Callum McGregor admitted sorry Celtic seemed scared as he issued a grovelling apology for crashing out of the Champions League and sending £40million up in smoke on one of many worst nights of the membership’s European historical past.
The Parkhead outfit suffered a 5-1 extra-time hammering at LASK to tumble out 5-4 on mixture within the qualifying play-off for the second yr working following final season’s humbling by Kazakh minnows Kairat Almaty.
Three-up from the primary leg, Celtic went 4 targets forward on mixture in Linz when captain McGregor scored on 21 minutes.
Nonetheless, they gave the Austrian double-winners a lifeline with Moses Usor levelling earlier than the break and fell aside within the second 45 with targets from Robert Ljubicic, Samuel Adeniran and a Ninetieth-minute effort from Florian Flecker taking it to extra-time.
Adeniran then scored the winner within the 109th minute earlier than seeing a penalty saved by visiting keeper Viljami Sinisalo.
Celtic have now did not make it to the group stage of European soccer’s high competitors on six consecutive events when beginning within the qualifying rounds, a nightmare run relationship again to season 2018-19, which has seen them lose to AEK Athens, Cluj, Ferencvaros, FC Midtjylland, Kairat and now LASK.
McGregor advised Amazon Prime: ‘We received what we deserved. We have been passive all night time. We really seemed scared to go and win the sport.
‘It is psychological. To be sincere, I did not assume we have been that good within the first leg both. We scored at good instances and form of received away with it.
‘While you play like that, you’ll be able to’t have any excuse in anyway. We have now to suck it up. We apologise to the supporters and the membership as a result of there isn’t any manner we should always lose that recreation.
McGregor appears aghast after Celtic have been humiliated in Austria
‘Now, you will notice what sort of character is in there. There’s quite a bit at stake by way of the Champions League and you would most likely really feel the nervousness – final week as nicely – however when you find yourself so passive and go 1-0 up and it nonetheless would not settle you, you’ll be able to’t have any excuse. That is on us.’
McGregor, although, refused to make use of a failure to recruit in key positions by the board as a motive for Celtic’s virtually unbelievable collapse in Austria.
‘You fall at a giant hurdle and these questions are going to get requested,’ he mentioned. ‘It’s as a lot on the gamers as the rest, to be sincere. You can not lose that recreation by such a giant margin and begin in search of excuses elsewhere.
‘You may now see what persons are product of. It’s important to realise you might be enjoying at a giant membership.’
Supervisor Martin O’Neill accepted full duty for his facet’s capitulation at time-up.
‘We must always have been out of sight by half-time,’ mentioned O’Neill. ‘We scored a objective, missed two nice alternatives after which gave them a lifeline simply earlier than half-time after which one simply after it.
‘We conceded not good targets in any respect, however that is my staff and that’s my duty.’
The Northern Irishman additionally admitted the hammering uncovered the necessity for the squad to be strengthened additional and it begs the query why additional reinforcements weren’t introduced in earlier than this vastly profitable tie.
Supervisor Martin O’Neill is annoyed as Celtic toil in opposition to LASK
‘I feel these video games present you we clearly have numerous work to do in that side,’ he mentioned. ‘These video games are actual, actual assessments for you and, sadly, we have failed that check tonight.
‘We all know that we’re 1,000,000 miles from the completed article. That is completely true. I feel we thought that anyway.
‘I feel I mentioned final week that for those who might qualify for the Champions League there could be gamers wanting to come back on that foundation. That is not going to be the case, however we’ll see. Tonight we got here up nicely and actually brief, significantly within the second half.’
O’Neill admits the ache was nowhere close to as dangerous as dropping a UEFA Cup remaining to FC Porto, however was clear when requested whether or not the loss is likely one of the worst nights of his spells as boss.
‘I might say yeah, completely,’ he replied. ‘I might put it down earlier than dropping the UEFA Cup remaining of 2003, however it’s so disappointing.’
