'It was a bit of a toil'published at 20:14 GMT 18 January
20:14 GMT 18 January
Auchinleck Talbot 0-2 Celtic
Image source, SNS
Image caption,
Celtic manager Martin O'Neill
Celtic manager Martin O'Neill told BBC Sportsound: "We can play much better. Obviously I made a lot of changes
to the team but I’m still concerned about the match.
"It was nice to win but we can play much better, though that’s
down to me making so many changes.
"Some players I wanted to see but in the same token still
wanting to keep some continuity, which is very difficult given the changes we did.
"It was a bit of a toil [to get a second goal], and we lacked
a spark. Seb [Tounekti] came on and gave us a bit of something, and scored a
great goal. I would like that second goal to have been a lot earlier.
"We had lots of possession and even when we did create
chances we were a bit wasteful as well."
'The effort was fantastic' - Sloanpublished at 19:57 GMT 18 January
19:57 GMT 18 January
Auchinleck Talbot 0-2 Celtic
Image source, SNS
Image caption,
Auchinleck Talbot manager Tommy Sloan
Auchinleck Talbot boss Tommy Sloan tells BBC Sportsound: "It was a fantastic effort from the lads. I’m not surprised
they came up with it because they normally do.
"We had been going well this season up until the last few
weeks and they’ve certainly proved today that they’re capable of digging in and
putting on a performance.
"We would have liked to have threatened the goal a bit more
but the effort’s been fantastic and that is for another day.
"I was delighted going in 1-0 down at half-time and would
have taken that before the game so it was a positive team talk. I tried to say
that to them.
"We stayed in the game for long periods, didn’t threaten the
goal enough but that was the only disappointing thing for me."
'Tounekti showed quality'published at 19:54 GMT 18 January
19:54 GMT 18 January
FT: Auchinleck Talbot 0-2 Celtic
More from Martin O'Neill: "Winning builds momentum more than anything else. Tonight, I wasn't wildly surprised about the way the game went. After half an hour, we're thinking we're having to break this team down. We're starting to think about plan B.
"Seb [Tounekti] came on and showed that little bit of quality, and that's what you need. I wish it had happened 15 minutes earlier, but he has that ability to do that. It was a lovely goal and it settled the game.
"It is a huge week and this is the first part of it. We didn't play with phenomenal panache, but we won the game and we'll move in."
'I'm not sure I learned more' - O'Neillpublished at 19:50 GMT 18 January
19:50 GMT 18 January
FT: Auchinleck Talbot 0-2 Celtic
Image source, SNS
Celtic interim manager Martin O'Neill tells Premier Sports: "Unconvincing in the sense that, while the most important thing was winning, it took a long time for us to put the game to bed.
"We made 10 changes. A couple of lads who played tonight did not feature for me at all in the first spell. [Michel-Ange] Balikwisha, Paulo [Bernardo]. It was matter of trying to see what they could do. We had loads of possession, but we were unable to break them down.
"We've a fair idea of what we need to do [in the window] and I want to get on with it.
"Tonight, it would have been nice to put on a great performance. I was very concerned about the game - but that's how I've spent the last 30 years. We should have played much better. I'm not so sure I learned much more than I knew before."
'Celtic were lacking a target man'published at 19:47 GMT 18 January
19:47 GMT 18 January
Auchinleck Talbot 0-2 Celtic
Jackie McNamara Former Celtic defender on BBC Sportsound
I think most teams that play against Celtic just now are
comfortable to leave them with possession as long as they don’t play through
the lines. They force them wide and say “we’ll deal with it” because they don’t
have a target man in the middle to win those headers.
If they did they would score many more goals but you can see
with Kenny it’s not his game. He’s a second striker and not an out and out
number nine.
I know at half-time Martin O’Neill would have been telling
him to get a hold of the ball and let the midfield come up and lay off for a
shot. I know that’s what he liked with Hartson, Sutton and Larsson.
That was their job and it’s what Celtic are lacking just
now.
'Hopefully I can go on a run' - Kennypublished at 19:37 GMT 18 January
19:37 GMT 18 January
FT: Auchinleck Talbot 0-2 Celtic
Celtic striker Johnny Kenny tells Premier Sports: "We knew it was going to be a tough game, but 2-0 and into the next round, that's the most important.
"That's the life of a striker, you need to be ready when something comes.
"It's been a tough few weeks. Every striker misses chances and hopefully I can go on a run.
"We know we're a good side. We've had a bit of a blip but we can only focus game by game and that's Bologna on Thursday night."
