Martin O'Neill lands Celtic AGM joke as next manager update provided amid key timeline emerging

Martin O’Neill doesn’t think bad blood between Celtic fans and the club board are aiding his team on the park - as the interim head coach provided a next manager update.

Callum McGregor’s incredible strike deep into second half stoppage time against St Mirren sealed a vital 1-0 away win in the Premiership for the champions. It brought a joyous end to a chaotic week at Parkhead where the club’s AGM was adjourned amid rising hostilities between the punters and board members.

That continued with constant chanting against key figures like major shareholder Dermot Desmond during the match. Still without a permanent boss after Brendan Rodgers’ resignation, O’Neill has called for unity.

Martin O’Neill on Celtic ‘sack the board’ chants

O’Neill said on whether the hostility is impacting the players: “I probably don't think so. But I'm not sure. When it was a continuation of not really supporting the team tonight, and it was 'Sack the Board' the whole way through, I think there's perhaps just an element that it might... I'm not saying it's going to affect Maeda who probably wouldn't know what 'Sack the Board' is. But I don't think it will help. I don't think it helps.

“Listen, the lads will say... They paid their money. They came here tonight. And obviously the scenes at the end were terrific in that sense. We just need some sort of unification again. I know I made the point about Jock Stein. He built the football club on unification. Fans and players and team and everybody else going in the same way.”

The club favourite also delivered a witty remark as he assessed the game in Paisley. O’Neill said when asked if he’d had enough drama for one week: “I have, yeah. You see, I missed training on Friday. But if I'd known the AGM was going to be that short, I would have told them just to hold on until I get up to Lennoxtown. I missed it by a minute.

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“It was great to win. Results are everything. I told the players in the dressing room, have a look at the video on Monday. No problem at all. Look at the things that we didn't do well. That would be a long evening. It's just great to win. I was asked the question in there, we didn't play well, but we do have a decent enough spirit in the team. That comes from the captain.”

Celtic travel to Rotterdam in the Europa League on Thursday and still do not have a their next permanent manager. O’Neill has outlined a key timeline over an appointment, with Celtic possible having until Wednesday to get one in the door for him to take charge of the latest league phase match away from home

When asked if he had a managerial update, the interim boss responded: “No. You must be bored to death asking. I think everybody is, to tell you the truth. The answer is that I genuinely do not know. I thought it might have been sorted out at the break. It's not been. This is Saturday night. They've got Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Otherwise, there's a plane that goes to Rotterdam on Wednesday.”