O'Neill takes responsibility with nowhere to hide for Celtic

At the Raiffeisen Arena, the weight of responsibility rested heavily on Martin O'Neill's shoulders. With bedlam all around, there was no hiding place for Celtic or their manager. The Scottish champions had faced a dark night in their European history, having lost to Kairat Almaty on penalties last year. Four goals up on aggregate against LASK, O'Neill's Celtic somehow managed to implode in the second half, ultimately losing 5-4 after extra time.

The manager was upfront about his responsibility, stating, "I'm responsible for this one," following the defeat. O'Neill acknowledged that the loss was a major disappointment, comparing it to the Uefa Cup final in 2003 that his team should have won. Despite the setback, O'Neill expressed the team's long way to go, emphasizing that they were "a million miles from the finished article."

The aftermath of the loss could reveal the club's true strength and could also see them struggle with a transfer window without the financial windfall from Champions League qualification.