Martin O’Neill says Celtic players came first after criticism of Benfica comments

Celtic manager Martin O’Neill has defended his comments after last Thursday’s 4-1 Europa League defeat to Benfica in Lisbon, saying he focused on his players’ confidence despite criticism of the performance. In remarks to Celtic Player reported by The Celtic Star on 21 October, he said he had urged the squad to take positives from the second half, even after Celtic went three goals down.

O’Neill said he told the players in the dressing room after the match that they had to take the positive side of it, ‘otherwise you just might as well lie down.’ He said what mattered was whether the players believed that message, rather than what media or fanzines said about his comments.

Why O’Neill’s Benfica comments drew criticism

In discussing O’Neill’s reference to fanzines, VideoCelts recalled the role of Celtic supporter publications including Not The View and Once A Tim. It said Not The View gave a voice to supporters who challenged the club’s former board before Fergus McCann’s takeover in 1994. That history helps explain why criticism from supporter outlets carries weight in the discussion around O’Neill’s comments.

Celtic’s Hearts win and Thursday’s match

Celtic beat Hearts 7-1 at Celtic Park on Sunday, according to The Celtic Star. O’Neill praised the win and the goals his side scored, then turned to the next Europa League match: ‘Now we’ve got a massive game on Thursday to try and win, to try and get back into that competition.’ The result against Hearts followed the Benfica defeat; O’Neill presented it as encouragement for the squad.

O’Neill also singled out Callum Osmand, who scored twice against Hearts on his first Celtic start. He said Osmand had played wide, although that was not his preferred position, and suggested the youngster could eventually play alongside the centre-forward. His praise offered a specific example of the attacking performance O’Neill wanted to build on after the defeat in Lisbon.