The manager deflected last night on our 20 years of shame.

James Forrest of The Celtic Blog criticizes Celtic manager Martin O'Neill for deflecting questions about the club's 20-year record of European away underachievement following a match against Benfica. Forrest argues that O'Neill was disingenuous by merely pointing out he was not at the club for that entire period, rather than honestly addressing the broader systemic failures.

The writer claims that O'Neill is shielding major shareholder Dermot Desmond and the Celtic board from accountability. While acknowledging that O'Neill inherited structural limitations and an underfunded squad, Forrest insists the manager risks becoming part of the problem by protecting leadership instead of demanding necessary change.