Celtic boss Martin O'Neill has taken responsibility for Tuesday night's collapse in the Champions League that saw them crash out in extra-time. The Bhoys took a 3-0 lead into the second leg and even extended their lead to 4-0 in the first half, but they still managed to lose 5-4 on aggregate.
It was an inexplicable collapse from O'Neill's men, who were clearly lacking in depth, but it was their lack of game management that cost them.
Even after going four up, Celtic failed to keep the ball, made ill-timed advances up the pitch and were regularly caught with their defence exposed. LASK took full advantage, and it must be said that had goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo not made a string of top saves, including a penalty save late on, it could have been even worse for the Bhoys.
Speaking after the game, Celtic boss O'Neill fronted the blame for a disastrous evening. He said: "
"I'm responsible for this one.
"Without a doubt. Naturally, it took me a long time to get over the Uefa Cup final in 2003 but this was majorly disappointing. In the context of things, one was a final which it would have been terrific to win, this was a qualifying game which we should have been able to get through.
"We know that we are a million miles from the finished article. That's absolutely true. I think we thought that anyway."
He added: "The qualification for the Champions League is major, it's major in every aspect.
"Financially, for prestige, but we have to pick ourselves up. That's my responsibility again to do that.
I think I said last week that if you could qualify for the Champions League there would be players wanting to come on that basis.
"That's not going to be the case but we'll see. Tonight we came up well and truly short, particularly in the second half."
Was O'Neill to blame?
Perhaps in part. There were parts of this game where Celtic were getting carried away on the pitch. A time when players are making silly runs and trying passes they don't need to, the manager has to step in and remind them to be smarter. But then again, he might have, both during the game and at half-time, we just don't know.
O'Neill's substitutes let him down en masse, and in truth, Celtic's lack of squad depth was the reason to blame for this result, and it's why O'Neill has been saying for weeks that the squad is not ready.
You can't go into these games lacking in depth, with only one starting holding midfielder and left-back, and expect to qualify.
Add us as a preferred source on Google