Tonight we really do say a fond farewell to Martin O’Neill, let’s send him off in style and make this a very special evening at Celtic Park…
Martin O’Neill’s interim manager job at Celtic ends tonight
It was assumed that Martin O’Neill’s interim spell in charge would have been at Easter Road but a paperwork delay meant that tonight isn’t going to be the first match of the Wilfried Nancy tenure but instead we will see the legendary Celtic manager bid farewell after stepping in due to the resignation of Brendan Rodgers the day after Celtic had lost to Hearts at Tynecastle.
Martin O’Neill – magnificent in his interim role
Martin has done a sterling job, winning seven out of his eight games in charge, and has revitalised the squad as we are in touching distance of top spot, reached a cup final, whilst making strides in the Europa League. He’s drastically cut the Hearts lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership and has also extended to lead over theRangers.
Martin also gave us our one and only taste of victory in a Glasgow Derby in 2025, a year where we played them at Ibrox three times and at Celtic Park just the once. That incidentally flips in 2026 giving Wilfried Nancy a great opportunity to earn his own ‘skelper status starting on Saturday 3rd January.
Wilfried Nancy deal is all but done and dusted
The appointment of Wilfried Nancy is all but done and dusted, the Irishman will take charge for the last time as we take on Dundee under the lights at Paradise later this evening. There’s talk of Nancy being in the stands at Celtic Park this evening and the Celtic players will be looking to put on a show for Martin and also to impress the new manager waiting in the wings who should be introduced to them at some point tomorrow.
With Hearts visiting Celtic Park on Sunday, victory is paramount this evening, so it doesn’t matter how we do it, as long as we are three points better off come ten o’clock tonight, then that’s all that counts. That’s the long and short of it pragmatically but tonight is actually about much more than that.
It would be an added bonus we win tonight in style, just to send Martin off into the sunset with more fond memories of patrolling the Celtic Park touchline after answering the Celtic call in our hour of need. It’s what he deserves after all and it is so fitting that he has the chance to bow out and receive our acclaim at Celtic Park rather than at an away ground.
The special atmosphere this evening will also be a perfect way to show Wilfried Nancy what Paradise can be like and how he too can be acclaimed by the Celtic support. It will certainly be nothing like what he’s experienced in the MLS that’s for sure.
Congratulations to @CelticFC‘s Martin O’Neill, @GlensVodkaLLG Premiership Manager of the Month for November! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/UwXoNlTvJc
— SPFL (@spfl) December 2, 2025
🏅 Martin O’Neill has been named the Scottish Premiership Manager of the Month for November
More info ⤵️#CelticFC🍀
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) December 2, 2025
Just an Ordinary Bhoy
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Must admit to being disappointed that tonight is going to be the last of the MoN and Maloney partnership.
Still believe that the cup final would have been more appropriate imo?
Anyway, the 3 points tonight are still more important, than the MoN send off all the same.
Of course it would only be fitting for both to be achieved, and believe that it will also happen imo.
The Nancy appointment is always going to divide opinion, and possibly even more so, regarding timing?
But the decision has been made, and got no real choice but to accept it, and hope Nancy can continue the great work the MoN and Maloney partnership has started and salvaged our season.
Will be emotional come full time, with a mix of sadness, but massive appreciation for the great man in MoN.
A fantastic display and a winning result, is the least we owe MoN from all within our club imo.