Martin O’Neill responds to Celtic Park boos after Ferencvaros loss

Martin O’Neill has acknowledged Celtic supporters’ anger following the team’s disappointing 3-1 Europa League defeat to Ferencvaros at Parkhead.

The home crowd made their feelings known during another frustrating evening for the Hoops, who suffered a second heavy defeat in the space of a few days after losing to Rangers in the Premier Sports Cup.

Celtic’s latest setback has also revived concerns over their performances in high-pressure matches, following their earlier Champions League qualifying disappointment against LASK.

O’Neill said he could understand why the supporters reacted angrily, having experienced the atmosphere at Celtic during his previous spell in charge.

“I’ve been here 25 years ago where the crowd can react like that,” he said. “So it’s genuinely nothing new to me at the end of it all.”

The Celtic manager suggested the boos reflected the frustration of watching his side struggle to maintain momentum, particularly when possession repeatedly moved backwards instead of forward.

“At times when we had the ball, we looked as if we were going forward, the next thing you know, we put two passes backwards,” O’Neill explained.

He also admitted that confidence appears to be affecting the team, with hesitation becoming a problem in their play. O’Neill believes Celtic must find a way to respond collectively rather than allow their recent results to weigh them down.

“When you lose a little bit of confidence, then you become tentative,” he said. “The great players play through a crisis of confidence. Everybody’s had it at some stage or another. But for us, we have to try and battle through that.”

With another Old Firm meeting against Rangers scheduled for Sunday, O’Neill knows his players have little time to dwell on the defeat. He called for renewed energy in training and a stronger approach when the two sides meet again.

The manager said Celtic must rediscover their aggression, compete more effectively for loose balls and take the initiative instead of playing cautiously.

“How we restore confidence, I think, obviously is really essentially, and it’s almost a cliched phrase, get on the front foot, be on the front foot, win second balls,” he added.

O’Neill admitted that Sunday’s league encounter has gained even more significance after the latest result, although he stressed that facing Rangers is always a major occasion.

“Sunday’s a big game. It’s a big game anyway, regardless,” he said. “But even so, we’d want to put on a proper performance against Rangers for the fans and for ourselves.

“So those things definitely frustrate you. And that’s something we’ll have to try and iron out.”