FC Midtjylland v Celtic – Martin O’Neill’s entertaining Media Conference

Q: Martin, your last European Celtic match was in 2004, how are you relishing a return this week?

Martin O’Neill: “Yeah, I’m obviously looking forward to the game. I didn’t realise that, well, I didn’t really look at the fixture list at all, but I hadn’t realised that there was a European game so quickly. And yeah, I am just looking forward to it. This young man [Kasper Schmeichel] has been telling me the correct pronunciations here and things like this here, so yeah, genuinely looking forward to it.

Q: The results have gone for you, but the performances have come up as well, a bit more intensity. How much confidence do you feel coming into this tie?

Martin O’Neill: “Well, I think obviously you’ll get confidence from beating big rivals, so that was great for us. Ironically, I actually have seen Midtjylland play, because I was covering their game for TV a few weeks ago now, and they’re very strong, so I wouldn’t think you’d start to get carried away with things. I’m just pleased to be here, I must admit, and we’ll take it on from there. So yeah, I suppose that is just a really, really crap way of delivering it.

Q: You mentioned the form that they’re in, what are you expecting from them? How big of a challenge are they going to be?

Martin O’Neill: “Well, I thought they were great against Nottingham Forest, really great away from home, against a Forest side that are actually physically quite strong themselves. And not only are they very, very good in set pieces, but they’re also a really good talented side. Really, really, very, very good. They were excellent on the evening, and it’s no surprise that they’ve got full points from their games.

Q: We’re speaking to the Midtjylland manager earlier, the difference he’s noticed in Celtic teams since you’ve come in is energy and power. Do you feel that that’s there? Have you noticed that as well?

Martin O’Neill: “That would be hard for me to make that comment, really, because I’ve been in for two games, and we’ve had really good moments, we’ve created some chances. The man beside me has made two big, big saves in both games, at important stages of matches as well, too. I really don’t know that. I think that the team has played well, they’ve played well in the games, we’ve got a few goals, so that helps. But, yeah, tomorrow evening, totally different, totally different ball game again.”

Q: In terms of this competition, you’re synonymous with this competition to so many Celtic fans. What does it actually mean to you personally?

Martin O’Neill: “Yes, I mean, we got beaten in the final, so that’s not great news. That’s a long time ago, 2003. And if you were asking me a week ago, would I ever actually be involved in another European game, I think you’d have a fair idea what the answer was. So, listen, it’s pleasing. If you talk about Celtic and European games, that’s where Celtic should be aiming to be, to be playing in big, big games. And that was set aside way back, as far back as 1967, when Jock Stein and the best side and the best manager that Celtic have ever had, and the best team that they’ve ever had, set a standard that it’s very, very difficult to reach. And the only way you do that is by eventually winning the European Cup. Now, lots of things have changed since then. Big, big money in the game, and so there’s not so much of a level playing field. But it’s still, it’s not just European football, it’s what Celtic should be aspiring to.”

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