Yesterday, we were Celtic, we played the Celtic way, and we won the Celtic way. And for a while, we were able to forget about the strife within our club…
Eric Knott 
(Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
I think last week, I had an awful lot of anger in me in relation to the events that happened at Celtic this day a week ago.
In the articles I wrote in the aftermath of those events, that anger was clearly evident.
A lot of readers said I was being extremely negative.
Although I’m not sure what other way you could write about last week’s events, I took on board what my readers opinions.
As a result, I took a break from writing articles for a few days, and instead decided to focus on forgetting about all of the inner strife at Celtic for a while.
This morning, I feel a hell of a lot calmer, and a hell of a lot happier.
Since last Wednesday night, Martin O’Neill has managed to make us feel really good about how Celtic plays football again.
He has shown us that two players who barely got a look in under Brendan Rodgers could make the difference in a Cup Semi-final against our fiercest rivals.
I doubt last Monday morning if you’d told Callum Osmand that he was going to score a crucial goal in the upcoming League Cup Semi-final against the Ibrox side, that he’d have believed you.
Yet there he was yesterday, in his post match interview, telling the watching world that he had just experienced the best day of his life.
That encapsulates Celtic as we all believe it should be encapsulated.
A club that makes dreams come true, and gives players and fans alike some of the best days of their lives.
For too long now, we have felt of late like we are living through an unending nightmare at Celtic with the way our club is being run.
Martin O’Neill has given us a reprieve from that, however temporary it may be.
He has us enjoying what we had come to dread.
Celtic are playing football the Celtic way again, and boy, have we missed it.
But not only has he got us, the fans, enjoying it, it is clear to see the players are too.
Just look at Johnny Kenny.
Before Wednesday night, Kenny couldn’t buy a goal for Celtic, two games under Martin O’Neill, and he has scored three cracking goals.
I always thought there was a player in there, and I felt his positional play was always good, he just couldn’t seem to guide the ball over the line.
Whatever Martin O’Neill said to him since his arrival has clearly had an impact.
His goal yesterday seemed like that of a veteran striker, who scores goals like that for fun.
Look, I’ll be the first to admit that I was sceptical of O’Neill’s appointment as interim manager.
I’ll fully admit that I didn’t expect him to have the impact he has had.
But I’ll tell you something for nothing, I’m going to enjoy every second of it while I can.
I don’t know if O’Neill will lead us out for the League Cup final, but I’d certainly love it if he did.
I think after yesterday’s result, he deserves to.
But with the upcoming two week international break, you’d expect Celtic to use that time to secure Brendan Rodgers’ replacement.
O’Neill hinted as much himself during his post match interview on Premier Sports.
I’m on a high today that I didn’t expect, especially in light of events last Sunday and Monday week ago.
It’s amazing the difference one week at a football club can make.
Now, I have no doubt in my mind that Dermot Desmond will consider his appointment of Martin O’Neill a stroke of genius.
The lord and master will not be questioned after yesterday.
However, it does not change the general view of the board.
Wins against the Ibrox side are always good, but you also have to bear in mind that this is an especially poor Ibrox side.
For a while yesterday, they went toe to toe with us, even though they were the side down to ten men.
We didn’t get it all our way, and that shows the deficiencies we still have.
Ultimately, it was our collective spirit and will to win that drove us on to victory.
There is no doubting yesterday’s win will give confidence levels the shot in the arm they needed.
But as I said, it should not, and it can not, change our views towards the Celtic board and Dermot Desmond.
When you read a dinosaur like Hugh Keevins saying that Celtic’s way of operating is out of date, and the world has passed our club by in terms of the way it runs it’s business affairs, then you really know we’re in a bad place.
If the rumours are true about an imminent boardroom reshuffle, on the surface that might be good.
But as far as I’m concerned, if the whole boardroom is replaced, and Desmond still pulls the strings, then not much is really going to change, is it?
It’ll just be different people doing the same man’s bidding.
Anyway, for today, I’m just going to bask in the glory of yesterday’s victory over the Ibrox side.
While I believe we should never be measuring ourselves against them, I still love it when we beat them.
