“They will be cheering” – Martin O’Neill makes Celtic fan pledge ahead of Rangers Scottish Cup clash
Martin O’Neill is intent on continuing the Celtic revival when the squad returns to Ibrox on Scottish Cup duty on Sunday.
If anyone can mastermind further progress for the Hoops then it is the 74-year-old Derry native.
Aided by Shaun Maloney and Mark Fotheringham, the Parkhead legend has transformed the fortunes and outlook for the team in his third spell in charge, following on from the disastrous reign of Wilfried Nancy.
The redemption arc from that doomed experiment is clear, even if the final outcome of the season is unclear, but a look back at the last two weeks shows the importance and the impact of Martin O’Neill at this time for Celtic.
Celtic on the upward curve once again
On 22 February, a bad day at the office meant Hibs left the east end of Glasgow with all three points after a 2-1 victory in the Scottish Premiership.
That game followed the chastening 4-1 humbling handed out by Stuttgart in the Europa League, and all of a sudden, the dark clouds were hovering over Celtic Park once again.
A deserved 1-0 win in Germany lifted spirits, even if it was the expected end of the Europa League campaign, and then all eyes turned to Ibrox.
In last week’s league encounter, the first half hour reflected the vulnerability that is still present in O’Neill’s side, but thankfully the hosts failed to land a fatal blow.
The changes made by Martin O’Neill at half-time changed the game.
Daizen Maeda moving up front was a masterstroke in place of the ineffective Junior Adamu.
However, it was the impact of the substitutes, Sebastian Tounekti and Reo Hatate, that proved to be the catalyst for the Celtic resurgence.
In particular, the Japanese midfielder looked back to his best after a disappointing few months, and Rangers couldn’t cope.
They were on the ropes for long spells and the only regret is that the equaliser didn’t come until added on time.
Ultimately, it was Celtic that emerged from the Glasgow derby with the confidence and the verve,
which has only increased after the crucial hard-fought win against Aberdeen on Wednesday.
Martin O’Neill issues rallying cry to Celtic fans
All of a sudden, Martin O’Neill’s Celtic are second in the SPFL table and five points behind Hearts, but league business can wait for now.
Celtic go into Sunday’s Scottish Cup clash with Rangers on the front foot.
The team will be supported by 7,500 fans this time around, with the cup allocation rules setting the scene enjoyed by many O’Neill sides in years gone by.
All that is missing is further progression, but the Irishman is confident he will hear the backing of the fans.
“Well, the fans will be cheering. Don’t worry about that. They will be cheering, said Martin O’Neill in Friday’s press conference.
“I’ve just done a previous interview here and I just said that we would need to start better than we did in the (league) game. We might be the team that starts really brightly and we might be the team holding on at the end.
So it’s a different game. But we cannot afford to go as long a period and not doing so well because you can actually not be in control of a whole match. That’s the point, and you can be out of the game for 10, 15, 20 minutes.
O’Neill continued, “As long as you hang in there during the course of that time. But in that 15 or 20 minutes you’re out, the game could go beyond you. I don’t know what’s going to happen on Sunday, but we need to start better.”
He’s been there, done it, and everything else.
Who else would you want leading the Celtic revival other than Martin O’Neill?
Be the first to comment