Former Celtic manager Martin O’Neill has been discussing the upcoming Glasgow Derby at Ibrox and in his opinion it’s a match that the home side very much need to take maximum points from. Come 2pm on Sunday the title picture will be much clearer, and the former Ireland boss reckons the club he successfully managed during the early noughties will be in pole position if they avoid defeat in what will be the third meeting between the sides this season.
In his five seasons at Celtic Park, O’Neill won three League titles, three Scottish Cups, and a League Cup. The two league titles he lost were by the finest of margins, the one in 2005 was by a point when a Scott McDonald double at Fir Park cost Celtic the league and also back in 2003, when Celtic lost out by a single goal after Rangers beat Dunfermline 6-1, a scoreline that led to Chris Sutton claiming Jimmy Calderwood’s men ‘lay down’ at Ibrox. Ultimately if any manager knows a thing or two about a close title race it is Martin O’Neill.
The Kilrea native believes Gio Van Bronckhorst’s men need a win on Sunday, as Celtic are so far ahead on goal difference that their three point lead is almost counted as a four point advantage. He goes on to suggest that with the final Glasgow Derby of the season being played at Parkhead, this weekends Ibrox encounter is the one theRangers will be going all out to win. Martin O’Neill, speaking to Radio Clyde, said:
“If Celtic come out of the match unscathed then you would have to say they’re really in pole position.
“Of course if Celtic go and win the game and I’m sure that’s probably in Postecoglou’s mind – thinking ‘I’m not going to change for anything, I’m going to go to Ibrox and attack’ – then you would have to think their position is very strong indeed.
“The pressure at this minute is very much on (the)Rangers to get the result, it’s a home fixture for them and a big, big match for them. They’re three points behind and they’re unlikely – not impossible – to claw back that goal difference in the number of matches left.
“You could think at this stage that looks like a four point differential so really (the)Rangers must win that game. I know they’ve got Celtic again at Celtic Park but really they’ve got to win this game.”
As O’Neill pointed out, it is likely that Ange Postecoglou will view this game the way he always does, meaning he will be looking for Celtic to go out fully intent on securing the three points. Personally I hope Celtic do play with that mindset.
We have nothing to lose here and everything to gain. If we get beat they are still behind us, it will still be in our hands. Yet if we take all three points we will have a six point lead and in all honesty we would have to experience a disastrous run after the break to concede the title from that position.
I have heard fellow fans this week mention they would ‘take the point’, suggesting a draw would be a good result for Celtic and I can honestly see where they are coming from but I think we should be going all out to claim maximum points.
Before the international break I watched us look very impressive against a stubborn Ross County team. I then watched them the next day as they huffed and puffed and escaped Dens Park with a lucky win.
We should not hold any fear playing them, Ibrox or not. We blew them away the last time we played them and even in our first meeting this season at Ibrox they were more than lucky to win against our team who were literally still getting to know each other at the time. We are a better team than them, of that I have absolutely no doubt.
We should be going into Sunday with nothing but the 3 points on our minds, and with Ange Postecoglou in charge, I have no doubt we will.
Conall McGinty
Bring on the Rangers. 🍀 pic.twitter.com/B6Q3mXvjGe
— Li'l Ze (@LilZe_7) March 30, 2022
