GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - FEBRUARY 19: Neil Lennon (L) and Stiliyan Petrov after a UEFA Europa League Play-Off First Leg match between Celtic and VFB Stuttgart at Celtic Park, on February 19, 2026, in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Craig Foy/SNS Group via Getty Images)
Stan Petrov has admitted that it’s sad to see the situation that Martin O’Neill has been put in by Celtic.
It isn’t too much of an exaggeration to say that the Bulgarian midfielder owes his career to the legendary Celtic boss.
Arriving in Scotland as a teenager signed by John Barnes, Petrov’s first season is best forgotten.
It would have been easy for O’Neill to write Petrov off, especially when he signed Alan Thompson and Neil Lennon within six months of taking over at Celtic.
Instead Petrov thrived. He was key to the many successes under O’Neill, so much so that a £6m fee took him to Aston Villa in 2006.
THE O’NEILL AND PETROV DYNAMIC
Celtic got six solid seasons out of Petrov and trebled the fee paid for him in 1999. An early example of the Player Trading Model.
The Celtic that O’Neill has twice returned to is far different from the club that he left in 2005.
There isn’t a Petrov to call on, or any of the other star names.
Celtic Park is far from a fortress. Without the Green Brigade apathy reigns with opponent staking full advantage.
There is no 12th man in the stands while the 11 on the park are markedly inferior to even last season’s side.
Petrov is involved in regular pundit work, the slide of his old club and the situation of his former manager is causing distress.
Discussing O’Neill’s 20 year Celtic absence the former international midfielder told the Daily Record:
I’ve had this conversation with him for many years, why he was not involved with Celtic? His answer was always, ‘I don’t know’.
?It’s great to see him back but I have kind of felt sorry for him. He’s 73-year-old and he’s trying to save the club at a difficult time. He’s trying to motivate, to be the connection between the fans and the board, trying to do his job on the pitch.
It’s really sad to see. If I’m a Celtic fan – and I am a Celtic fan – I would like to see Martin doing more than being asked to save the club in this moment.
?That’s not his job. He’s 73. The club should really have made better decisions than asking Martin to stay and save the season. Fair play to him. If it was me, I’d never do it.
He’s done great, he’s cut the gap, but if he doesn’t win the league, what does that mean? What will the fans think about it? Because if you don’t win the league you are a failure.
The fans might not see it that way but I know Martin will feel he could have done better. It seems like all of the pressure right now is on Martin O’Neill. He is trying to deal with so many things.
The club is divided. He doesn’t need that now. There’s a lot of questions and important to see how they are going to go forward, what decision they will make.
Martin is there to the end of the season and he’ll take the hits and the questions. But what happens next? There’s no clarity.
Staring ahead of O’Neill is an ominous run of fixtures.
Two trips to Ibrox fall after visits to Stuttgart and Pittodrie. That is followed by a visit from in-form Motherwell.
By the evening of March 14 much will be known about Celtic’s prospects for this season. Petrov will be hoping that his worst fears aren’t realised.
It’s no different from Celtic’s dependancy on Sevco.
We are tied to their fate.
Our ambition is stifled by their limitations.
Mechanisms are in place to ensure we don’t get too far in front.
The OF brand takes precedent.
A functioning successful Sevco takes precedent.
The establishment club must not be an also ran.
Nothing else makes sense.
MON has his highly regarded place at cfc regardless of how this season ends. They are all falling out the woodwork with opinions on everything and anything.
I must admit with the crisis that’s involving all of us I thought I would take a step back to when we were nearly put out of the game completely.
There wasn’t bloggers or that many mobile phones about then but there was a fierce, hunger and passion that our club would survive and we did.
To put things into perspective I couldn’t believe our fans were booing him. Fast forward 30 years later and here we are again but very different mechanics at play. Negligence is to blame.
Why? Because as supporters we took or eye of the ball. I admit personally, that we owned them. Trebles,doubles who cared until the suits were no longer hiding the fact of downsizing the team.
A bit like wake up and smell the coffee. Unfortunately, we have supporters now that weren’t even born when the last revolution took place.
All they know is a winning celtic team and that alone is quite frightening because to them, what’s the problem. Launch in the idea that there are 15,000 fans waiting to take your seat if you don’t renew.
I am not a season ticket holder but if I was frankly, I would be looking at what I am getting for my money and that is zero.
Editor: I would suggest that the younger supporters are angrier, they want a club that is humiliated and humped in Europe.
Many of the old farts on Thick News think that being a point above their friends at R***ers is an achievement to celebrate.
St Martin will always be St Martin of Celtic !