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<\/p>\nCeltic fans are furious after Rangers manager Derek McInnes was reported to have launched a strong attack on Celtic and Martin O\u2019Neill following the Hoops\u2019 extraordinary Champions League collapse against LASK. The reaction has been intense, with supporters questioning whether McInnes should have been discussing Celtic at all when his own Rangers side are facing pressure of their own.<\/p>\n
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Celtic suffered one of the most painful European nights in recent memory on Tuesday, throwing away a four goal aggregate advantage against LASK. After winning the first leg 3-0 in Glasgow, Martin O\u2019Neill\u2019s side appeared to have the tie under control when Callum McGregor scored early in Austria to make it 4-0 on aggregate.<\/p>\n
Instead, everything fell apart.
\nLASK produced an astonishing comeback, scoring five times to win 5-1 on the night and 5-4 on aggregate. The result ended Celtic\u2019s Champions League dream and sent shockwaves throughout Scottish football.<\/p>\n
O\u2019Neill has accepted responsibility for the defeat, describing the collapse as one of the most painful moments of his Celtic tenure. Captain McGregor was equally critical, admitting that Celtic became passive and ultimately deserved the punishment they received.<\/p>\n
However, according to the storyline surrounding McInnes\u2019 reported comments, the Rangers boss has taken the opportunity to question Celtic\u2019s mentality, preparation and leadership, with O\u2019Neill particularly coming under scrutiny.
\nThat has not gone down well with Celtic supporters.<\/p>\n
Many fans believe McInnes should concentrate on fixing the problems at Ibrox rather than using Celtic\u2019s European disaster as an opportunity to take shots at their biggest rivals. The Rangers boss has already experienced a difficult start to his tenure, including a home defeat to Hibernian, which left Rangers five points behind Celtic after three league matches.
\nThat context has made the reported comments even more controversial.<\/p>\n
One of the biggest criticisms from Celtic supporters is the perceived timing. Celtic have undoubtedly suffered a humiliating defeat, but the club remain Scottish champions and entered the Champions League play-offs after winning the first leg convincingly. Rangers, meanwhile, are also under pressure to establish themselves under a new manager.<\/p>\n
For Celtic fans, therefore, McInnes\u2019 comments feel less like constructive criticism and more like an attempt to exploit a painful moment.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s a disgrace,\u201d has effectively become the mood among supporters who believe Celtic\u2019s humiliation should not become ammunition for Rangers.<\/p>\n
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There is also a wider debate about O\u2019Neill. The experienced manager has only recently returned to the Celtic dugout, and despite the disastrous LASK result, his team had produced a commanding 3-0 first leg performance before collapsing in Austria. Celtic also started the Scottish Premiership campaign strongly, including a 5-1 victory over Kilmarnock earlier this month.<\/p>\n
That makes the situation more complicated than simply blaming one individual.
\nO\u2019Neill himself has accepted responsibility, meaning there has been no attempt to hide from the failure. His admission could actually strengthen his position with some supporters because it demonstrates that he understands the magnitude of what happened.
\nBut Celtic fans now want action rather than words.<\/p>\n
The defensive problems exposed by LASK, the failure to control the game after establishing a four goal advantage and the inability to respond when the Austrian side gained momentum will all be examined in the coming days.
\nThe financial consequences are also enormous. Celtic were chasing the Champions League revenue that comes with qualification, but the collapse means they will once again have to compete in the Europa League. Reports have highlighted the significant financial cost of missing out on Europe\u2019s premier club competition.<\/p>\n
That is why supporters are demanding accountability from everyone involved.
\nYet many believe accountability should remain an internal Celtic matter.
\nMcInnes may have his own opinions about Celtic, but Rangers supporters will ultimately judge him on what happens at Ibrox. His team have already endured an uncomfortable beginning to the campaign, and the pressure will increase if results do not improve.
\nCeltic fans, meanwhile, have every right to be angry about their club\u2019s collapse. Throwing away a four goal aggregate lead is almost impossible to explain, and the consequences will be felt for months.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
But amid the anger, supporters will hope the LASK disaster becomes a turning point rather than the beginning of a crisis.
\nO\u2019Neill has admitted his responsibility. McGregor has demanded accountability from the players. Now Celtic must respond on the pitch.<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
And as for McInnes, his reported attack has only added another layer to an already explosive Scottish football story.
\nThe next Old Firm meeting will undoubtedly provide the ultimate answer.
\nFor now, Celtic fans are furious, Rangers have their own problems to solve, and the fallout from one of the most astonishing European collapses in Celtic\u2019s history is showing no sign of disappearing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Celtic fans are furious after Rangers manager Derek McInnes was reported to have launched a strong attack on Celtic and Martin O\u2019Neill following the Hoops\u2019 extraordinary Champions League collapse against LASK. The reaction has been intense, with supporters questioning whether McInnes should have been discussing Celtic at all when his own Rangers side are facing […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":912,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-907","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzecho.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/907","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzecho.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzecho.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzecho.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzecho.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=907"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/newzecho.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/907\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":911,"href":"https:\/\/newzecho.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/907\/revisions\/911"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzecho.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/912"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzecho.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=907"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzecho.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=907"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzecho.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=907"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}