Martin O’Neill on Champions League prestige and finance | OneFootball

Reaction for both managers after Celtic’s 4-0 win against Dundee United in the Premier Sports Cup, plus everything that was said at the post match media conference in the evening when Arne Engels was confirmed as a West Ham player…

Martin O’Neill arrives at Tannadice. Dundee Utd v Celtic, Premier Sports Cup, Saturday 15 August. Tannadice. Photo by Vagelis Georgariou

Martin O’Neill and Jim Goodwin spoke to BBC Scotland after Celtic’s 4-0 win at Tannadice over Dundee United in the Premier Sports Cup. For the Celtic boss attention now turns to the Champions League qualifier against Austrian Champions LASK, with the first leg at Celtic Park on Wednesday night.

Goodwin meanwhile was left to reflect on a second successive 4-0 defeat against Hearts last weekend and Celtic today with the Tannadice boss believing that his side certainly didn’t deserve to be on the end of an eight goal deficit from those matches.

Tannadice today. Dundee Utd v Celtic, Premier Sports Cup, Saturday 15 August. Tannadice. Photo by Vagelis Georgariou

“I thought Dundee United were in the game, they hit the post [twice] before we scored a goal. Things like that can change the picture,” the Celtic manager said.

“Overall, I was pleased with a lot of the stuff they produced but there were moments where we were really casual.

“We have two very difficult matches coming up now in terms of trying to get into the Champions League, the prestige, the finance, everything that goes along with it. We will try and be as ready as we possibly can. These are big, big games,” the experienced Celtic gaffer stated.

Benjamin Nygren celebrates his goal. Dundee Utd v Celtic, Premier Sports Cup, Saturday 15 August. Tannadice. Photo by Vagelis Georgariou

Meanwhile Jim Goodwin was having a moan about the decision to allow Camilo Durans goal after a VAR review. “It was a very similar type of game to last weekend at Tynecastle [another 4-0 defeat]. I don’t think the scoreline is a fair reflection of our performance at all,” the Dundee United manager argued.

“The second goal is the one that really frustrates me. There is no doubt about it, the ball strikes off the Celtic attacker’s hand and lands perfectly for his team-mate to go and tap it into the net.

“I know it wasn’t the guy who handballed it who put it into the net, but surely a bit of common sense needs to prevail there. The handball directly impacts on the goal.”

The Celtic Huddle at Tannadice. Dundee Utd v Celtic, Premier Sports Cup, Saturday 15 August. Tannadice. Photo by Vagelis Georgariou

Moving onto the post match mainstream media conference from the Celtic manager, here’s what was said…

Q: Martin, a straightforward win for you, you must be delighted to be through with the next round?

Martin O’Neill: “I thought there were moments when we played really well, other moments where we were very untidy and Dundee United, I felt up until maybe the third goal that we were never really out of it and I think I was told they’ve hit the bar three or four or five times, so that might tell you about it.

“And they hit the post, certainly, before we scored. So, delighted with the win, some moments were terrific and other moments I thought we were just a bit untidy, but we’ll have to straighten that out before Wednesday.”

Q: That’s five different goalscorers in the last two games, which must be encouraging, especially given it’s such a big week?

Martin O’Neill: “It is, yeah, it is a big week for us. We’ve got the game on Wednesday and then the second match on Tuesday, so big games in every aspect, Champions League, qualification matches, everything to go for, prestige, finance, all that type of stuff. So, we’ll try and be as ready as we possibly can.”

Camilo Duran celebrates his goal. Dundee Utd v Celtic, Premier Sports Cup, Saturday 15 August. Tannadice. Photo by Vagelis Georgariou

Q: Were there individual performances that pleased you, Martin?

Martin O’Neill: “Well, I thought Camilo Duran was exceptional for us. I thought he was a really good player, or he is a good player, and yeah, he was terrific.

Q: Getting those goals must build up the confidence. How many bits of that jigsaw do you think you’ll need, or are you just taking it day by day to see who can come in?

Martin O’Neill:  “Well, yeah, I think that we can add to it. Whether that happens before Wednesday is a different issue. I think that we’ve already announced a squad. I think you can, up until Tuesday night, add another two players. But yeah, I think in time that we will get them in, whether we do before Wednesday is another issue.”

