Celtic manager Martin O’Neill says his new signings must treat their 3-0 Old Firm defeat by Rangers as a stark warning ahead of next weekend’s league meeting.
Celtic endured a miserable afternoon at Ibrox, where Rangers comfortably secured their place in the Premier Sports Cup quarter-finals with a commanding victory over their Glasgow rivals.
O’Neill handed four summer arrivals — Sam Johnstone, Kasper Hogh, Camilo Duran and Mika Baur — starting roles for the high-profile clash.
Three more new recruits were introduced after the interval, but Celtic could not change the course of the game. Rangers completed the win through a Dan Neil double and a goal from Kevin Kelsy.
The result exposed Celtic’s struggles against the intensity of Derek McInnes’ side, whose energy, physicality and aggression proved too much for the visitors.
With Rangers due to visit Celtic Park in the Scottish Premiership next Sunday, O’Neill has urged his new players to adjust quickly and appreciate the significance of the Old Firm rivalry.
Martin O’Neill accepted that Celtic were thoroughly beaten after a difficult afternoon at Ibrox
“We were deservedly beaten,” O’Neill said. “The 3-0 scoreline is an accurate reflection of what happened, and it was a very difficult afternoon for us.
“We started brightly and were still in the contest at half time, but Rangers were the stronger team on the day and earned their victory.
“We had some good opportunities in the first half after playing through their press, but we failed to make them count. Overall, we were second best.
“There has to be a proper understanding of the scale of this fixture. It matters enormously to the supporters and to everyone connected with both clubs.
“It remains one of the biggest fixtures in European football, perhaps anywhere in the world. The players have to recognise that, and we must learn from what happened.
“We face them again next Sunday, with a midweek match before then, but this result has certainly been a wake-up call.”
Asked whether the occasion may have overwhelmed some of Celtic’s new arrivals, O’Neill replied: “I’m sure it will have felt that way for some of them. It was a culture shock for me 26 years ago when I came here and we lost 5-1.
“The truth is that we were second best. I need to examine my own contribution first, and then assess the team, because we simply did not perform well enough.
“We have managed to win difficult domestic matches recently and found ways to get results, which has been encouraging.
“But Rangers beat us today. They did not surprise me — they are a strong, powerful team. Next Sunday will present another major test in every department.”
Mika Baur was among the Celtic newcomers to face a baptism of fire in his first Old Firm clash at Ibrox
There will be no visiting supporters at any Old Firm fixture this season, but O’Neill expects the atmosphere to change significantly when Rangers travel to Parkhead next weekend.
“In the first half, we repeatedly reached promising positions before giving the ball away,” he added. “We had three or four excellent counter-attacking chances, but we failed to use them.”
‘Everything Rangers did, I expected them to do. Whatever way Rangers set up, they’re not going to give me a call and say what they’re going to do, so we had to counter that.
‘Next Sunday will be a different ball game when we’ve got the home crowd with us and if they make the same sort of noise as Rangers made today that will be very helpful.
‘We can learn from this and that’s the most important thing. We need to.
‘If you’ve been beaten in the game, you always think about selection. I will think about my own part in proceedings and then we’ll see. I wanted people to experience this atmosphere and they certainly did.’
O’Neill insisted that the lack of away fans was not solely to blame for his team’s performance, pointing to the experience of the likes of Callum McGregor and Kieran Tierney.
He also insisted that Colby Donovan was one of the few Celtic players to emerge with something close to pass-marks from such a hefty defeat.
Asked whether he considered making more than just one substitute at half-time, the Celtic boss replied: ‘Yeah, it could have changed. Me personally, I think young Colby has come out of this with great credit. I think he’s an absolute warrior.
‘Sometimes we misplace passes, but he’s got a big heart. I think we can all learn from that. And because of the size of his heart, he was booked in the first half, but he kept going right to the end.
‘He was booked against St Mirren after about eight or nine minutes, still kept going. In terms of heart and desire, he’s been a big plus for us.’
