ROTTERDAM, NETHERLANDS - NOVEMBER 26: Celtic Interim Manager Martin O'Neill during a Celtic MD-1 press conference at De Kuip Stadium, on November 26, 2025, in Rotterdam, Netherlands. (Photo by Craig Williamson/SNS Group via Getty Images)
Celtic have launched their defence of Martin O’Neill.
Ryan McDonald of the Daily Record and Peter Grant from Celtic TV were selected to airbrush over the issues facing the club.
On the back of three significant defeats in a week O’Neill admitted he’d have to consider his future as manager.
In all three matches Celtic barely functioned as a team.
For the first 20 minutes against Ferencvaros they looked a threat through James Forrest on the left wing. That quickly fizzled out.
In two Glasgow Derbies they managed three attempts on goal. They barely looked like scoring.
In Sunday’s home defeat O’Neill switched system constantly.
Celtic started with no wingers and finished with three.
Forced into broadcasting duties Liam Scales, Callum McGregor and Cameron Carter-Vickers have appeared at a loss to explain what they are being instructed to do on the pitch.
With all of those issues kicking around McDonald and Grant avoided the big questions.
The Daily Record is a long term media partner of Celtic.
Print circulation is now below 30,000 but the fast fading Glasgow publisher remains a key tool in Celtic’s messaging.
McDonald is a fairly new kid on the block but is being groomed by Michael Gannon. A seasoned operator.
McDonald and Gannon enjoyed a few nights on the booze during Celtic’s summer training trip to the Algarve.
THE MARTIN O’NEILL DEFLECTION GAME
O’Neill was so impressed that he referenced those bonding nights twice following Celtic’s pre-season draw with Middlesbrough.
Five days after the latest defeat the Record has begun the process of preparing Celtic fans for the return of O’Neill after an alleged holiday.
The Record reports Grant saying:
Martin won’t stay on if he felt as if he couldn’t so I back him 100 per cent.
O’Neill is an employee. He is doing the Celtic job for money. If he wasn’t getting paid to manage Celtic he’d be back on the media circuit of radio appearances with Jim White and Simon Jordan. Broken up by Q and A sessions where he cracks jokes about his age and refers back to the Celtic squad he managed at the turn of the century.
Martin’s not a good loser. That’s why he’s been so successful. He doesn’t like getting beat. The only thing I would say, the difference now between Martin getting named manager in the summer is he’s had that little spell at hospital.
Before Celtic O’Neill had managed 19 matches at club level in 12 years. After Nottingham Forest no other management offers were made. Like Sam Allardyce, Alan Curbushley, Alan Pardew and Tony Pullis there comes a time when the offers dry up.
Maybe that’s taken a little bit more out of him than he expected. He’ll know if his body’s ready for it. And listen if he felt the fire had gone out, I think he’d already decided that.
I understand his demeanour 100 per cent after the weekend. I’ve no qualms with that because I’d expect any Celtic manager to be feeling the same way after the disappointment of the week.
Not many defeated Celtic managers crack jokes about being 110 in two years or share imaginary conversations that they never had with Mick Jagger.
But that’s what it is. The bottom line is, you pick up the paper and you see who’s at the top of the league and it’s Celtic Football Club.
After seven matches Celtic are the least bad team in Scotland. Alas easy prey for teams from Austria and Hungary whose stadiums combined wouldn’t match the capacity of Celtic Park.
That’s the most important thing and that’s what you’ve got to aim for… to stay there, go and win the Scottish Cup do well in Europe. That’s Celtic. I keep saying it, you’re league champions for six weeks in Scotland.
The reality is that O’Neill has no other managerial offers and Celtic have a very very limited pool of managers prepared to work under the current set up.
Celtic are 90 minutes away from facing Benfica in the Europa League.
O’Neill loves to go off on a tangent about Jock Stein.
As Celtic commercialise the Lisbon Lions their 60th anniversary could be marked in the most painful way imaginable.
I still think Martin should go out at the top and not sully his legacy like wee Lenny did in 2020 !
The same paper that are doing 20 plus articles a day revelling in the mess we’re in
Please Martin do us supporters, club and yourself a massive favour and walk away because managing a team at 110 years old is hard work……
Martin gets all the praises for what he did some 25years ago.
What should never be forgotten was the contribution of John Robertson. John was a fantastic player and a brilliant coach.
Martin and John both served their time under Brian Clough and Peter Taylor,who together took Notts Forest to two European Cup finals and won both.
When Peter Taylor split from Clough it was the end of both their careers… they never reunited.
They had a “ying & yang” perfect together nothing apart.
Martin and John Robertson were similar together a great team.
Like Clough Martin grabbed all the headline news and John like Peter kept a low profile and got on with the day to day running of the team.
When Martin moved on without John he had little success.
Fast forward 25+ years and Martin gets an offer from DD & Son!
He grabbs it with both hands and with the “Luck of the Irish” and help from our Japanese Samurai wins a double.
The worst football played by Celtic for many a year.In MY OPINION.
The problem as I see it is Malone is no John Robertson, Malone is no Peter Taylor, Martin ls no Brian Clough.
Malone failed at Wigan, failed at Hibs and now he is failing miserably at our beautiful club CELTIC FC
The luck of the Irish, Martin,DD & Son and Malone has finally ran out.
John Kennedy, remember him a quiet and unassuming man.Is the one Coach respected by Ange who wanted to take him to Spurs is now with Brendan (our second greatest manager of modern times) in the Saudi Arabia Pro League where both are highly respected.Hi team are at the top of the League.
Any friends of DD & Son cannot be a friend of the Celtic diaspora.
Not One Penny More Until Desmond & Son are out the Door ?
A plethora of ‘comments’, across various articles, laced with misspelt references, suggests an unhealthy obsession with Celtic. Such ramblings do not reflect either an affinity or an understanding of what Celtic means to generations of families. Vague references designed to illustrate a ‘concerned fan’ perspective don’t wash, and only reveal sad attempts to denigrate the club. Sure, Celtic need to seriously improve on all fronts right now. However trying to capitalise on the situation by masquerading as a genuine fan simply illustrates a recognition of the reality that we’re not going away, and that’s what upsets the crowing hordes aligned to Sevco and others. Sad stuff.