There are several ways to interpret Celtic’s bewildering, come-from-behind Europa League victory over Besiktas on Thursday night.
Martin O’Neill saw it as a victory built on heart, spirit and character, evoking memories of his first spell in charge when Juventus, Porto and Olympique Lyon arrived at Parkhead and left defeated.
Benjamin Nygren described it as a deserved triumph, praising a team that battled from the opening whistle to the final one. Callum Osmand preferred to frame it as a lesson in resilience, with Celtic standing firm before eventually receiving their reward.
Others, taking a more detached view, saw something very different. Frankly, it was a disgrace. For an hour, O’Neill appeared to embrace the belief among his employers that European competition is not especially important, before escaping the consequences of a baffling team selection by throwing on several substitutes and hoping they could rescue the situation.
To anyone watching without the emotional fog, the performance only strengthened the argument that the Northern Irishman is a manager from another era and no longer the right man for Celtic.
Afterwards, O’Neill spoke about the team producing some attractive football. That is quite a claim. The opening hour, before Camilo Duran, Osmand and Colby Donovan were introduced, was deeply embarrassing for Celtic.
Martin O’Neill got his team selection wrong against Besiktas and was fortunate to escape with the win
It did resemble the old days, certainly — the less glamorous ones, when Wayne Biggins led the line and supporters tossed Mars bars towards the directors’ box.
Celtic were fortunate that Besiktas became so comfortable they turned the match into a glorified keep-ball exercise, apparently forgetting the purpose of the two large white frames at either end of the pitch.
For lengthy spells, Celtic could not get near the ball. When possession finally came their way, they seemed to have no clear idea how to use it.
Early in the second half, with Besiktas leading, a message arrived from an overseas contact with a long career in the game. He questioned why anyone would continue watching. His verdict was simple: “Really embarrassing.”
That assessment was accurate, and the chaotic final 28 minutes must not be allowed to disguise what came before.
Celtic supporters paid heavily for Europa League packages and tickets. They deserve a more convincing explanation than the one O’Neill offered afterwards for turning up to a crucial fixture only to see what looked like a reserve team. They should ask for their money back for the opening hour.
The 3-2 victory, achieved against both the odds and much of the logic of the match, underlined what was at stake. Duran’s 87th-minute winner moved Celtic to within one point of the top 24, which secures a place in the play-offs. They are also only four points from eighth place and automatic qualification for the last 16.
There was everything to play for on Thursday. That makes the obvious question impossible to avoid: why did O’Neill select that starting XI?
He insists the decision was deliberate. Fresh legs were required, he says, and the plan was always to use the substitutes in the manner he eventually did. Supporters can believe that if they wish.
Camilo Duran was celebrated by his team-mates, but his absence from the starting XI remains difficult to understand
Anyone treating this as a night for the ages, or as proof of everything admirable about Celtic, needs to take a step back. The selection looked far more like an attempt to protect Sunday’s home league meeting with Kilmarnock than a commitment to a major European fixture.
Celtic find themselves in their current predicament because their standards have fallen to an unacceptable level. They have allowed themselves to become a laughing stock in Europe, an easy target for teams such as LASK, Maribor and Kairat Almaty.
That is why O’Neill’s repeated insistence that UEFA competition is a priority makes Thursday’s line-up so difficult to understand. Jordan Lotomba made his first start at right-back, 35-year-old James Forrest made only his second start of the season on the right wing, and Sebastian Tounekti — a player many already doubt is good enough for this level — started on the left.
Lotomba endured a dreadful evening, conceding the needless penalty that gave Besiktas the lead after a rash challenge. Forrest registered Celtic’s first shot on target in the 50th minute but was scarcely more effective than Tounekti. When all three were withdrawn after 61 minutes, it was overdue.
Osmand, who impressed after coming on, surely deserved to retain his place on the left. On the opposite flank, Haissem Hassan’s situation is equally baffling. If he cannot displace an ageing Forrest, then Celtic have a serious problem.
At present, the £9million signing is beginning to resemble an enormous waste of money, with O’Neill seemingly unconvinced by him. The roughly £20million committed to Hassan and Kasper Hogh is starting to look like Celtic’s most reckless spending spree since Edinburgh chose to revive its tram system.
Hogh should not have started. Duran ought to have operated through the middle from the outset, something he emphatically demonstrated after moving there when the Dane was substituted and scoring twice.
Big Kasper currently looks like a jigsaw piece from the wrong box — a pineapple Danish in a bag of cinnamon swirls. Someone, somewhere may eventually find a role for him, but it does not appear likely to be Celtic.
O’Neill’s relief at securing a crucial victory was evident as he embraced assistant Maloney
That makes 15 matches without a goal. People can argue that O’Neill is not using him correctly, but an £11million international player must be capable of adapting better than this. He was poor again on Thursday.
He looks completely short of confidence. Would it not have made more sense to start him at home against Killie at the weekend, giving him a chance to rediscover his scoring touch, rather than placing him in a major European match and watching his confidence sink further?
Who knows? With each passing week, the extent of Celtic’s transfer-window mess becomes more obvious. Sam Johnstone has failed to inspire confidence in goal, and his display against Besiktas did little to change that.
It is difficult to know whether Johnstone or Viljami Sinisalo should be first choice. Perhaps both should play, recalling the old Rab Douglas and Magnus Hedman arrangement.
It was encouraging, at least, to see Landon Emenalo, Shim Mheuka and £3million signing Joel van den Berg feature in Tuesday’s KDM Evolution Trophy match in Dingwall. The result, however, was another concern: League One Ross County won 2-0 after registering 22 shots and hitting the woodwork more than once.
There is plenty to discuss after the past few days at the champions, just as there are plenty of problems that an exhilarating win over strong opposition can temporarily conceal.
One conclusion, though, is unchanged from before Besiktas arrived. Under this board and this manager, Celtic remain a confused club with no apparent destination other than further backwards.
