O'Neill may be 'pushed before he can jump' as Celtic board to weigh up options during international break
Hoops boss will ‘reflect’ on his future over the next three weeks
Celtic boss Martin O’Neill may be ‘pushed before he can jump’ from his role at the club, according to a former Manchester United scout.
The pressure is beginning to mount on the 74-year old after three consecutive defeats. Following the most recent loss to Rangers in the league, he claimed he’ll take the opportunity to ‘reflect’ during the international break, leading to speculation he could decide to walk away from the club.
With three weeks until Celtic’s next fixture, the veteran boss has ample time to assess his future, however so do the Hoops board. CEO Michael Nicholson came out with a statement offering his full support to O’Neill - but as history tells us, this can sometimes be seen as the kiss of death. Former Man United scout Mick Brown, who remains well-connected in the game, reckons there’s a chance O’Neill could still get marshalled out the door.
O’Neill could be ‘pushed before he can walk’
He told Football Insider: "Even if O'Neill doesn't decide to leave Celtic, he could be pushed before he can jump. Celtic know these recent results have been well below expectations, and after the way the fans reacted against Rangers, it feels like it's the beginning of the end for him.
"Ahead of the international break, I expect there will be meetings and talks held behind the scenes to dicsuss the manager's future. They'll have to weigh up their options, who might be available to replace him, and whether they think sacking him is the right thing to do, then they'll make a decision."
After O’Neill’s deflating post-match interview on Sunday, already, there are names been thrown into the hat. Former Republic of Ireland international Robbie Keane, who O’Neill beat to the job during the summer is among the potential replacement candidates.
What were O’Neill’s original comments on reflection?
After the 1-0 defeat to Rangers on Sunday, the Hoops boss said: “I think there's every reason to ask, you know, can you turn this round? Can you change the whole thing? We are, as I said, two points clear, so I have to kind of look at the bigger picture at this minute.
“But I knew that we were in a big, big fight anyway, with both ourselves, Rangers, and Hearts again, who are far from out of anything. It's a long season ahead. It's not the first time I've been questioned about my managerial time. So, yeah, I'll have a look at it. I will reflect and see.”
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