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Martin O'Neill hits back at ‘mentality’ question after Celtic’s 3-0 Rangers loss
O'Neill said the 3-0 defeat exposed Celtic's expensive summer recruits and urged the squad to learn from a poor display.
On Sunday, Celtic lost 3-0 to Rangers in the Premier Sports Cup quarter-final at Ibrox, prompting manager Martin O'Neill to defend his squad against "mentality" criticisms in a tense television exchange.
This defeat follows Celtic's recent Europa League relegation after a 5-4 aggregate loss to Austrian side LASK last month; O'Neill admitted the result was a "culture shock" for his new £20m signings.
During the 90 minutes in Govan, the Hoops managed only one shot on target, as O'Neill identified "technical difficulty" with passing rather than a lack of mental toughness as the primary issue.
A Dan Neil double and Kevin Kelsy volley secured the win for Rangers, with the rivals scheduled to meet again at Parkhead next Sunday in the Premiership, where fans will be absent.
O'Neill emphasized the need to learn from the defeat, reflecting on his own experience 26 years ago when he was "mauled 5-1" at Ibrox, stating "If we can learn, then we can do something about it.