When Sebastian Tounekti curled a beauty into the top corner to finally kill off Auchinleck Talbot, the feeling was one of relief for Celtic. That is a feeling that has been prevalent around the club since the departure of Wilfried Nancy and the re-appointment of Martin O’Neill, and according to Tounekti, the return of Mark Fotheringham along with him.
The coach has been helping Tounekti as he bids to rediscover the exciting glimpses of his attacking talent that he showed when he first arrived on the Celtic scene, as well as rediscover his bearings after what he admits was a difficult, discombobulating spell as a wing-back under Nancy.
He has only been in Glasgow a short time, but Tounekti has been around long enough to know that there is a certain DNA to Celtic’s football, and he believes he can now contribute to it fully, with the likes of Fotheringham aiding him along the way.
"He is definitely one of the people who have really helped me,” Tounekti said.
“I’ve been working extremely hard on the training field to improve my finishing and also my crossing because I feel like I'm a player who can produce some assists and goals.
“I have been working a lot with him lately on the training pitch so hopefully I will get that out in the games also.
“These are guys who worked at the club with O’Neill before and have known it for so many years.
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“The manager is a big, big legend here, and these guys know the club, so you know what they want.
“It's been brilliant. As a player and as a group we are just happy that we can work with them and hopefully we will do something special.
“I think the style he wants to play, it's the style everyone knows. It's the Celtic style. It's the Celtic way of playing football.
“I think it was really easy when he came because everyone knows the role, everyone knows the way we want to play."
Tounekti wasn’t about to criticise his former manager after Nancy’s brief but disastrous stint in Glasgow, but he does concede that what was being asked of him under the Frenchman’s system was making it difficult for him to do what he does best.
"I wasn't there for so long,” he said.
“I think I was there for like a week or something [before I went to AFCON], so it was a small time.
“But I played as a wingback, and as a wingback, it's a lot of running! I was sometimes defending the last line, and that's something I've never been doing because I'm a winger; we always have a full back behind you.
“That was something I learned, to defend behind me, and also maybe I got better on that one.
“For me, I think he was a coach who has his style. As a player, it's really easy to blame everyone like the coaches, but I think also as a group we didn't do well in that time.
"I think as a player, I see myself more as a winger than as a wingback. So of course, I think I can play on my strengths more when I play as a winger.
“When I played as a wingback that was new for me, there was lots of running, as I said, so maybe when I had my attacking actions, I wasn't 100% ready for it because it was so much running.
“But now as a winger, you are almost standing on the line and waiting on the ball. I think as a player and as my style of playing, I think it fits me more to play the style we do now."
More comfortable as individuals then and as a unit, Celtic have arrived in Bologna looking to edge towards a Europa League play-off spot, and kick off a potentially pivotal week in this chaotic season in style.
If they can achieve a positive result here and then back it up with a win at Tynecastle on Sunday, Tounekti believes their campaign can suddenly take on an altogether different complexion, and he is adamant they are ready to seize the opportunity.
"One hundred percent,” he said.
“I think we can start by getting the three points [here]. That would be a great start on a big week.
“And I think also the match on Sunday will be big. I think if we go there and we get three points then everything is open again.
“But first of all, we have to get our result [against Bologna] because for me and for the group and for the club, I think Europe is really important. But yeah, we also know that it's a big one on Sunday we look forward to.
“I think as a group we are together now and we really want to go for it. We are a little bit behind [in the league], but I think there are so many matches left and it's a big opportunity for us to do a special season.
“So, I think we as a group are really ready for the task. I believe that in this group we have a lot of winners who know how to win.
“The skipper is of course the main guy there. So, I think when we're gonna play matches like this that we're gonna be there and be ready.
“And we know that if we get three points on Sunday that everything will be open again."
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