GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - SEPTEMBER 20: Celtic Manager Martin O'Neill (L) and Coach Shaun Maloney (R) during a William Hill Premiership match between Celtic and Rangers at Celtic Park, on September 20, 2026, in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Ross Parker/SNS Group via Getty Images)
As recently as Friday Martin O’Neill admitted that ‘I shouldn’t really be here’.
He added that Celtic should be looking soon enough to replace him.
Those comments came after losing to Ferencvaros, After losing another Glasgow Derby he admitted that he was going off for some self reflection.
And still, four days on from that defeat he remains in post as Celtic manager. Not a hint of concern from the Celtic board, fronted by the nodding dog that is Michael Nicholson.
From Friday’s media conference The Sun reported O’Neill saying:
If you lose matches, you will get criticised – and we’ve lost the two big games in the week so I accept that.
But I definitely won’t be here forever either. In many ways, I shouldn’t really be here. Celtic will be looking, soon enough, for someone to replace me.
There was a gag about people calling for his sacking being led by his brother.
After Sunday’s defeat the gag switched to O’Neill being 110 in a few years.
Even his adoring younger audience in the media are growing tired of the gags and asides.
Celtic fans are sick hearing them.
Game by game, week by week goodwill to the Irishman is seeping away. Just like results.
Currently Celtic are going through more than a bad run of results.
There has been runs of three defeats in a row.
Last season Wilfried Nancy opened up with four defeats on the bounce.
O’NEILL WATCHES HIS LEGACY SEEP AWAY
Celtic are back in that territory with the obliging board unwilling to do anything about it.
Removing O’Neill puts Nicholson firmly back in the spotlight, the place that he is most uncomfortable in.
No matter how bad results and performances are O’Neill’s legacy absorbs some of the criticism.
Nicholson knows that any credible successor will phone Brendan Rodgers for an insight into the reality of managing Celtic.
Which leads you back to a Nancy type appointment as manager.
And with that reality Celtic limp on.
Week one of the international break is almost over, completely wasted.
Despite his pleas to be sacked or mutually consented O’Neill will be back at work next week.
Trying to find a way to work with the training routines of Shaun Maloney and Mark Fotheringham.
Figuring a way to maximise the ability of Camilo Duran.
O’Neill knows that there are no answers.
Even Nicholson knows that but while he has O’Neill as a shield he will use him because the only alternatives are Maloney, Scott Brown, Neil Lennon or Nancy II.
It’s a bit like Hearts at the height of the Romanov era. The whole scene was bonkers – Burley got sacked for being top of the league, the players were in open revolt and Mad Vlad discovered that managers talk to each other and the closest he could get to a serious managerial candidate was a registered sex offender in Graham Rix. After that ended in acrimony he could only get foreign managers.
We’re not there yet but no credible candidate would now risk his reputation on the whims of our board and their non-executive puppet master, so as you say, it’s only board’s favourite shills who would take the job now.
Martin really needs to go with our thanks while we are top…
For his health and his sanity !