Even the media understands how much the Celtic boss risks tarnishing his reputation, so why can’t he?

The Scottish mainstream sports media has never been the brightest bunch.

But even they can now see the risk that Martin O’Neill runs of destroying his legacy at Celtic.

And when they can see that much, you know the writing is on the wall.

I’ve already written about Keith Jackson and Hugh Keevins’ viewpoint on this one.

But when other managers like Tony Pulis start speaking out, it’s obvious that people are beginning to see the danger.

This morning it was Pulis who said the quiet part out loud.

Here is what he told CasinoHawks, as reported by the Daily Record:

The one thing this lad said to me, which resonates a bit, is that he is frightened to death that Martin loses that esteem that he’s got from the supporters the longer he goes on.

Pulis was talking about a Celtic fan who goes up to the ground every week.

A fan who, like most of us, idolises O’Neill for what he has done for this club.

And a fan who is scared stiff of watching it all slip away.

I can’t say I blame him.

Because I’m scared too.

He’ll be wanting to prove everybody wrong – and that’s exactly the problem.

Pulis even goes so far as to say that O’Neill is determined to prove everybody wrong.

“Until they knock the nails in his coffin, he’ll still be trying to prove people wrong,” was how he put it.

He calls that brilliant.

And in many ways, it is.

Give the man his due, the energy and commitment he brings to a club that demands you win every single week is extraordinary.

At his age, who am I to question it?

But will that desire to prove everybody wrong come at the cost of his own reputation?

Because that’s the question Pulis is dancing around.

And it’s the one that none of us want to have to ask.

Look, I’ll be happy if Martin O’Neill secures another title for Celtic.

I can’t say I’m convinced that he will.

Back-to-back defeats to the Ibrox side before the international break told us as much.

Three defeats from three in the Europa League hasn’t exactly helped either.

Yes, we thumped Hearts when we came back.

And yes, we scraped past Hibs 2-1 last time out.

But nobody walked away from that one feeling like champions in waiting.

Of course, not everybody agrees with me.

Scott Sinclair, as reported by Andy’s Bet Club, reckons O’Neill is “the right man to go and win another title”.

And who knows?

Maybe he is.

Then again, Sinclair also thinks the Ibrox side are only providing more of a challenge than we’re used to, and I’d say that undersells it.

Still, if O’Neill does get it done, then I’ll be the first to shake his hand.

I just hope that he then has the sense to call time on his second stint at Celtic.

Make no mistake, that is the only way this ends well.

But with the way this club behaves, God only knows what could happen.

Everybody is beginning to realise that Martin O’Neill is in the wrong movie at the moment.

This is a man who has already been the saviour twice.

He came back on an interim basis, and then came back again to rescue us after the Wilfried Nancy disaster.

And he steered us to a Double when nobody else could.

That should be the end of the story.

A legend, carried shoulder high out of Celtic Park, with the thanks of the support ringing in his ears.

Instead, he has allowed himself to become a figure of ridicule.

Some of the outlandish comments he has come out with in recent post-match interviews have been jaw-dropping.

And what makes it worse is that the SMSM are not entirely wrong to laugh.

Where is the board in all of this?

Hiding, as usual.

Silent Mike and the absent meddling golfer are never the ones standing in front of the cameras.

So it’s left to O’Neill to take the heat, and every time he opens his mouth, a little bit more of that esteem Pulis was talking about slips away.

Once upon a time we would go into games like this brimming with confidence.

Now we look forward to Wednesday and the visit of Dundee United.

And all we can do is hope that we give a good account of ourselves.

Think about that for a second.

Hope.

Not expect, not demand – hope.

That used to be reserved for Europe, for the nights when the big boys came to town.

Now it’s there for every fixture, because we have absolutely no idea what to expect.

There was a time when we looked at a game against Dundee United and saw three points in the bag.

Now we look at it with trepidation.

That’s what this season has done to us.

That’s what this board has done to us.

Which team turns up?

Will it be the one that put Hearts to the sword, or the one that stumbled over the line at Easter Road?

Your guess is as good as mine.

Who knows what we’ll get on Wednesday night?

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