THE TITLE RACE IS ON AS MARTIN O'NEILL RETURNS
- BY LIAM CARRIGAN
- 51 minutes ago
- 3 min read
“Well, it is a mad, crazy football world.” Those were the words of Martin O’Neill as he sat down to discuss retaking the reins at Celtic for the second time this season. It marks the third managerial switch of the season and we are only in the first week of January. In many ways, this season has felt like a strange dream. So much has happened in the space of five months.
There has been the embarrassing Champions League exit at the hands of Kairat Almaty and the disastrous end to the transfer window that followed. Brendan Rodgers resigned soon after, with Dermot Desmond releasing a verbal attack on the Northern Irishman the same evening.
A few weeks later, an Annual General Meeting during which Ross Desmond called the fans “bullies” and “anti-establishment” was adjourned. All this while the Green Brigade was conveniently banned due to “safety” reasons and definitely nothing to do with board protests.
Of course, if the justification of an assault on a steward and two policemen is true, the only reasonable thing to do would be to lock out a full supporters section, wouldn’t it? If the same act had happened behind the dugout, I’m almost certain the whole main stand wouldn’t be shut.
Martin O'Neill Swoops in to Save the Day, Again
Amidst this confusion, O’Neill returned and steadied the ship on the park, defeating Rangers in the Premier Sports Cup semi-final, recording a 3-1 away win at Feyenoord and going five from five in the league. Yet, after a 1-0 home win to Dundee, the Champions appointed Columbus Crew’s Wilfried Nancy. Eight games, two wins, six losses and 18 goals conceded later, the Frenchman packed his bags.
For a club so used to fuss-free domestic success, this chaos has been a culture shock. Now, on the 7th of January, O’Neill is once again tasked with a firefighting job. He will look to bring a structure to the game, reverting away from the disastrous 3-4-2-1 formation that the Celtic faithful have endured over the past month. It’s fair to say that had the Celtic board stuck by Nancy, five in a row would have been a pipedream. Finishing second would have been a challenge.
Yet, despite losing six from their last eight, with Kelechi Iheanacho, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Alistair Johnson, Jota, Marcelo Saracchi and Callum Osmand all out, the season is very much saveable. O’Neill’s men sit three behind Rangers with a game in hand and six points behind Hearts at the top. With eighteen games to go, it’s all to play for.
We also happen to be in a transfer window right now. With Paul Tisdale recently exiting, James Bell-Walker, a recently appointed scout, will likely be in charge of the incoming individuals.
Julian Aurujo has already joined on loan at right back from Bournemouth for the rest of the season, while Ivorian winger Ta Bi reportedly closes in on a deal worth around £2.5 million. A striker and a centre-back remain a necessity.
Either way, O’Neill’s return doesn’t guarantee anything. It’s still one of the weakest squads in recent memory, with a lengthy injury list to add to this issue.
However, considering the situation we find ourselves in, this is the best scenario that could have happened. With the 73-year-old leading us, we have a chance of winning the league. Had we stuck with Nancy, it would not have been possible.