Stein, McNeill and Burns were all sacked by Celtic- O’Neill faces exactly the same fate as other legends
25th October 2026; Easter Road Stadium, Edinburgh, Scotland; Scottish Premiership Football, Hibernian versus Celtic; Celtic manager Martin ONeill
At some stage soon many Celtic fans are going to have to face up to an uncomfortable truth.
Martin O’Neill should be sacked. It has happened to Jock Stein, Billy McNeill and Tommy Burns.
Those three are among the biggest names in Celtic’s history but they reached a stage where it wasn’t happening on the pitch. Results dictate and each of them were sacked.
Only the incompetence of the Celtic board is keeping O’Neill in his job and salary.
Celtic doesn’t function like a normal football club or PLC.
The Celtic CEO is insignificant, yesterday, a week ahead of an international break Michael Nicholson was missing from the match at Falkirk. As was ‘interim’ Chairman Brian Wilson.
Either of them should have come to the decision that O’Neill’s results deserve the sack and aren’t about to be turned round.
Less than a month away is a seven day spell of trips to Torreense, Hearts and Dundee.
CELTIC- THE FACTS AND STATS THAT CAN’T BE AVOIDED
Other than the 7-1 win over Hearts Celtic are in a desperate run of results.
You can look at three wins in 10 matches, 35th place out of 36 in the Europa League or four successive defeats in European competitions.
The fragile nature of this Celtic squad was broken away to LASK Linz in the Champions League Play Off. Leading 4-0 on aggregate at one point the 5-4 defeat wasn’t a shock. Once LASK scored a goal it was possible, when they got to three on the night it was likely.
In the week after that defeat Celtic reacted by paying a transfer fee for one player. Fans are still waiting to see Joel van den Berg make his debut.
There are many other factors involved but O’Neill is central to it all. He knew the set up, viewed how the January transfer activity worked out and signed up on another contract. He carries the can.
@TheParkheadF I don’t think it’s who would replace him? I think it’s who would want to come? How the club is run and begging at the biscuit tin for players be the problem. Martins a legend always will be but was sold short as many have been. So I defo think now as fans we want the best…..
— Christine Docherty (@ChristineDoch11) November 1, 2026
Covering an interview with O’Neill during Celtic’s pre-season trip to the Algarve the Glasgow Tines reports:
O’Neill said, “I didn’t seek any assurances at all. I can’t turn around and say, ‘You need to get me 12 players, and if you only get 10, then you’ve broken the trust.'”
He believes his history with Desmond is a crucial factor in his approach.
O’Neill added: “I’ve known the owner of the football club for some time and I genuinely believe he will come up and help when trying to get things over the line.”
Only the most gullible Celtic fan takes comfort from being top of the SPFL.
The vast majority of supporters can see what is coming.
THE PAINFUL TRUTH THAT FANS HAVE TO PREPARE FOR
The lack of an obvious successor is the main reason that O’Neill remains in the dug-out.
As the club discovered a year ago they have no credibility in the bank.
Competent managers know the Celtic set up, a club baked in to failure. Requiring a huge personality like Ange Postecoglou or Brendan Rodgers to overcome a failing infrastructure based in the 1990s.
In theory lots of managers would love the Celtic job. In reality it is the wrong time to be associated with failure.
That all led to Wilfried Nancy last year.
That is the level of judgement that Celtic possess. Nancy can be added to Nicholson’s CV alongside Mark Lawwell and Paul Tisdale.
It is going to be tough for most fans to watch O’Neill leave the club. In May he was central to one of the most exciting title wins ever.
He could have left at that point with the gratitude of every Celtic fan.
The average age of a Celtic Season Ticket holder is 48. Most have held their Season Ticket for at least 20 years,
O’Neill Version I was their Stein. Leading Celtic out of darkness and misery.
Without doubt the 6-2 result changed the course of Scottish football history. Celtic won their first treble in 32 years, indirectly it led to Rangers being liquidated 12 years later.
Incredible landmarks, no one anticipated that happening when John Barnes led Celtic into the new century.
TIME HAS RUN OUT ON O’NEILL AT CELTIC
But time catches up with all.
Rarely does a champion boxer pick the right time to walk away. The lure of a final pay day does untold damage.
O’Neill is deep into that territory now as Celtic manager. Stein, McNeill and Burns all reached it as well.
Only the timing and final manner of O’Neill’s Celtic exit remains to be decided. Only a feeble board that once thought Nancy was the answer is keeping the current manager in his job.
Should Celtic sack Martin O'Neill and his coaching staff?
NO- Keep the faith, trust the process
YES- The club is clueless at every level
I agree it’s not worked out, but I don’t want him to suffer the indignity of being sacked. Just hope he walks from this shit show. Celtic is not a serious football club. It’s a tinpot operation with a dictator in charge and a bunch of nodding dogs in the boardroom.
Hard to argue with that. Anyone else would be out the door by now but, as we all know, in Dermot Desmond’s Celtic Performance, or even Competence is not a prerequisite of your continued and extremely lucrative employment ( See Mute Mike, Neil Lennon, McKay etc). If you’re one of DDs Bhoys or Lackeys then don’t worry, you’re in with the wood. Accountability is not a thing if you’re a mate or relative of DD! 🙂 Sad but true I think?
This cake wasn’t baked over night it’s been a while in the making , the board have got lucky with ange and brendan but i fear they they have put MON in a terrible place and it looks like they have all run out of road sadly for Martin it looks like the end lets hope it’s a wake up call for dd .
The team look disinterested and disgruntled and you could easily add another few dis’s to that