BRINGING IT ALL BACK HOME Daily Mail Sport takes an in-depth look at what returning hero Martin O'Neill changed in Celtic's 4-0 thrashing of Falkirk

Two days after taking a phone call from Dermot Desmond while having a coffee on King’s Road in London, Martin O’Neill found himself back in the place where he achieved legendary status at the turn of the century.

Given the Northern Irishman’s achievements at Celtic Park between 2000 and 2005, there were those who questioned the wisdom of him riding to the rescue following Brendan Rodgers’ resignation.

Those fears proved unfounded. Long before the final whistle sounded against Falkirk, it was clear that O’Neill and Shaun Maloney had got a reaction from a squad who looked lost in the latter weeks of the previous manager’s reign.

So, what did the interim management team do differently in such a short space of time - and how will it shape their thinking ahead of Sunday’s Premier Sports Cup semi-final with Rangers?

KEEP IT SIMPLE

On Tuesday, O’Neill stressed that football was still a simple game. Under Rodgers, the team looked bogged down with information, possibly over-coached. They kept the ball for the sake of it, seemingly petrified of turning it over.

From the first minute against the Bairns, the shackles were off. The same 4-3-3 formation, but a different approach.

The passing was more direct. The tempo was faster. Risks were taken. Rewards were reaped.

Players ran hard with the ball or tried to pass it forward. If they lost it, they ran harder to retrieve it. This was football stripped back to the basics.

Celtic had 26 shots, 11 of which were on target, and had 36 touches in the opposite box. Against Hearts, they had eight shots, two of which were on target and just 21 touches in the box.

By being committed to creating more chances, the team believed they would inevitably outscore Falkirk. And so it proved.

PASSION PLAY

After the losses to Dundee and Hearts, captain Callum McGregor remarked that the team were too easy to play against. This referred not only to the number of chances they were giving up. It spoke to how meek they were in duels.

From the moment their opponents opened up a two-goal advantage on consecutive weekends, their body language was that of a beaten side.

Against Falkirk, by contrast, they bared their teeth, flew into tackles and refused to come off second best. They were energised and aggressive.

Benjamin Nygren picked up a booking late on for squaring up to an opponent.

While clearly that’s a line you don’t want to cross, it summed up an approach which was miles removed from what the support had witnessed of late.

IN AUSTON THEY TRUST

In the aftermath of defeat at Tynecastle, Rodgers justified his selection of the unfortunate Dane Murray alongside Liam Scales instead of Auston Trusty on the basis that fielding two left-sided centre halves would have created an imbalance.

Oddly, Rodgers didn’t harbour the same concerns a year ago when Celtic faced Atalanta. Played beside Scales in Bergamo, Trusty produced a flawless display as Celtic shut out the Europa League holders to claim a valuable Champions League point on the road.

Despite sanctioning his £6million signing, Rodgers clearly had reservations about the USA international.

Those looked misplaced in midweek. Trusty attacked and won everything in the air. He careered into tackles and recycled the ball at pace.

No matter what his preferred foot may be, he looks like O’Neill’s kind of defender.

EXCELLENT ENGELS

Arne Engels unquestionably delivered some outstanding displays in a Celtic shirt for Rodgers following his £11m move from Augsburg. He was the best player on the field last week in the win against Sturm Graz.

Consistency has been the issue. This will have something to do with the fact that he’s still only 22. It may also be connected to Rodgers’ system not always getting the best out of him.

The Belgian looks more comfortable when asked to drop a little deeper. Taking the ball off Trusty and Scales, he connected the game with his wide range of passing. This subtle change paid handsome dividends.

The up-and-at-’em nature of Celtic’s approach also suited him. Engels isn’t just an elegant footballer. He likes the battle.

SENSATIONAL SARACCHI

Johnny Kenny’s two goals saw him understandably handed the man of the match award, but the best all-round performance of the night belonged to that of Uruguayan full-back Marcelo Saracchi.

The on-loan Boca Juniors player is old-school. He marauds up and down his flank, making tackles and interceptions. In the finest tradition of South American defenders, he takes no prisoners.

He’s just as effective on the front foot. His crossing has pin-point accuracy. He combined well throughout with Seb Tounekti. They have the makings of a very good partnership.

Kieran Tierney is apparently in contention to play against Rangers. On the basis of what Saracci produced against Falkirk, and O’Neill’s liking for playing men in form, the Scot is likely to start on the bench.

SPIRIT REPLENISHED

No one would ever argue that this side is one of Celtic’s greats. A woeful summer transfer window saw to that.

What’s also true is that Rodgers wasn’t getting the best out of what he had at his disposal.

They failed to score in six matches under him. Even when they got the job done, it was invariably in third gear. When was the last time supporters witnessed a 90-minute performance? Something was certainly missing.

Celtic actually didn’t start particularly well against Falkirk. Once Kenny struck, however, the confidence flowed through them and every player wanted a piece of the action.

Even though the win was in the bag when Nygren scored the third just before the hour mark, there was no letting up.

Tounekti’s fine goal from Luke McCowan’s ball was the result of the Parkhead side refusing to rest on their laurels. It looked like the hunger was back.

McCowan, Michel-Ange Balikwisha, Daizen Maeda, Reo Hatate and debutant Callum Osmand were all given late run-outs. Not all are in the form of their lives.

It said much about the team’s effort and application that the collective performance level didn’t drop. A change in attitude can take you a long way.

Take a bow, Martin O’Neill and Shaun Maloney.