O’Neill starts search for new Larsson

Celtic 3 Rangers 0

O’Neill has a huge task in trying to replace the prolific striker, who has set his heart on a move away from Parkhead when his contract expires this summer. The Hoops chief will start the daunting task of first pinpointing a target and then getting the money off his board.

He said: “Six months for a manager is a long time in the future. But I am sure the board would consider favourably any thoughts we might have of getting a 30-goal-a-season player in.

"Everyone would love him to stay but I accept after talking to Henrik and his agent Rob Jansen that he wants to try something new after seven excellent years here.

“He’ll be able to pick his club but I won’t give up hope until he walks out of the door.”

Newcastle United manager Bobby Robson has confirmed his interest in signing the former Swedish international this summer.

Surprisingly Larsson, Chris Sutton and John Hartson were missing from the scoresheet as unsung heroes Stilian Petrov, Stanislav Varga and Alan Thompson blew away Rangers at Parkhead. O’Neill is still enthusiastic about the future and he is confident the Swede’s departure will not be the end of the world for Celtic.

“Great players leave,” he explained. “I am quite sure Eric Cantona leaving was a massive body blow to Alex Ferguson and I suppose it would be a fair comparison in terms of the clubs and the status of the players at them.

“Suddenly some of the younger players collectively performed miracles at the football club (Manchester United) and within a short period of time.

“Although he (Cantona) is never forgotten because he is one of the greatest players to have graced Old Trafford he had to be replaced and United continued to be successful.

“Henrik will be very hard to replace of course but you have to get on with it. You can’t sit down and cry and moan about it every single day because it’s your job as manager.”

Despite Alex McLeish’s negative claims that Celtic can only throw away the title, O’Neill is remaining focused and cautious. He shrugged: “We will strive to keep our distance in front and the comment about throwing it away always gets thrown at you.

“That was levelled at Rangers last season with five or six games to go but we have some difficult games away.

“We go to Hearts and Aberdeen in the next few weeks where we have dropped points before.

“We have to keep winning. What we have done is given ourselves a bit of respite but not much.”