he missed a few chances. I thought that he can do better, definitely do better. But I think he will be an acquisition for us.”

Q: What’s your assessment of where you’re at personnel-wise after that first game?

Martin O’Neill:   “Personnel? Well, I’m hoping that we get some players in. That’s the aim. And I know we’ve just had the two. I think they are decent players for us. But that’s what we’re trying to do, striving to do that, to get some players in.”

Q: Do you feel that after that you need more in or less in?

Martin O’Neill:   “I think I have an idea, I should have an idea, I’m the manager. But I have an idea of what we need and it wouldn’t have made any difference to the performance or the result tonight. So I still know what we need.”

Q: Obviously Arne Engels and Alistair Johnston both played, despite interest and bids around them. Can you just update us with the latest in terms of bids and also how were they tonight, where were their mindsets?

Martin O’Neill:   “Alistair and Arne both said to me that they would want to play in the game if things had not progressed. And I thought they did fine. Alistair has got a very strong mindset anyway. But you are naturally worried about transfer speculation in the background, how you might take the game into consideration psychologically as well as physically. But I thought they did fine. Alistair even moved over to left back when Kieran came off and they did fine. I can’t update you on any progress since the other day, primarily because I don’t know any more progress. Honestly it was not a deliberate move of me to keep away from the CEO.”

Q: Would you hold the club to keep both those players until after the qualifiers?

Martin O’Neill:  “Ideally that would be brilliant. That would be really good. One wouldn’t know whether the clubs then, the other clubs, would want to pursue that if that was the case. I’m quite sure that anybody starting off in their own particular leagues would want their players in as soon as possible. But ideally that would be great.”

Q: Do you think that will be the case that the club will bargain for that?

Martin O’Neill: “Right, I think that is one of the things that we will definitely be looking at. I seriously could not say for sure. You would have to take players’ thoughts into consideration and maybe the other clubs. But overall for me, selfishly, that would be great.”

Q: What do you make of the draw vs LASK?

Martin O’Neill: “Well, they are Austrian Champions, so it would be difficult for us. If that had been our first game tonight instead of here, it would have been a bit of trouble. But we will get a chance to have a look at them as they will do with us as well. They opened up the season with a 3-0 win, didn’t they? It will not be easy for us. There were a few other draws I wouldn’t have minded having. I was even prepared to travel to Almaty! If I thought there were other draws that we could have got, it is what it is.”

Q: Is there a necessity to get players in before that game?

Martin O’Neill: “I would like to do that. I would definitely like to do that. I think the most important thing of all is obviously getting the players in and getting them to work with each other. This is the point. Kasper is getting to know the players’ names as much as anything else and getting players to play together. Even if it was only on the practice field. Just to get that mindset as much as anything else.”

Q: Kasper said on TV that he has to get used to the grass because he used to play more football on Astroturf.

Martin O’Neill: “Oh, I don’t want to make any excuses now. He knew that we played on grass. He did say that when I was telling him, I said that I think that we have got the best groundsman in the business, but I also think we have got the best pitch as well. I think it is definitely not plastic. He will do fine. He missed a few chances. I don’t know what he said to you. And how did he say he played?”

Hack: He said he has to do some shooting practice.

Martin O’Neill: “Yeah, that at least. There is a bit of pressure on him though, isn’t there, with that price tag?The normal answer of any player would be, oh, I didn’t do it. I didn’t put the price tag on. Yeah, I think he will live up to it. I do, honestly. In time.”

Q: Just in terms of what you said on Friday, that you were getting closer to getting more to the over line?

Martin O’Neill: “I still think that we are. I will speak to Michael tomorrow, tomorrow morning, see where we are. I just left, I spoke to him briefly today, but it was about just, let’s concentrate on the game tonight. Tomorrow is another day.”

Q: Is there any frustration creeping in on your part for how long it has taken to get players in?

Martin O’Neill: “Ah, I’ll be fine. I will be fine. Yep.”

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