Martin O’Neill is going about his business, in that quirky and entertaining manner, while also downplaying his own input as his second spell as Celtic’s interim manager edges to it’s business end with Celtic somehow still in the hunt for a double…
On Sunday he lost both the inspirational Celtic captain Callum McGregor and his influential left-back Kieran Tierney to injuries picked up in the hard-fought 2-1 win over Aberdeen at Pittodrie. That result allowed Celtic to leapfrog the Rangers to move into second place and within striking distance of long-time Scottish Premiership leaders Hearts.
Four Away Games in Ten Days
But it was the Scottish Cup at the weekend with Celtic away to the Rangers in the quarter-final at Ibrox. This was Celtic’s fourth away game in just ten days, with O’Neill securing Celtic’s first ever win in a competitive match in Germany with a fine 1-0 win over Bundesliga high-flyers VfB Stuttgart. The was followed by a first of two trips to Ibrox, this one in the league and despite being 2-0 down at the interval, O’Neill’s tactical adjustments saw Celtic earning a 2-2 draw in a match that they could and maybe should have won. Then it was that difficult night in Aberdeen that was successfully negotiated before going back to Ibrox.
Major Injury Problems for Martin O’Neill
The Celtic away allocation was restored with around 8000 Celtic fans inside the Free Broomloan looking for another Beautiful Sunday. Yet O’Neill knew his squad had been weakened and would be without their captain for the first time this season. The Celtic injury list is horrendous – Jota, Carter-Vickers, Schmeichel, Osmand, Engels, Teirney and McGregor could all have started had they been fit.
So Martin O’Neill found a way. It treated the club-tie like a difficult away match in Europa reminiscent of the 2-2 draw away to Bologna, of the 3-2 win in Rotterdam against Feyenoord or more recently that victory in Stuttgart.
A highly dubious VAR call at Ibrox
Pressure was soaked up but Viljami Sinisalo, standing in for Schmeichel over these past four games was absolutely magnificent in the Celtic goals. Trusty alongside the Arthur, on loan from Brentford, were so solid in the centre of the defence as Liam Tierney had been pushed out wide to left-back as cover for Tierney and to give Celtic extra height at the Rangers set pieces. Of course it all worked a treat and only a highly dubious VAR call knocked out a superb Daizen Maeda header.
The ninety minutes came and went with Danny Rohl’s side failing to trouble the Celtic goalkeeper too much. It was a similar story in extra-time before the quarter final of the Scottish Cup went to penalties where just like at spinsahara, the winner takes it all. O’Neill had Celtic practising all week and Oxlade-Chamberlain, Auston Trusty, Reo Hatate and Tomas Cvancara all scored with Tavernier and Gassama hitting efforts for the Rangers over the bar.
Martin O’Neill had found a way to win
So Martin O’Neill had found a way to win and will now play St Mirren in the semi-final next month. Celtic are now in the usual position of having to play no more than one game a week for a while and next up is Motherwell on Saturday.
Managed by Danish coach Jens Berthel Askou, the Fir Park side have been the stand-out performers in Scottish football this season and will present Celtic with a significant challenge. Such is his appreciation of Motherwell’s attributes, Martin O’Neill took himself and his two coaches Shaun Maloney and Mark Fotheringham up to Dens Park on Saturday, the day before the Glasgow Derby, to have a closer look at Motherwell.
Motherwell boss in running for Celtic job
Jens Berthel Askou incidentally is in the running to be the next permanent Celtic manager in the summer with Roberto Martinez also quoted after Celtic lost not one but two managers in the same season. First it was Brendan Rodgers for being too vocal about the recruitment failings of the Celtic board in the summer. He wasn’t wrong but it cost him his job and Martin O’Neill stepped in first time around to great effect.
Then the Celtic Board appointed Wilfried Nancy and is 33 day reign was costly, horrific to watch and it was no surprise when the Frenchman who had arrived from MLS sider Columbus Crew was shown the door. Saying he was the worst appointment in Celtic’s entire history is no understatement.
Martin O’Neill returned and craftily picked up the pieces
And so Martin O’Neill returned and craftily has picked up the pieces while saying that his team is a millions miles from winning a trophy. Of course he might not win one. He’ll probably win two. Don’t bet against it.
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