O'Neill hints it was men against Bhoys
Celtic manager Martin O’Neill has hinted a lack of investment is hampering the club’s Champions League hopes as he was forced to bring on young and inexperienced players against Shakhtar Donetsk.
The Hoops slumped to the bottom of Group F last night with a 3-0 defeat by Shakhtar Donetsk in Ukraine.
O’Neill was forced to bring on Ross Wallace and Stephen McManus for the injured Chris Sutton and Jackie McNamara during the match, which underlined a lack of strength in his squad.
But the Hoops’ boss conceded Donetsk had been helped by financial investment in their team.
O’Neill said: “I don’t believe if you spend £200m (€289m) you will always win the Champions League.
“But I think if you spend £200m, you have a better chance of winning it than if you don’t spend £200m.
“Our position now is very difficult, but it’s not irretrievable. The next match is of vital importance – we must get points on the board and we’ll do our utmost to do that.”
O’Neill added: “I think the lack of depth in the squad was a definite factor in the defeat, though that’s not an excuse.
“It’s very difficult to criticise a group of players who have been punching above their weight, contesting UEFA Cup finals and quarter-finals. But, when you’re asking young players to play in Europe before they’ve played 10 league games, it’s a bit of a tall order.”
