'teacher' O'neill With Work To Do As Celtic Taught Another Lesson

On Sunday, it was astir avoiding looking for illustration nan outlaw Robin Hood. On Thursday, Martin O'Neill took connected a different domiciled arsenic teacher.

The Celtic interim head trim an exasperated fig connected nan sidelines successful Denmark arsenic he watched a magnificent Midtjylland thatch nan Scottish champions a lesson.

Although nan last shortage was only 2 goals, nan 73-year-old admitted "it could person been immoderate benignant of score" against nan squad apical of nan Europa League table.

Three goals successful 8 blistering first-half minutes had Celtic struggling for air.

Three was kind, thing of a robbery. There had been 9 shots connected extremity and a further six disconnected target.

It was a hefty clang backmost down to world for each invested successful nan Glasgow club's fortunes. O'Neill had managed to build momentum and almost shut up nan myriad of issues astatine nan club. But only momentarily.

"The goals that we conceded weren't good," he admitted successful nan aftermath of his first conclusion since his return.

"It sounds from present arsenic if I'm for illustration a coach telling them, but I will effort and thatch them nan crippled arsenic quickly arsenic possible."

In nan aftermath of Sunday's League Cup semi-final extra-time triumph complete Rangers, O'Neill said he had aged 20 years.

This arduous evening successful Denmark won't person near him emotion immoderate younger.

Just complete a period ago, O'Neill watched Midtjylland gatecrash Nottingham Forest's European return pinch an enthralling 3-2 encounter.

The seasoned leader said he took heed of that capacity against his erstwhile nine and was prepared for a beingness gathering pinch "a very, very bully side".

While he mightiness person taken statement of Forest's failings, his players didn't look to.

Mikel Kruger-Johnsen scooped successful a scrumptious second, but nan 2 goals nan 19-year-old sandwiched were not truthful unstoppable. But Celtic couldn't forestall them.

Anthony Ralston grounded to forestall Kruger-Johnsen's regular clipped shot to nan backmost station for nan opener, earlier nan teen weaved done for nan second.

Celtic arsenic a squad grounded to clear their lines from a throw-in for nan hosts' third.

"In position of defending, I've conscionable said to nan players successful there, immoderate things alteration successful nan game, different things don't change," explained O'Neill.

"Once a winger takes you connected astatine full-back, you've sewage to extremity him from getting into nan punishment area. You person to prosecute him earlier he gets there, because erstwhile he gets successful there, past he's arsenic safe arsenic anything.

"Then successful nan 2nd goal, we had a 2v2 situation, and we allowed nan subordinate conscionable to travel wrong and crook it into nan net.

"So from our viewpoint, not bully defending, really."

The request for O'Neill to explicate nan concessions successful specified layman position speaks volumes. Damning volumes.

While Midtjylland were majestic, Celtic didn't precisely make them activity difficult for their money.

"The 3rd extremity almost puts it beyond you, truthful was I surprised? I don't cognize whether I was amazed [or] disappointed, conscionable disappointed successful nan concession of nan goals," nan Northern Irishman added.

"I deliberation conscionable to play shot astatine nan apical level, not only do you request ability, but you request mentality, and mentality sometimes overrides expertise arsenic well.

"It sounds from present arsenic if I'm for illustration a coach telling them, but I will effort and thatch them nan crippled arsenic quickly arsenic possible.

"Things that they whitethorn already know, whitethorn request reminding, possibly they don't know, and it's my occupation to effort and amended nan shot club."

The overriding questions remains, though. How agelong will O'Neill person to amended Celtic?

His return, alongside adjunct Shaun Maloney, has brought backmost a feelgood facet but that was only going to past truthful long.

The laughs had complete O'Neill's matchday fresh person faded, while Celtic's deep-rooted problems person returned successful stark fashion.

Captain Callum McGregor was astatine nan bosom of nan happiness connected Sunday, scoring successful nan other clip win, but he was speedy to guarantee nary 1 had sewage carried away.

"Nothing's been solved aft a really bully crippled astatine nan weekend," nan midfielder said aft conclusion successful Denmark. "We cognize that we don't get excessively up aliases excessively down.

"We travel distant present against a really bully side, a bully club, who do a batch of bully things and they cognize what they are.

"There's a batch of maturation still near successful our squad arsenic well. We cognize wherever we are and we cognize wherever we want to get to."

It appears Celtic are acold from nan latter, and it's lined up to beryllium an almighty task to get them there.

On a sobering night, it's not nan interim head who will return nan heat. It's not moreover nan players being taught by him.

It's nan committee who person managed to quieten nan clamour aimed successful their guidance for a fewer days who will beryllium emotion nan unit erstwhile more.