When Martin O’Neill succeeded Brendan Rodgers in October, Celtic’s season was faltering.
Upon his return for a second interim stint following Wilfried Nancy’s brief and turbulent tenure, the club’s situation had deteriorated significantly.
Celtic have twice this season required a steady hand and a unifying figure to appease a disgruntled fanbase. On both occasions, they have turned to O’Neill for salvation.
He has suffered just one defeat in 14 matches across all competitions, a 3-1 loss against a formidable Midtjylland side.
O’Neill has been instrumental in Celtic’s resurgence in the Scottish Premiership title race, and Thursday’s victory over Utrecht ensures their continued participation in European competition, with a knockout play-off tie against either Stuttgart or Ferencvaros to follow Friday’s draw (12:00 GMT).
He has revitalized Celtic’s on-field performance while also embracing the public-facing aspects of the role, delivering humorous press conferences and embracing his characteristic showman persona.
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The last time Celtic prevailed in a two-legged European tie after Christmas was in 2004 under – unsurprisingly – O’Neill, when they stunned Barcelona 1-0 on aggregate in the Uefa Cup.
If the two-time interim manager is to replicate that achievement 22 years later, he acknowledged the need for reinforcements in the remaining days of the transfer window.
During his post-match press conference, the 73-year-old was directly questioned about reported links to two wingers – Frosinone’s Fares Ghedjemis and Dunajska Streda’s Damir Redzic – which emerged prior to the Utrecht match.
His response was delivered with a noticeable glint in his eye.
“You wouldn’t be a million miles off,” O’Neill remarked. “I don’t know about a percentage.
“It could be [one rather than both]. I don’t think we’re in a position [to do both], yeah.
“There’s progress today on certain things. I don’t want to be cryptic, but I would hate to say something was certain and it fell away.”
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He entertained the assembled media by playfully claiming that he had been seeing their faces in his sleep, reflecting the intense interest surrounding potential transfers at Parkhead.
His charm extends beyond the media, resonating with his players as well.
Where the team struggled under Nancy – and to a lesser extent Rodgers – Celtic’s often-criticized squad are now securing results, even though the ten-man reigning Premiership champions were unable to defeat current leaders Hearts at the weekend.
Nonetheless, the marked improvement in performances and results since Nancy’s calamitous reign is undeniable, particularly in the absence of key players Alistair Johnston, Cameron Carter-Vickers, and Jota.
Midfielder Benjamin Nygren, who scored his 14th goal of the season against Utrecht, commented on O’Neill’s impact.
“He’s making a big difference,” the Sweden international stated.
“He knows the club, he’s been here. He knows how it works here and he’s loved by everyone around the club.
“I think he brought in a lot of confidence, so we’ve been a lot better since he came back.”
O’Neill’s history with Celtic and the high regard in which he is held by fellow managers and players, both past and present, create numerous compelling storylines.
He could potentially face a familiar face in Robbie Keane, whom he managed for several years at the international level, should Ferencvaros be their play-off opponents.
“You always want to play against very, very experienced managers,” former Celtic striker Keane remarked after his side’s 4-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest on Thursday.
“I’ve done it twice in this campaign, with Rafa [Benitez], and then with Sean [Dyche], who has got wealth of experience.
“There aren’t many more experienced than Martin, and what he’s done in the game and what he’s done since he’s come back to Celtic, because he’s given a lot of energy to the club, of course, a lot of energy to the players, with a club that was obviously very, very down.
“That’s what Martin does. So maybe it’s written in the stars, myself against Martin. I don’t know. But again, regardless of who we play in the two games, it will be so difficult.”
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