Celtic 0-1 Rangers: Martin O’Neill has “big questions” to answer after “damaging” Scottish Premiership defeat

Martin O’Neill has taken afloat work for Celtic’s disappointing 1-0 location decision to Old Firm rivals Rangers successful the Scottish Premiership connected Sunday.

The Hoops headed into this contention connected the backmost of a dense 3-0 nonaccomplishment distant to the Gers successful the Scottish League Cup past play and a 3-1 location decision to Ferencvaros successful the Europa League connected Thursday.

It turned retired to beryllium a hugely frustrating day for the Celtic Park faithful, who watched their broadside outperformed successful each section against a assured Rangers outfit who were unfortunate not to travel distant with a healthier victory.

Rangers’ match-winner was scored conscionable aft the half-hour people erstwhile Ryan Naderi pounced from adjacent scope to covert erstwhile Kim Min-su's almighty onslaught was parried retired by goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo.

Aside from Kieran Tierney hitting the woodwork successful the archetypal half, Celtic struggled to carve retired immoderate clear-cut chances, registering lone 1 of their 5 shots connected people successful examination to 8 retired of 15 for the visitors.

Rangers had a 2nd extremity volleyed superbly by Olwethu Makhanya disallowed by VAR, but they inactive held connected for a “worthy win”, condemning reigning top-flight champions Celtic to their archetypal league decision of the season.

Celtic ‘have got enactment to do’ arsenic O’Neill reacts to “really painful” defeat

O’Neill delivered an honorable appraisal to BBC Sportsound aft the match, saying: "We're inactive 2 points wide successful the league. We person an planetary interruption coming up present and it's a clip conscionable to bespeak connected the commencement of the season, spot wherever we are positioned and get connected from there.

"Every defeat, I believe, is damaging. It's similar thing else. From today's viewpoint, I thought that determination wasn't overmuch betwixt the teams. Rangers scored their goal, we had a mates of chances ourselves, strangely enough.

"Kieran hits the barroom conscionable astir 90 seconds earlier they score. Things similar that determination erstwhile the crippled is choky tin change.

"The shot nine has suffered defat successful the past, I've done that and it's a substance of warring backmost and that's what you've got to effort and do.”

"Every decision is truly achy and it hurts each spot arsenic overmuch present arsenic it did before,” O’Neill added: "I person to bespeak connected things myself, spot what I tin bash amended to assistance the team. That's thing that I'll genuinely deliberation about.

"There are ever large questions erstwhile you suffer shot matches. You person to judge responsibility, which I do. Remember, this is the team, this is my team. I americium liable for that. Introspection.

"We've got enactment to do. [Three successive defeats is] an antithetic occurrence for myself, it's an antithetic occurrence for Celtic Football Club and I americium liable for that."

“Celtic person got large problems” with “total reset” needed

Former Celtic striker Chris Sutton believes that O’Neill’s broadside “have got large problems” erstwhile they travel backmost from the September/October planetary break.

"Knowing Martin, I deliberation he'll beryllium greatly concerned,” Sutton told Sky Sports. “I don't similar to disagree with Martin, but it wasn't a adjacent game.

"There was a monolithic gulf betwixt the teams. I can't really retrieve a Celtic squad getting specified a doing astatine Celtic Park from a Rangers team, which happened today.

"It looked similar contiguous Celtic were making it up arsenic they went along. Rangers were amended successful each department.

"Celtic person got large problems. They were smashed by Rangers and that's a concern."

Ex-Celtic manager Neil Lennon besides shared his thoughts post-match, saying: "Rangers were acold the superior team. They played each the football.

"Celtic were out-worked and disjointed. Hope alternatively than anticipation connected their play. Battered... each the champion players were successful a bluish garment today. There needs to beryllium a full reset."

Celtic person present won conscionable 1 of their past 11 lucifer against Rangers successful mean clip crossed each competitions, portion the triumph for Rangers has seen McInnes adjacent a managerial record acceptable by Graeme Souness.

The Hoops volition get the accidental to bounce backmost and clasp their spot astatine the Premiership acme when they question to Motherwell for their adjacent lucifer connected October 11.