Martin O’Neill says that Celtic’s Scottish Premiership achievement has been lost in the media noise.
In the eyes of many, Celtic were the villains in the title race, with Derek McInnes’ and Hearts’ underdog status making them the darlings of the general public.
This has culminated in a hysterical reaction to how the race panned out, with the Hoops delivering the trophy in the most dramatic fashion possible.
O’Neill has hit out at the “anti-feeling” against Celtic, which changed the story in the media.
Celtic’s official statement on the pitch invasion was far more measured than Hearts.
No hysteria, just balance. Thoughts on this 👇
Martin O’Neill: Celtic title achievement lost in media noise
In an in-house interview with Celtic TV, O’Neill said when asked if the achievement has been lost in the noise: “There’s no question, it’s been lost.
“Outside our supporters, outside us, outside the diaspora, everybody wanted Hearts to win.
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“There was just this, what shall I say… an incredible anti-feeling about us winning it, so that didn’t become the story.
“The story became the fans coming onto the pitch to celebrate as if it’s never happened before, and yeah… just a downright skulduggery on our part to actually come and take the win away from Hearts.
“Hearts have been brilliant all season, let’s remind ourselves about that… but we won it. Sometimes I have to remind myself that we did do.
“It wasn’t [just about the last day]. We lost just before the international break; we went to Tannadice, got beaten in the game, didn’t perform at all, I think.
“Probably the only time that we didn’t perform for very long periods of the game. We had a couple of chances in that match — Kieran Tierney perhaps could’ve scored, Iheanacho actually forced the goalkeeper into making a great save, both at 0-0…
“But overall, second-half performance wasn’t good enough, and it was a long way back from there. But we had time, interestingly.
“It was an international break, some of us were going away, the rest of us had to sit in quiet isolation and churn it all over.
Is this Celtic side underrated because domestic success feels routine?
“But there was a renewed spirit about us coming back to Dundee, I think, probably personified [by] Iheanacho coming on and getting the goal for us to win the game.
“And you felt, just slowly but surely: ‘Yes, we can do this’.”
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