O'Neill thanks UEFA for touchline reprieve

CELTIC manager Martin O’Neill last night thanked UEFA for his touchline reprieve — but that won’t stop him fighting his ban all the way.

He was due to sit in the stand tonight for the third-round second-leg tie with Celta Vigo after his dismissal in the first leg a fortnight ago.

However, UEFA bosses decided at a special meeting at their headquarters in Switzerland yesterday to give him special dispensation to be on the track side.

"I fully appreciate that UEFA took time out to allow me time to get together a defence whatever way possible," said O'Neill. "But at some stage or another that will have to happen, but had they called a meeting on Monday, Tuesday or even today I would have been prepared to go myself. I don't know whether they will be able to fit it in before Christmas, but I will be going to put my feelings across."

O'Neill is still unhappy at the way he was treated by French referee Claude Colombo a fortnight ago, but expressed greater satisfaction at the news that Danish official Claus Bo Larsen will take charge tonight.

O'Neill added: "You won't mind me smiling now, but the word aggression doesn't seem to appear in the Spanish dictionary. When you look at players like Valencia defender Roberto Ayala then these are top-class players who can look after themselves. Pele the best in the world ever could also look after himself

"You seem to forget that we see Spanish football on TV every weekend and anybody that says Celta Vigo lack aggression wouldn't be true.

"Is there any team in Spain who are aggressive? Well, how has it been such a good league then? Arsenal complained last night about Valencia's

aggression and Manchester United will complain tonight about

Deportivo La Coruna's aggression."

The Glasgow side will be hoping to recover from their Old Firm defeat by Rangers at Ibrox on Saturday but the Celtic boss is convinced a reaction is on the way from his wounded players and he fully expects them to create chances in the Balaidos Stadium: "The response every single time after defeat has always been very positive, certainly in my time, and that is the sort of response I expect. We could still play very well in the match and lose the match, but I expect the players to be absolutely ready for the game."

Celtic have the firepower to score a vital away goal which O'Neill believes his side will need with Henrik Larsson, Chris Sutton and John Hartson at his disposal. However, he admits that he has been concerned by his side's defending in recent games and he has told them they must do better if their European adventure is to continue.

O'Neill concluded: "We have chances with the likes of Henrik there, but we will need to defend set-pieces better.

"We will need to be on our mettle for this game because they are a side who are third in La Liga which is considered the best in the world.

"But we have to score a goal and I know we are capable of scoring a goal. This is a different game to Sunday, but the approach will be the same."