NafisaCeltic’s European nightmare in Austria has left supporters with plenty of questions, but captain Callum McGregor was not interested in searching for excuses after one of the most painful nights of his career.
The Hoops travelled to Linz with what appeared to be an unassailable advantage after beating LASK 3-0 in the first leg.
Instead, Celtic completely collapsed.
McGregor had actually made the situation look even more comfortable when he fired Celtic ahead after 21 minutes, putting Martin O’Neill’s side four goals clear on aggregate.
But what followed was extraordinary.
LASK scored five unanswered goals, turning the tie completely on its head and sending Celtic crashing out despite their commanding first-leg advantage.
The final score on the night was 5-1, meaning LASK progressed 5-4 on aggregate.
For Celtic supporters, the manner of the defeat was arguably even more difficult to accept than the result itself.
And McGregor offered a remarkably honest assessment immediately afterwards.
The Celtic captain did not attempt to blame injuries, recruitment, a lack of squad depth or bad luck.
Instead, he pointed the finger directly at the players.
McGregor brutally admits Celtic were scared
Speaking to Amazon Prime Video, McGregor admitted that Celtic had been far too passive throughout the game and suggested fear had played a major role in their collapse.
He said: “We got what we deserved. I thought we were still passive all night.
“We actually were scared to go in the game.
“I mean, you’re 3-0 up in the tie, it’s psychological.
“To be honest, I didn’t think we were that good in the first leg either.
“We scored at good times, and we kind of got away with it.”
Those comments will undoubtedly sting Celtic supporters.
After winning the first leg 3-0, there had been an expectation that Celtic would manage the second leg intelligently and use their huge advantage to control the tie.
Instead, they allowed LASK back into the contest.
And even when McGregor scored to make it 1-0 on the night, Celtic could not settle themselves.
The captain admitted that was particularly concerning.
He added: “But when you play like that, and you’re so passive, and like I said, you go 1-0 up in the game, and it still doesn’t settle you then, you can’t have any excuse.
“Then that’s on us.”
That admission places enormous responsibility on the players and coaching staff.
Celtic had every possible advantage heading into the game, yet somehow managed to turn a four-goal aggregate lead into a two-goal deficit before the final whistle.
McGregor refuses to blame Celtic’s recruitment
There will inevitably be questions about Celtic’s summer recruitment following such a damaging European exit.
Supporters will want to know whether the squad was sufficiently strengthened and whether O’Neill had enough quality and depth at his disposal to deal with the demands of European football.
But McGregor refused to use that as an explanation.
The experienced midfielder made it clear that Celtic’s players must take responsibility for what happened.
He said: “It’s as much on the players as anything else, to be honest.
“You can’t lose that game by such a big margin, and then start looking for excuses elsewhere.
“We have to accept that.”
That may prove to be one of the most important statements to come out of the entire collapse.
There is no hiding from the scale of what happened.
Celtic were not beaten by a late goal or eliminated after a narrow contest.
They were five-goal winners from the first leg, took the lead again in Austria and still managed to concede five times without reply.
The warning signs were already there
Perhaps the most worrying part of McGregor’s assessment was his admission that he did not believe Celtic had actually been particularly impressive in the first leg.
The 3-0 victory created the impression of complete dominance, but the captain suggested the scoreline had disguised some underlying weaknesses.
“We scored at good times, and we kind of got away with it,” he admitted.
That makes the second-leg collapse even more concerning.
Celtic had effectively been given a warning in Glasgow but failed to respond to it in Austria.
Once LASK gained momentum, Celtic appeared unable to regain control of the contest.
And when the pressure increased, the Hoops became increasingly passive rather than taking the game to their opponents.
McGregor now demands a reaction
The defeat will undoubtedly linger for some time, particularly after Celtic suffered another painful European disappointment against Kairat last season.
But McGregor knows there is little point dwelling on the result.
Celtic now have to respond domestically.
The Hoops face Falkirk at Celtic Park on Saturday, giving O’Neill and his players an immediate opportunity to show whether they can recover from the humiliation in Austria.
McGregor believes that response will reveal plenty about the character of the squad.
He said: “As I said earlier, you’ll now see what people are made of in terms of what we’re going to achieve this season.
“We have to take that, and you have to now realise that you’re playing at a big club, you’re playing at Celtic, and now you have to bounce back as disappointing as it is.
“You now have to show reaction, and that’s what Celtic is all about.”
Those words will now be put to the test.
For O’Neill, the players and the Celtic hierarchy, there is no hiding from what happened in Linz.
Questions over recruitment will continue, and supporters will understandably demand answers about how a 3-0 lead was surrendered so dramatically.
But McGregor has already made his position clear.
The players cannot hide behind excuses.
The captain believes they were too passive, too fearful and ultimately got exactly what they deserved.
Now Celtic must show whether that brutal assessment can become the starting point for a response — or whether the collapse against LASK will continue to haunt their season.
Nafisa
