Celtic's 3-0 Champions League play-off first-leg victory over LASK could scarcely have turned out better, but Martin O'Neill was spot on to urge caution. Celtic's work is not done—on or off the pitch.
It was a brilliant night at Celtic Park on Wednesday and a tremendous result. Big players produced big moments, playing thrilling football at times and digging in at others. The three goals were absolutely sensational. Benjamin Nygren's technique for the first was sublime, and Camilo Duran's finishing was top drawer.
Duran Impresses but O'Neill's Warning Stands
It's still early days, but Duran looks like a proper player. He plays in a different role but has a hammer of a left foot that reminds me a little of Alan Thompson's lethal left peg. Some people have been making a comparison between his first goal and my volley against Juventus. It was great but not quite as good as that one—mine was technically more difficult. Fair play to him though.
Kasper Hogh might not have got the headlines, but he was also really impressive with his hold-up and link play, winning balls and buying free kicks—it was a proper No.9 display. Mika Baur was chucked in but looked the part, and young Colby Donovan really stepped up at right back.
Goalkeeper and Defence Concerns
There's been a lot of talk about bringing in a goalkeeper. Celtic do need back-up, but Viljami Sinisalo hasn't done much wrong. He was outstanding again the other night with some crucial saves. Cameron Carter-Vickers is getting stronger by the week and was brilliant after overcoming a dodgy start.
The thing that stood out was the threat Celtic now pose. It's light years away from the laboured scenes of 12 months ago against Kairat. It just shows what can happen when you bring in quality players—they can change games with moments of brilliance.
Second Leg Danger
Yet, despite all this, I'm still wary going to Austria. LASK are a very decent side and caused Celtic plenty of problems. They probably walked away wondering what the heck happened the other night. We've seen the shoe on the other foot often enough with Celtic, but they will feel hard done by, with a couple of goals ruled out and several other chances.
That's the concern for this second leg. A three-goal lead looks comfortable, but don't be fooled. I remember going to Stuttgart in the Seville season with a 3-1 lead, and we scored two early goals over there to lead 5-1. The tie should have been dead and buried, but we ended up hanging on in the end to squeeze through 5-4.
In more recent times, in Be'er Sheva, Brendan Rodgers came out afterwards looking like he'd seen a ghost after a 5-2 first-leg win evaporated in Israel, and it was another nerve-shredding end. Likewise 12 months later in Astana, when a five-goal start still led to an incredibly tense spell out in Kazakhstan.
Squad Still Needs Reinforcements
So forgive me for not thinking it's a feet-up job just yet. LASK look like a team capable of scoring goals, and I wouldn't bet on Celtic keeping a clean sheet out there. The real positive is I can't see the Austrians keeping Celtic out either. There is still work required—and the same goes for the squad.
O'Neill is not a man to make public demands, but there was a telling comment after Wednesday's game about Celtic being in the plus side this summer in terms of his spending and wage bill. He's right. A lot has been made of them investing almost £30m in the team—but they have also brought in £35m in sales, and the sheer volume of departures will have brought down the wage bill.
O'Neill needs more reinforcements. It's too late now regarding the second leg against LASK, and I suspect they might wait to see if they do get to the Champions League before deciding just how big they go in the remainder of the window. If they can get there though, Celtic do have to get serious. Have they got enough already to cope with the Premiership? Maybe so. The ambitions have to be higher though. Making an impact in Europe has to be the aim. They can't just get to the group stage and be happy to turn up, collect the cash and say thank you very much.
They need to compete. To do so, O'Neill will need further additions. I was impressed with Baur the other night, but Arne Engels still has to be replaced as Celtic's midfield is too lightweight. I'm still struggling to get my head around the decision to let him go before these qualifiers, but it's done now. Good teams will cut through them, so it's an area that needs bolstering.
It was encouraging to see Reo Hatate come off the bench the other night in determined mood. There's a suspicion he could leave though, and if he does, that means Celtic will need two more in there at least. We know Kieran Tierney needs support at left-back, and it looks like Landon Emenalo could be on his way on loan from Chelsea. On the other side, Donovan deserves a lot of credit, and they also have Anthony Ralston there.
But if Alistair Johnston is going to be out for a prolonged spell again, I do think action will be required. Celtic have got one foot in the Champions League, but they are still very much a work in progress.