We’ve waited for that victory since December of last year.
It’s hard to believe that there hare been four Ibrox managers in the dugout since that victory.
Wherever Brendan Rodgers was watching that game yesterday, you have to wonder what his thoughts were?
I guess we’ll never know.
But what I do know is this.
While there are plenty of fans out there who are glad to see the back of him, he still delivered 11 out of 13 trophies during his time at Celtic.
It is for that he should be remembered.
Just as Martin O’Neill will be remembered for steadying the ship in the aftermath of his departure.
O’Neill has us all smiling again today.
But don’t ever forget how you smiled during each and every one of those 11 trophy wins under Brendan Rodgers.
Remember him like that.
Not how Dermot Desmond tried to manipulate you into remembering him.
He deserves that much, at least.
I wish him well, he is part of Celtic’s history now.
Let’s hope yesterday was the beginning of a new and exciting era for Celtic.
As fans, we need to keep pushing for that.
I have no doubt that we will.
Key Takeaways
- The author initially expressed anger over recent events at Celtic but has since found a calmer perspective.
- Martin O’Neill’s appointment as interim manager has revitalised the team’s performance and boosted player morale.
- Key players like Callum Osmand and Johnny Kenny have excelled under O’Neill, contributing to recent successes.
- Despite the recent victory, the author remains critical of the Celtic board and its management practices.
- The author hopes for a new era at Celtic while acknowledging the legacy of Brendan Rodgers.
We have to develop a ‘ killer instinct ‘ especially when the opposition are hopeless and are playing with 10 players on the pitch …no quarter given ! There was a 15 minute spell yesterday in the second half while still leading 1-0 , where the attitude seemed to be ‘ that’s enough ? ‘ Go for the jugular every time ,no matter the situation or circumstances. From the first whistle to the last …without exceptions ! Do that and there won’t be any opposition .
We hear a lot now about “club” signings and “manager” signing
and it can cause confusuion.
I remember when Van Dijk and Wanyama were club signings and then became manager sigings overnight.
I was wondering if Kenny and
Osmand will have to wait until the transfer window opening in January for them to be transferred from club to manager signings or can it be done straight away. I believe
Engels. Trusty and Scales are
on the waiting list and Hatate
due to go in the opposite direction from manager to club.
Perhaps JF could write a 5,000
word screed about it.
Eric, where have you been? I understand your concerns about the resurrection of a Martin O’Neill return etc. Having listened to the Tims, pre Falkirk game, your remarks about O’Neill are somewhat disparaging, and I would suggest there is now a degree of ‘egg-splash’ post his two successful matches? O’Neill is holding the Fort, isn’t he? At least give him a chance. He didn’t come back to preside over a catastrophe. He is trying to be helpful, and has proved to be part of a rescue mission. Let’s have a fair-play scenario for a change. Older people might lack speed but not experience.
Given everyone’s experience of, the history of m, the cut price and Austerity Practices, and the SOP of this Celtic Board don’t you think that perhaps there isn’t any recruitment process going on at present? That, given that the board’s intention was always to install Shaun Maloney as BRs Cut Price Yes Man successor that the introduction of “beard” MON, and the hopefully successful results that delivers, will mean that no new Head Coach appointment will be forthcoming until the summer upon which the announcement will be for both Beard and Yes Man ( or perhaps only Yes Man?) have been signed up on a 3 year contract?
Delighted to have you in a happier frame of mind Eric. Delighted for the two young strikers as well.
Now why did we not see them getting blooded into the team.That is a serious question that has to be asked.
As for BR I do not have a lot of respect. Twice he walked and was a major player in the total negative atmosphere around our great club. Enough about that though I do not want to spoil the present feel good since MON arrived and his impact on all.
Regarding the rumours of change in the Board if it also meant a significant role for fans representation it could be acceptable.
Eric, you would be as well not putting any articles up as some people on here don’t bother to read them. Some of them are never happy. We battered the Huns and it should have been more, we were cheated again by the Lanarkshire referees association and not only did we still win but we have them doing the Calamero act again.