Benjamin Nygren’s Celtic Admission Says Far More Than He Probably Intended

Benjamin Nygren has offered a revealing insight into Celtic’s recent struggles.

And perhaps his words say more about the current state of this team than he intended.

Speaking while away with Sweden, Nygren admitted Celtic’s Champions League exit remains difficult to take.

That is understandable.

Celtic didn’t simply miss out on the Champions League. They somehow surrendered a commanding advantage against LASK after appearing to have one foot in the competition.

Nygren has now acknowledged how tough that disappointment was for both the players and supporters.

But there is one part of his interview that really stands out.

He knows Celtic have to move on.

The question is: have they?

Celtic Have Looked Like a Team Still Carrying LASK

Look at what happened afterwards.

Celtic went into the international break following three consecutive defeats, including two losses against Rangers and the Europa League defeat to Ferencvaros.

Those results cannot simply be blamed on what happened against LASK.

There have been tactical problems. Performances haven’t been good enough. Individual players have struggled and Martin O’Neill has questions to answer.

But Nygren’s comments raise another possibility.

How much damage did that Champions League collapse actually do to this Celtic team’s confidence?

Footballers aren’t robots.

Celtic believed they were heading for Europe’s biggest competition. They had put themselves in an enormously strong position.

Then it disappeared.

Nygren Knows Celtic Must Move On

Nygren’s assessment is actually refreshingly straightforward.

He spoke about how much he wanted Champions League football and acknowledged the disappointment Celtic supporters share.

But crucially, he also recognised that Celtic cannot allow it to linger.

That’s exactly right.

The Champions League is gone.

Nothing Celtic do now will change what happened in Austria.

What they can change is what happens next.

And that’s where Martin O’Neill comes into this.

Martin O’Neill Has to Reset This Celtic Team

O’Neill’s biggest task after the international break might not simply be tactical.

He needs to restore belief.

Celtic remain capable of producing considerably better football than supporters have watched recently.

Nygren himself has demonstrated that.

The Swede has contributed goals and assists and has been one of Celtic’s more productive players this season.

But Celtic need that confidence throughout the team.

The LASK collapse hurt.

The Rangers defeats hurt.

The European defeat hurt.

Nygren has effectively acknowledged that Celtic’s players have been through a difficult period.

Now comes the important part.

Celtic cannot keep carrying those disappointments onto the next pitch.

Nygren says they have to move on.

He’s right.

When Celtic return from this break, we need to see evidence that they finally have.

Key Takeaways

• Benjamin Nygren has admitted Celtic’s Champions League failure remains difficult to accept.
• Celtic subsequently entered the international break following three consecutive defeats.
• Nygren recognises the players cannot allow the disappointment to linger.
• Martin O’Neill now faces the challenge of rebuilding confidence as well as fixing Celtic’s performances.