Celtic: O'Neill rejects the Jekyll and Hyde label

Martin O'Neill pushed back on the idea that Celtic are a Jekyll and Hyde side after Celtic vs Celta Vigo, a 1-2 Europa League defeat at home on 2026-10-22. The manager said the gap in Europe is about the standard of opposition rather than a split mentality, and he is already looking for a response at Celta Vigo's expense in the sense of the fixture's wider lesson.

Europe has been the problem

The scale of the European start is hard to ignore. Celtic have lost all three Europa League group matches and sit 35th in the 36-team table, with a goal difference of -6 and 0 points from 3 matches.

O'Neill's argument is that this is not a side folding under pressure, it is a side running into better teams. He pointed to the level of opponents and said, "There’s no question the European games are a step up."

That view is stronger when set against the domestic numbers. Celtic remain top of the Premiership with 24 points from nine matches, and their league record is 8 wins and 1 loss.

Sunday at Hibernian

O'Neill was clear that the mood cannot linger into Sunday. "You can’t have excuses going into Sunday," he said, before adding that he does not think the defeat will cause serious psychological damage and that "Sunday becomes a big game for us."

The trip to Hibernian is the next chance to steady things, with Callum Osmand and Camilo Duran both part of the broader selection picture as Celtic look to move on from Thursday night. O'Neill also said Jota is available for Easter Road, while Auston Trusty will be absent for a spell after the death of his father.

He is right to resist the lazy label. The European record is poor, but the domestic record is still strong, and the immediate test is whether Celtic can turn that contrast into a result at Easter Road on 2026-10-25.