Martin O’Neill praised Celtic’s energy, work rate and attacking threat after his side returned to winning ways with victory over Motherwell at Fir Park, insisting the performance was an important response to a difficult spell before the international break.

Celtic arrived in Lanarkshire having suffered three consecutive defeats, prompting questions about the team’s identity and their ability to impose themselves on matches. However, O’Neill was encouraged by his side’s display as they created numerous chances, kept a clean sheet and moved two points clear at the top of the table.

“We played really well today, created a lot of chances and, from start to finish, I thought we were excellent,” the Celtic manager said.

O’Neill acknowledged that the recent results had raised questions about his team, but believes his players rediscovered the qualities that had previously made them successful.

“When you lose a few games, of course there are question marks about everything, really,” he explained.

“If you mean identity in terms of the sort of work rate that we put in, I would agree with you.”

The manager had been particularly keen to see greater intensity from his players and admitted he had some concerns about their energy levels, given the number of squad members who had been away on international duty.

Those worries proved unfounded, with Celtic producing an energetic performance that could have yielded an even more emphatic scoreline.

Camilo Duran’s early goal helped settle the visitors, although O’Neill acknowledged that his side could have been more clinical in front of goal. Celtic created numerous opportunities but were unable to convert several promising positions.

Nevertheless, the manager was more concerned with the volume of chances being created than those that went begging.

“I think if you’re creating them, sometimes they will go in,” he said.

O’Neill was particularly keen to see Kasper Høgh find the net, with the striker having struggled to turn promising positions into goals. Despite his frustration in front of goal, the Celtic boss was satisfied with his overall contribution and believes a breakthrough could prove significant.

“I think he just needs a goal, and I thought the rest of his game was really fine,” O’Neill explained.

“Hopefully something will fall to him.”

Shim Mheuka also came close after entering the match from the bench, but O’Neill remained encouraged by the attacking options available to him as Celtic sought to maintain their momentum.

The manager singled out Mika Baur for particular praise, suggesting the midfielder had delivered his best performance since arriving at the club.

“Maybe his best game for us so far,” O’Neill said.

He was impressed by Baur’s ability to sustain his performance throughout the match, with his technical quality particularly evident.

“I thought his whole control, I thought his ability today, I thought it shone through.”

Haissem Hassan also made a positive impression after coming off the bench. O’Neill believes the winger’s natural ability will become increasingly apparent as he continues to settle into the team.

“He’s one of these lads who just likes to be on the ball,” the Celtic manager said.

“He’s got a lot of talent, a lot of natural talent, and hopefully during the course of the next couple of months we’ll be able to see that.”

There was further encouragement from the return of Jota, whose recovery has progressed quicker than O’Neill initially anticipated. The manager had expected the winger to be unavailable until towards the end of November, but he has now been training with the squad for several weeks and featured in a bounce game last Friday.

“I think he’ll be great for us, really great,” O’Neill said.

“If he stays clear of big injuries again, I think he’ll be a big asset to us.”

The clean sheet was another source of satisfaction, with Celtic managing to see out the game despite a few nervy moments.

“I think, psychologically, that was good for us, not to concede,” O’Neill added.

The victory also marked O’Neill’s 250th as Celtic manager, a milestone he had not been aware of before kick-off. However, the achievement was secondary to restoring confidence after a difficult run of results.

Asked about the pressure surrounding the club, O’Neill insisted he had not felt it as acutely as some might have expected, although he acknowledged the demands that come with managing Celtic.

“The pressure to win football matches is always on,” he said.

He also accepted that the team had to take responsibility for the criticism that followed their three consecutive defeats.

“We have to take the criticism at the time. We lost three matches in a week, two to our bigger rivals and the European game, so yes, we fought back today and let’s see what Thursday brings.”

Celtic’s attention will now turn to their European challenge against Benfica, with O’Neill anticipating a difficult encounter against opponents who impressed against Hearts despite missing out on the Champions League.

The manager also recognised the advantage enjoyed by Rangers, who do not have European fixtures to contend with, but insisted Celtic would have to manage the demands of competing on multiple fronts.

“Obviously, the most important thing for us is to stay up there in the league,” he said.

For now, O’Neill will be satisfied that his side have responded to their recent setbacks with a performance built on energy, attacking intent and defensive resilience. With Jota nearing a return to full fitness and several attacking options making encouraging contributions, Celtic have reasons for optimism as they prepare for a demanding run of fixtures.

“There’s a lot of noise, and a lot of it we brought on ourselves as well,” O’Neill reflected.

“So it was nice to win.”