Celtic hero explains why Martin O'Neill receives 'flak with love' as minimum domestic requirement outlined
Former Celtic and Manchester City knows what it’s like to play at a club with high demands
Celtic hero Joe Hart reckons Martin O’Neill receives ‘flak with love’ as Hoops boss because of the ‘borderline’ perfect domestic demands from supporters.
The former Celtic and Manchester City goalkeeper, who won seven trophies in three years at Parkhead in the latter stages his playing career, feels sympathy for the veteran gaffer after he’s recently come under scrutiny for domestic performances. In their last two, the Hoops drew at home to Dundee United and lost away to Falkirk, allowing rivals Rangers back into the title race.
Having helped steady the ship at the club last season while securing the domestic double, as well as maintaining the legacy of his first spell, O’Neill perhaps has more credit in the bank than Celtic managers of yesteryear who’ve felt the heat. It’s for this reason, Hart believes supporter scrutiny on their legendary gaffer comes from a good place.
Why does O’Neill receive ‘flak with love’?
Speaking on the Overlap, Hart said: “It’s flak with love (for O’Neill), and that doesn’t make any sense. Of course, we know it doesn’t make any sense, but Martin O’Neill will be, and is, absolutely adored. But he knows what he signed up for as a Celtic manager, and he would expect to be getting a lot of questions asked about him.
“And that’s not saying he’s not up to the task or he’s not the man for the job, but that’s what comes with the territory. If you really understand Celtic, you understand that if you’re not borderline perfect domestically and challenging in Europe, you’re going to get it.
“You’re going to get it because they care and they’re intelligent football fans. And, there’s a massive disharmony with the board. The fans really don’t understand what the direction of the club is. And obviously the board have got their opinions in terms of the success that they had and continue to have.”
What has O’Neill said ahead of Kilmarnock?
The manager silenced some of the doubters on Thursday night as they secure their first win in the Europa League to keep their knockout stage qualification hopes alive. The Hoops now face Kilmarnock at home in an attempt to get back on track domestically. Ahead of the match, O’Neill said: “Our total focus now is on this game.
“It's the last game before the international break. I think the crowd will be enthused by tonight's performance, and we have to try and win the game on Sunday. Sunday is big for us. We have to try and win the game. It will not be easy for us. And then the international break comes - some players will get a little bit of time. The international break is absolutely no good for international players, because they're just going to play again.”