Soccer Austria ADMIRAL Bundesliga, Matchday 3, August 14, 2026: Linzer ASK LASK vs. SV Oberbank Ried at Raiffeisen Arena, Linz, Austriapictured: the players circle, LASK, team, Admiral Bundesliga, vs. SV Ried, photo credit IMAGO

Q: Based on all your experience and what you know of LASK so far, how well equipped do you think this squad is?

Martin O’Neill: “Well, I think they’ll be big tasks for us ahead, really big tasks. They’re a very fine side, they’re very, very strong. Ideally, it would be great if some of the lads who have come in now had a bit more practice with the team, in that sense. But it is what it is. We have to be ready regardless.”

Mika Baur arrives at Tannadice. Dundee Utd v Celtic, Premier Sports Cup, Saturday 15 August. Tannadice. Photo by Vagelis Georgariou

Q: Pleased to get some game time for the new lads that have just come in, Mika Baur and Haissem Hassan?

Martin O’Neill:  “Yeah, one can never plan these things, but the idea was at some stage or another that Hassan would maybe get the last 20 minutes. He’s done very little training since the World Cup. At least Mika, he has trained and played pre-season, so he’s more up to speed with things, got a little bit longer. And of course, there’s always the concern that somebody just stepping in, straight in, has an injury of some description, a muscle injury or something like that, and that’s what we had to be careful of. But overall, yeah, at least they got on the field of play.

Q: Any updates on Arne Engels’ situation?

Martin O’Neill:  “I don’t know any more. You might be able to tell me, is there anything? I think he was doing a medical yesterday, you know, so if it is, it might be the longest medical in history. I would assume that that will go through.”

* Arne Engels has now completed his move to West Ham United. All the best Arne…

Q: Can I just ask why Tony Ralston and Yang both weren’t in the squad tonight?

Martin O’Neill:  “Tony was with us, but you can only pick so many. Yang was, he was really stiff, very, very stiff after training on Thursday, yeah, Thursday, and missed yesterday’s training. But we’re hoping that he should be OK for Wednesday.”

Benjamin Nygren celebrates his goal. Dundee Utd v Celtic, Premier Sports Cup, Saturday 15 August. Tannadice. Photo by Vagelis Georgariou

Q: Benjamin Nygren’s got a great start to the season, three goals and a good few assists as well.

Martin O’Neill:  “Yeah, great goal, really great goal. And he’s capable he does the one thing that’s the hardest thing in the game to do, puts the ball in the net. Terrific.”

Q: In terms of the contrast to the year last time in March, look at the firepower you’ve got now, does that give you a lot of encouragement?

Martin O’Neill:  “It does give you encouragement, yeah. I think the centre forward, he’s linking up play, he obviously wants to get into the penalty area, but he’s a very fine centre forward. He’ll thrive on goals, like any centre forward, but overall, yeah, that’s something that I felt, that overall, that we missed last season. He’s strong, and his play, his hold-up play is definitely, he wants to improve that, and I think he’s doing fine.”

Celtic Manager Martin O’Neill Celtic Training and press conference, 14 August 2026. Photo Stuart Wallace IMAGO/Shutterstock

Q: Do you think Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has got something to contribute?

Martin O’Neill:  “I thought he did terrifically well for us. Short or long passing, he’s very, very good. And I think that there’s some news, you’ll have to tell me, please, that he might be suspended then for these games? I’ve got a three-match book now, second yellow card, which seems really harsh, I think, but about 27 years ago, they must have just been waiting for him to get another game.

“We weren’t aware of that at the time, and Alex certainly didn’t make us aware of it, but he wouldn’t have known, in fairness, and I think he thought because there was a couple of games after that for his club team, I think he wasn’t involved with the club then, not involved with it, but didn’t get into the squad, therefore, as a consequence, that doesn’t count.”

Q: But there’s a big difference between now compared to the last time you were here, the team’s got a bit of ruthlessness about it?

Martin O’Neill:  “The pitch is better, but that’s no excuse, seriously. I think we are capable of scoring goals in the side, that was always a concern last season, I said to the lads on Friday, that that was a concern, that you wonder how you want to conjure goals, and we did do, and we won big games. But I think that if you think about Daizen, he almost single-handedly took it upon himself to score the goals. Now I think that there are goals from different areas, or that’s my thought at this minute, might change in about a month’s time!”

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