Martin O'Neill has admitted Celtic's league defeat to Rangers could have taken a completely different turn had they found an equaliser shortly after half-time.
The Celtic boss has been reflecting on a difficult period for his side following the September international break, with Rangers having claimed bragging rights twice in recent weeks.
Derek McInnes' side produced a statement 3-0 victory over Celtic in the Premier Sports Cup before then following it up with a 1-0 league win thanks to a first-half Ryan Naderi goal.
While O'Neill has insisted he is now fully focused on moving Celtic forward, his own assessment of the league defeat has highlighted a missed opportunity for the Parkhead side.
O'Neill believes Celtic chance would have changed Rangers defeat
Colby Donovan tested Gers’ goalkeeper Ivor Pandur with a strong header early in the second half, however, the Croatian stopper managed to push the effort away and would keep a clean sheet at Parkhead.
The Celtic manager believes getting back on level terms after the interval would have changed the complexion of the contest.
“Now, there wasn't a great deal in some of the games,” O'Neill said.
“If we get the equaliser just after half time in the Rangers game, totally different ball game, totally different but it wasn't to be.”
It is a significant admission from the Celtic boss, given Rangers ultimately held on to secure another victory over their city rivals.
O'Neill stays at Celtic
The 74-year-old Hoops coach says he has used the international break to assess what had gone wrong, although he stressed that his focus was not simply on pointing the finger at his players.
“I think what you try and do is you try and analyse the things that you've done or perhaps the things that you haven't done,” he said.
“I think that's it. Throughout my managerial time, I've been exactly that.”
O'Neill also revealed that his short break with family had given him an opportunity to step away from football before returning to the task of rebuilding Celtic's momentum.
He now faces a demanding schedule, with Celtic beginning a run of nine matches in 28 days when they travel to Motherwell.
“We have to try and win football matches. This is it. This is what the club is based on,” O'Neill said.
“And this is what I base my managerial career on. You have to win games and easier said than done like anything else.
“There is a really good spirit among the players. That spirit was very high on the agenda for us winning the league last season. No question about that there.”
Rangers hold bragging rights
His comments come with Rangers currently holding the psychological advantage in the fixture following their two victories.
The 3-0 Premier Sports Cup success was particularly emphatic, while the subsequent 1-0 league victory demonstrated that McInnes' side could also grind out a result in a tighter contest.
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