Bhoycie 
Martin O’Neill is entering a defining four days of his second spell as Celtic manager.
Sunday’s 3-0 defeat at Ibrox was disastrous. Celtic were second best, Rangers deserved their victory and O’Neill got major decisions wrong. He admitted afterwards that he would examine his “own part in proceedings”.
That examination now continues against Ferencváros and Rangers.
Lose both and Celtic will have suffered three consecutive defeats in three massive games. Two of them against Rangers, with another European defeat sandwiched between them.
That brings the manager’s position into the conversation. It has to.
Celtic managers don’t get afforded the luxury of losing three major games on the bounce without serious questions being asked. Martin O’Neill is no different because of what he achieved 25 years ago.
In that scenario, supporters will question him. The media will question him. More importantly, O’Neill will question himself.
Martin is an intelligent man who understands this football club and the demands of managing it.
If Monday arrives with Celtic having lost three successive matches, including twice to Rangers, it would be remiss of him not to consider his own contribution, his position and whether he remains the right man to take Celtic forward.
That’s not disrespectful.
That’s Celtic.
I’ve said it before – comparing O’Neill’s two eras is pointless.
What Martin achieved after arriving in 2000 was extraordinary. Nothing happening today changes a single second of it.
But equally, nothing he achieved then can determine whether he’s the right Celtic manager in 2026.
The past has to remain in the past. Celtic’s future has to be decided by what’s best for Celtic now.
Thursday therefore becomes enormous.
Beat Ferencváros and Celtic have responded immediately to Ibrox. Follow that by beating Rangers on Sunday and suddenly the conversation changes completely.
Lose them both and it changes in the opposite direction.
Three defeats. Another European setback. Two losses against Rangers within eight days.
There would be nowhere to hide.
The biggest concern for me isn’t even the possibility of O’Neill deciding his position has become untenable.
Because if Martin did decide next week that somebody else should take Celtic forward, we’d be handing arguably the biggest decision at the football club straight back to the same hierarchy whose judgement I’ve questioned throughout the summer.
Do I trust them to identify, pursue and appoint the right manager quickly?
Absolutely not.
That’s what makes these next two games so important.
O’Neill needs a response from his players, but he needs one from himself too.
By Monday, Celtic will either have steadied the ship considerably or plunged themselves into a genuine early-season crisis.
And if it’s the latter, Martin O’Neill will have some very serious thinking to do of his own.
That’s the spirit Bhoycie
I know man, apologies!
There’s an old saying “hindsight is 20/20 vision”
Martin should have walked off into the sunset after the cup final in May.
No matter…….Whatever happens from here on in ,I for one will always hold him in the highest regard, it’s just a pity the parasites in the boardroom who used him as a human shield didn’t.
He’s been let down by them just as all the other managers since his first stint in charge.
He should here remembered what he said as he left in 2005 “Celtic fans, get used to life in the slow lane !”
How true that was.
Not sure he or anyone else can do anything about our midfield, it’s clearly not fit for purpose, and was so even before we lost Engels.
We can agree on that Jim
I strongly disagree … especially with what Martin O’Neill achieved last season for Celtic against all the odds and conditions ? The guy revelled in the pressure and conditions …unlike the rest ! You do not just automatically become a has been overnight when you have achieved the triumphs of Martin O’Neill ? Don’t you see this is what the entire SMSM were hoping for pre Sunday’s game ? And they will be as negative as can be trying to sow the seeds of doubt about Martin O’Neill’s credentials as Celtic boss this week too . Well they have picked the wrong dude to be stupidly critical of ! The man is made of sterner stuff than that posse of cowpokes are guessing he is . I have a nice feeling MON will have his tactics and strategies in a straight line now that terms and conditions will be in Celtic’s favour on Sunday unlike last Sunday ? Don’t even think about doubting this man’s achievements and class ! You will end up with the sticky smelly brown apple sauce all over your boats and shirts . The man is ALL class and quality .
I hope he prevails bud, I really do!
I agree 100%. We can’t start getting carried away by a bad Rangers team beating us on Sunday. Things like this can happen at every game in the world. How many times has Martin oneill suffered a bad result and went on a run of winning games. Give the man your full support . The biggest mistake that happened was mcgregor saying we looked scared against Lask What a bottle merchant he is supposed to be the guy who trys to help other players from doing that. I want to see players challenging every thing that goes against us and him not sitting in defense scared to go into midfield in case someone kicks him
And who exactly is going to replace him? Malony. There’s another old saying ‘out of the frying pan into the fire’ which sums that up perfectly. Yes, he needs to change personal and tactics and tell Malony to keep his face in his tablet and nose out of it. He should have walked after last season let’s hope he can turn it around. I still believe DD has some sort of hold over him.
