O'Neill: 'We've a lot on our plate'

Celtic manager Martin O’Neill admits he fears his squad may not be able to cope with their fixture demands throughout one of the most crucial months of their campaign so far.

The Hoops face a hectic 15-day spell in March, which could make or break their chances of success in the four competitions they remain involved in.

Dumping Stuttgart out of the UEFA Cup last night allowed Celtic to set up their second ‘Battle of Britain’ this season when they booked their place in the quarter-final against Liverpool.

The two meetings with the Anfield side come just days after vital Old Firm clashes against Rangers – firstly in the league followed by the CIS Insurance Cup final.

To top off an exhausting period, O’Neill’s men must then make the lengthy journey to the Highlands to face Inverness Caledonian Thistle in the fifth round of the Scottish Cup.

The Hoops have so far defeated opposition from three of the strongest leagues in Europe – Blackburn Rovers, Celta Vigo and Stuttgart – to remain in the UEFA Cup against the odds.

But O’Neill admits the task they face against Liverpool is about to push Celtic to another standard of football altogether.

He said: “The only caution is that we have some massive fixtures coming up and we might not have the really big squad to cope with it – but we’ll deal with that as best we can.

“I’d rather be there than not be there and we’re still involved in everything.

“They [Liverpool] have really good players to come in in different positions and we would need our best available players to be able to compete and cope but I think over the two legs we’ll give it everything we’ve got.

“We need all of our good players playing and we need them to be playing well, as well as some luck.

“We’ve tried to improve the squad a little bit and maybe numerically we’re a little short.

“We’re finding it very difficult – it’s not just one notch up from what we’re normally used to, we’re talking about four or five notches, and physically and mentally these games are very demanding.

“It’s a massive step up and that’s why I’ve been so pleased with the squad because they’ve tried to cope the best they can – we’re in the last eight of the competition and I think we’re punching well above our weight.”

As Celtic’s success in Europe continues this season, optimism that the Parkhead side may actually win the UEFA Cup is beginning to grow.

But O’Neill warns there is still a long way to go before his players can be counted among Europe’s elite teams.

He added: “We’re on a run at the minute and we’ve done very well but, despite having crowds of 60,000 people, we still have to get back to those days of European success in the past and it’s a slow process.

“Those were great days for the club and they set the precedent – one that we’ve fallen short of for a number of years.

“But I’ve heard Alex Ferguson say that it took some time for Manchester United to adjust to European football and eventually they did so and they are one of the major players in the game now – we’re nowhere near that yet.”

Celtic turn their attention back to league business on Sunday when they take on Hibernian and O’Neill has urged his players to forget about their UEFA Cup success for 90 minutes in the hope of ensuring all three points.

He said: “Sunday’s game is full of pitfalls for us. Bobby Williamson always has his players up for games like this and they are vying for a top six position.

“We’re coming back after great euphoria from the game and that’s always a big concern.

“Physically and mentally the European games are tough so we have to be right for this game because we can’t afford to slip up and we must win the game.”