Martin O’Neill has regularly managed Celtic over the years.
The Northern Irishman is now 73 years old and has had a full career full of successes, disappointments and silverware.
The fact that he is 73 and still going strong is a testament to the kind of character the manager has and the presence he has in the dressing room.
Former seasoned professionals – Chris Sutton, Neil Lennon, John Hartson et al – have previously confessed to being afraid of the little boss and that comes down to how he conveyed himself on match days.
So it’s no wonder he has performed well as interim manager at Celtic Park, 20 years after leaving the job to care for his wife, who was ill at the time.
O’Neill’s history in Glasgow is legendary and he has more wins to his name than most managers during their career in charge of Hoops.
Has Martin O’Neill earned a permanent job at Celtic?
And that’s why, following the resignation of Brendan Rodgers earlier this season, managing shareholder Dermot Desmond sent the cue to O’Neill to join Shaun Maloney to help steady the ship that was in danger of veering off course.
The question remains which manager the Celtic board will bring in to take permanent charge of their squad in a bid to lead them into the remainder of the season and beyond.
Champions League qualification is a must for the next player and making the squad competitive in that elite competition must be the plan and is the next natural step in progression for the Celts.
But could O’Neill be eligible for a longer stay after the interim period? What do his numbers say?
Martin O’Neill Celtic manager statistics 2000-2005
O’Neill is one of Celtic’s winningest managers in their history in the Scottish Premier League.
According to statistics, between 2000 and 2005, when he was first given the role, he played 266 games in his first spell.
Even then, it was about turning the tide, with Rangers leading the division at the time, having won the then Scottish Premier League before he arrived.
In his first season, O’Neill would win an historic Treble with 32 wins in all competitions from just 40 games. Quite a staggering feat for a boss in a new job.
During his first season, Celtic scored 104 goals and conceded just 31, and they finished the league with 100 points.
Scoring goals was also no problem in his next four seasons at the club, with a total of 639 in all competitions, conceding 215 from those 266 appearances.
O’Neill won an impressive 200 games in his five years as Celtic boss and lost just 40, in both domestic and European football.
There were 26 draws at that time.
He won seven trophies in his first spell at the club and took the Hoops to a UEFA Cup final in 2003, losing after extra time (3–2) to Jose Mourinho’s FC Porto.
The same Porto that won the Champions League the following season with almost the same team.
O’Neill’s interim Celtic period to date
O’Neill has done well for Celts in the two games he has managed since being called up by the club.
We know Dermot Desmond attacked Rodgers after the Irishman left Lennoxtown as head coach, but that didn’t faze the veteran, who never worried about taking the position.
He brought a calming presence into the side just a day or two after being asked and after successive defeats under Rodgers before resigning, O’Neill’s first act was to guide his team to a resounding 4-0 victory over Falkirk.
He gave fringe players a chance and they seemed to take it and he brought his usual cheerful energy to the dugout which really seemed to inspire the team.
The next match was against rivals Rangers at Hampden last Sunday in the Premier Sports Cup semi-final and it was in that derby match that fans saw the real difference.
The intensity was there from the opening bell and the players worked as hard as ever for 120 minutes.
Celtic won the match 3-1, with fans chanting O’Neill’s name all afternoon and when asked at full-time if he would take a call from Desmond about the future, he admitted he would be crazy not to think about it.
Could Martin O’Neill work with another coach?
As has often been the case over the years, managers brought in their own coaching staff, who eventually took charge over time.
There have also been cases where young coaches were given an opportunity at a club, but where necessary were given help by an older head as an assistant or on an advisory basis.
O’Neill could well be asked to remain at Celtic after his managerial opportunity on an interim basis as assistant to the next boss or in a senior position to provide advice if necessary.
Shaun Maloney is now working alongside his former coach as Celtic coach and fans have long speculated that the former Hibs and Wigan manager was appointed player path leader at LT for exactly this reason.
The former Celtic player was trapped from the dugout when Celts faced Rangers last weekend and was the main voice in favor of extra-time as he handed out instructions as O’Neill looked on.
O’Neill – again, as mentioned he is 73 years old – may feel more suited to the background role and if asked, he could be open to that in the future, with whichever boss Celtic decide to come along.
Shaun Maloney’s Celtic future
As already mentioned, Maloney is an ex-Celtic player in charge.
On paper – perhaps if he had a little more experience with a winning side – it would make a lot of sense for the 42-year-old to be given the chance to do the big job.
Maloney has already explained that he does not expect to continue in the job long-term as he plans to return to his job gig and that is commendable as the club have not yet decided on their next leader.
But one would suspect he would secretly have the chance to explore the job later if it were offered to him, with or without O’Neill.
Celtic have a history of promotion from within, with Neil Lennon, John Kennedy and now Maloney all taking the reins at various times.
It wouldn’t be outside the realm of possibility that the club could do it again for Maloney if results continue to go well.
What are Celtic fans saying about O’Neill?
O’Neill is a certified icon at Celtic.
He has been rid of his previous results and his obvious affinity for several years, even now, twenty years later.
The boss can do little wrong in the eyes of the fans and after his victory over Rangers to guide the club to another cup final, the support seems to be fully behind the veteran again.
One commented: “I hope Martin O’Neill stays”, while another added: “Martin O’Neill should stay this season. There have been too many players who have not been given time since the beginning. MON seem to have taken charge of this situation but this is just the beginning of this correction.”
One wrote: “Seeing Martin O’Neill’s passion on the sidelines yesterday was truly nostalgic – incredible energy for his age and pure love for the game.”
Another wrote on social media: “The Celtic board should give Martin O’Neill the manager’s job until the end of the season. He is a class act and they won’t find anyone better suited for the job.”
Others were slightly less convinced by O’Neill with one saying: “He won’t stay long-term but Martin O’Neill has been the breath of fresh air Celtic have been longing for.”
Another commented: “Martin O’Neill is a Celtic legend and a man who deserves a lot of respect, but I suspect very few fans realistically want him as the next permanent manager.”
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