Pray tell us all which personnel he can change the no shows from last Sunday with !
There are reasons, and they ain’t good ones,why he is still doing the heavy lifting from the dugout.
Firstly,he is being used as a human shield by the shitebags In the boardroom.
Secondly,he is in the dugout because no one in the Celtic boardroom have ANY idea with regards to tactics,player strengths/weaknesses etc.
Thirdly,he is also there because the aforementioned shitebags haven’t an ounce of an idea who to replace him with.
As ever,it’s the usual lazy,sloppy,haphazard traits they are unable to hide from view.This shitshow has been in the post ever since Dom McKay was bounced out the door with a NDA in his back pocket because he dared to drag the club and it’s processes into the 20th century.
Btw,that is not a typo,l meant 20th century because it would have been too much for them to send their fax machine,bongo drums and materials to produce smoke signals to the scrapheap and be dragged screaming and wailing into the 21st century !
There should be a boycott of Sunday’s game by anyone who seriously wants rid of these assholes as that would send out a message that would gain world headlines for all the wrong reasons for these parasitic bastards.
However, they know that ain’t gonna happen because the Celtic support won’t give up a huns game but are kinda ok with a game against Dundee on a wintry Saturday night.
We’re worse than the huns fans because we have the intelligence to see what’s going on but still we follow blindly on.
We really do deserve these kants who lord it over us.
Valentines,I don’t know what football you are watching.
Last season both our competitors folded after the break and Daizen went on a scoring run.
The actual football was not at the standard of a good Celtic team.
Now we have a so called midfield that can’t handle any pressure,ok when a team sits back but when the opposition attack we are all over the place.
Couple of injuries away from a nightmare.
Team has been weekend in midfield and no cover in defence.
Board needs to go asap.
As for Europe if we had to qualify for the EL I wouldn’t have fancied our chances.
MON,love him,but is that seriously our future?
Who are this ‘Rangers’ you speak of Bhoycie…
Please tell !
Back Martin always
USUAL DISGRACE BY THE BOARD .NO DEFENSIVE MID .NOT SPENDING ON A GOALKEEPER .& LEFT BACK . THEY HAVE HUNG MARTIN OUT TO DRY.DISGRACEFULL 2 YEARS ON THE TROT NO CL COST MIN £80 MILLION ANY OTHER COMPANY BOARD WOULED BE DUST UNFORGIVABLE
I agree 100%. We can’t start getting carried away by a bad Rangers team beating us on Sunday. Things like this can happen at every game in the world. How many times has Martin oneill suffered a bad result and went on a run of winning games. Give the man your full support . The biggest mistake that happened was mcgregor saying we looked scared against Lask What a bottle merchant he is supposed to be the guy who trys to help other players from doing that. I want to see players challenging every thing that goes against us and him not sitting in defense scared to go into midfield in case someone kicks him
I think we need to calm the beans ! We were way off it on Sunday with new players caught like rabbits in the headlights in a uniquely hostile atmosphere . Add to that Derek McInness prepped his players superbly and had them getting after the press from the get go .
Win the League , Win the Scottish Cup and go long in Europe . So much to play for . MON had maybe trusted his assistants a little too much and he needs to energise confidence and attitude for Thursday and Sunday . Momentum feeds the spirit and build’s performance. Notwithstanding my optimism the Board needs a new CEO who can “ drive” the club rather than act like a “ professional adviser ! Short tree focus for the Board is recruiting top quality midfield talent with physical presence and a holding midfield player in the mould of Lambert and Neil Lennon.
The New year agenda must include the identification of a top Head Coach to succeed O’Neil. No experiments please , only top talent need apply !!
As they say the proof is in the pudding, we won’t have long to wait to taste this particular pudding.
Ps we’re running out of people to blame in Martins stead, I did smile at the coaching team seemingly being the problem now. 😂
Brilliant insight, which left me feeling even more depressed before I started reading the article.
I remember Martin’s first spell at Celtic fondly, and I love him and think he is a genius but he’s not a miracle worker.
Is there ia manager anywhere who could do better than Martin I doubt it that being said though something needs to change this can’t go on.
The Ferencvaros game was a shambles but as far as last Sunday went I think a lot of it was due to new players being intimidated by the poisonous atmosphere.Lack of a physical ball winner, a Scott Brown, is obviously a major problem.
But at the end of the day they didn’t become Barcelona overnight. They scraped by against Motherwell and St.Mirren in the last fortnight referee assisted. They’re not world beaters.
I hope we start Duran and Mheuka up front on Sunday.