Celtic’s 4‑1 loss to Benfica in Lisbon has left the club with a bleak start to its Europa League campaign and has reignited doubts about manager Martin O’Neill’s future. The defeat, which saw the Hoops fall behind 3‑0 in the first half and fail to recover, leaves Celtic with no points from six matches in all competitions and four defeats in the last five games.
O’Neill, who has been in the Parkhead hot seat since the club’s promotion to the top flight, tried to spin the result on Sunday. Speaking to TNT Sports after the match, he praised the team’s second‑half effort, saying that the players “created chance after chance” and that the performance gave him confidence that Celtic could still qualify for the knockout stages. “I’m really, really delighted with the second‑half performance,” he added, lamenting that the team “could have scored more” and that the early goals were a “shame.” The 74‑year‑old also acknowledged that Benfica were clinical and that the game was a “game of two halves.”
The comments came at a time when Celtic’s European hopes are already dim. After a loss to Rangers in the Premiership and a defeat in the League Cup, the club’s poor form has led some fans and pundits to question whether O’Neill should remain in charge. In an interview with Sky Sports News, Tino Callaghan of the Celtic Exchange Podcast noted that while there were “small positives” in the second half, the first‑half collapse highlighted deeper issues. “We were completely outstripped in that first half,” Callaghan said, adding that the club’s performance in Europe was no longer competitive. He warned that the upcoming match against Hearts would be a must‑win to keep the season alive.
Former Celtic player and Sky Sports pundit Chris Sutton offered a different perspective. After Celtic’s win over Motherwell, Sutton criticised O’Neill for expressing doubts about his own future, calling it a “mistake” that could be seen as a weakness. He pointed out that the manager had not been able to bring in the players needed to compete at the highest European level and that internal dissent, such as the public criticism from Cameron Carter‑Vickers, reflected a fractured club culture. Sutton suggested that the Green Brigade’s lack of enthusiasm for European and cup games could further erode support for the team.
With the Europa League group stage still in its early stages, Celtic’s next test comes at home against Hearts, the runners‑up of last season’s Premiership. The match will be a crucial opportunity for O’Neill to rally his squad and the fans, but the pressure will be intense. If the team can replicate the resilience shown in the second half against Benfica, they may still have a chance to progress. If not, the loss of confidence could accelerate calls for a change at the club’s highest level.