Martin O’Neill defends Celtic players but admits they lacked quality against Rangers | OneFootball

Martin O’Neill insisted he could not question the effort of his Celtic players despite Sunday’s 1-0 defeat to Rangers at Parkhead.

Ryan Naderi of the Rangers celebrates scoring the only goal of the game during the Scottish Premiership match between Celtic and the Rangers at Celtic Park on September 20, 2026. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Ryan Naderi’s first-half goal proved decisive as Derek McInnes’ side moved to within two points of Celtic at the top of the Premiership.

However, O’Neill defended the application of his players and believes Celtic’s biggest issue was their lack of quality in promising positions.

“I cannot honestly question the effort of the side, not at all,” O’Neill said post-match via TCW. “What we did do, sometimes we get into really good positions and either the final ball or the lead-up to it was just misplaced. I think that’s something that we can definitely improve on.”

“There wasn’t much in it between the two teams but from our own point of view I don’t think we created enough during the course of the 90-odd minutes of the game,” O’Neill continued. “I think Kieran Tierney hits the bar and then within 90 seconds or two minutes later they score.

“Maybe we could have got a goal just after half-time but in essence at home, regardless of who you’re playing, you should try and create a bit more.”

O’Neill made three changes to his starting line-up, with Luke McCowan deployed on the right and Tierney pushed further forward on the left. Liam Scales started at left-back, while Auston Trusty returned alongside Cameron Carter-Vickers in central defence.

“Naturally if you lose the game, you think that everything you’ve tried doesn’t work. That would be right,” O’Neill stated. “Eventually, as I’ve always said here, the most important thing is the result. When you lose the game, you have to take your thoughts into consideration or your team selections and things like that.

“You’re playing midweek. Please don’t think that’s an excuse. It’s always been the case. So you do make changes, you make adjustments, because the European games do take a lot out of you. So we try to make some adjustments today, bearing in mind that all the games are big.”

Celtic have now lost three successive matches, including consecutive derby defeats and Thursday’s 3-1 Europa League loss to Ferencvaros. O’Neill admitted the sequence inevitably raises questions over belief within his squad.

“We’ve lost some big games, there’s no question about it,” O’Neill added. “I personally think every game here is big. I’ve never treated, in all my time here, never treated any other club, any other team lightly. Travelling away from home, even at home, matches like this here are tough.

“So I think that all games are big games for me. Always have been. Maybe that’s why we had a bit of success, because you don’t treat anybody lightly.

“We lost a European game. We lost the big match out in LASK. And here, two defeats. Of course you have to question it [belief].”

Celtic now face a three-week wait before returning to action, giving O’Neill and his players an extended opportunity to assess a damaging run of results.

“It doesn’t feel great,” O’Neill said. “But how will [matter] it in the context of the whole season, that remains to be seen. We’re two points clear, players are away now on international duty.

“The non-internationals will get most of this week off. Then it’s a matter of coming back, regrouping really.

“But by the time we get the international lads back, I think it will probably be Thursday before the weekend game. I think we’ll all just do a bit of self-reflection as much as anything else.

“That’s the main thing, asking what I can do to help the team. That would be the most important thing for me to see.

“We had the break last time in March and we came back. I’m not saying the same thing will immediately apply, but we’ve got to just look back to creating more [chances], two, taking some chances when they are there, and three, winning a football game.”

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