This afternoon Martin O’Neill killed stone dead his relationship with huge numbers of the Celtic support.
In May of this year only Jock Stein stood above O’Neill in the esteem he was held in by Celtic fans
On top of his UEFA Cup Final appearance in 2003 O’Neill returned twice last season to rescue Celtic from despair to pull off one of the most dramatic of 56 title successes.
As a bonus the Scottish Cup was also won. The Cup Final success over Dunfermline was no big deal but a quarter-final win at Ibrox on penalties was the sweetest of victories.
O’Neill could have sailed off last summer as a legend twice over. A new generation of Celtic fans had witnessed his magic in the flesh. A reputation reinforced.
Even a month ago he could have left with respect. Shackled by a club that wants to stand still. As they say in football management circles complacency is a virus, to be fought at every sign.
Today O’Neill was expected to be asked about tennis balls at St Andrews, the home of golf for those that didn’t already know.
He was never likely to be critical of Celtic’s reaction but with one answer at today’s media conference O’Neill burnt bridges that will never be repaired.
Apparently throwing tennis balls isn’t Celtic. The mildest, tamest form of protest has triggered the most outrageous reaction.
Those involved apparently wore balaclavas despite no evidence being offered. And that allowed O’Neill to compare them with the thugs on the pitch at Ibrox in March that launched a firework into the Broomloan Road full of Celtic supporters.
O’NEILL OUT OF TIME AND OUT OF HIS DEPTH WITH CELTIC SUPPORTERS
And for good measure O’Neill went on to question Cameron Carter-Vickers’ command of the English language. The USA defender gives far crisper answers than anything O’Neill has come up with in the last year.
At 4 minutes 40 seconds O’Neill was asked about clarity of messaging from the coaches, reference was made to Carter-Vickers describing the play in the Glasgow Derby as random.
After his usual random, roundabout way of answering O’Neill said
I don’t know about clarity. Clarity is listening. I think that a reasonable command of the English language for people who understand English to be able to have a clear view of what we’re saying, what we’re doing.
There was zero clarity in that comment but it isn’t ridiculous to suggest O’Neill feels that anyone that understands English can follow his instructions. About how you start a match with no wingers and finish it with three requiring one save out of the opposition goalkeeper. Clearly the issue is Carter-Vickers and not the message.
The discussion then moved towards supporters. As usual with anything happening on the day of a media conference O’Neill referenced how ‘Iain had just mentioned it to me’. Iain is Jamieson the chocolate teapot of a Communications Manager. When O’Neill states that it has just been mentioned he means ‘don’t expect me to have a view or answers’.
O’NEILL DELIVERS THE DOUBLE WHAMMY- THE KILLER COMMENT
Asked about the Green Brigade announcement that they wouldn’t be attending cup ties this season was all that it took for O’Neill to let rip.
He could have said that it was regrettable and that he hoped that the dispute could be resolved.
I don’t agree at all with what happened in St Andrews; I don’t agree with that at all. That is not Celtic. We derided Rangers in the game for wearing balaclavas, and suddenly we are doing this stuff. This is not Celtic at all.
It most certainly is Celtic. We know that Ross Desmond doesn’t like anti-establishment fans. Even though Celtic are a PLC the fans aren’t sheep/customers. They see the flaws, the problems, the issues. Fans believe Celtic should do better than losing six successive Champions League qualifiers to unseeded opponents. They make their feelings known.
Apparently ‘we derided Rangers in the game for wearing balaclavas’. Celtic did nothing of the sort. They watched an employee being attacked on the pitch. They watched pyro get fired into the Celtic support and said and did nothing.
Four days after the match ‘interim’ Chairman Brian Wilson delivered another supporters update. He didn’t deride any of the home fans at Ibrox.
OFF INTO AREAS THAT HE HAS NO NEED TO GO NEAR
Today O’Neill compared a tennis ball protest with thugs wearing combat gloves attacking Celtic fans and launching pyro at the Celtic support. There is absolutely no comparison unless your Celtic identity revolves around the fictional O** F***. O’Neill craves the Derby matches of 25 years ago.
I am no longer able, or haven’t ever been able to, control a number of things. I can’t control what supporters do, and I can’t control the media; what I can do is control my relationship with the players.
Last season when everybody came together I genuinely felt we were unbeatable.
O’Neill is also barely able to directly answer a question. Everyone knows that he can’t control the media or supporters, why mention it?
Explaining the changing formations during the Glasgow Derby he referred back to the title clincher against Hearts, saying:
I might even say that there might even have been a player to come off at the end of that there who might not even know we played. So that’s my point. You’ve got to be ready.
Where would you start with that. Clarity?
Digging deeper we got this funny story from the past
When I was manager of Aston Villa. We had a great defensive record. We went to Stamford Bridge. And we were 3 or 4-0 down in the game. And John Robertson, my old great friend, told me to rein in. I said, no, we’re going to go for it and then we conceded seven.
Villa lost 7-1 to Chelsea in March 2010, not something that you’d want to revive to prove a point.
O’Neill was speaking to Celtic broadcast media partners in the interview above.
He did mention that Jota could be involved at Motherwell on Sunday, Yang Hyun-jun won’t.
After that media session he went off camera to speak to Celtic’s favourite newspapers. At 10.30pm tonight, embargo time there could be another batch of embarrassing comments slating the Celtic support and the handful of individuals involved with the tennis balls.
Surely Jim White and Simon Jordan will soon be welcoming back an old friend to help them put the boot into the Celtic support.
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4 Comments
by Glenn Dalymount
I fear for his physical and mental wellbeing .
by Pablo
Just give it a wrap blame the board not the manager so much anger towards an older man who who done greatness for the club not once but twice enough is enough if that was your family member and u beratied him as have u done what would u do give it a wrap just chuck it blame people responsible
by Kevin
Im a Celtic season ticket holder a supporter of over 60 years, born into supporting Glasgow Celtic and I can 100% say your not talking for me, there’s no bridges burnt with Martin O’Neil for me , he’s done more good for Celtic than any article you care to write. Your comments would be better aired by Broxi bear or any hun media platforms… Dial your neck in and support your team, thats what you do when things aren’t going as well as usual, still top of the league, with a far superior goal difference . Stop slaughtering a legend iin Martin O’Neil….hail hail
by Editor
I can 100% confirm that I am not talking for you Kevin or the thousands of other Happy Clappers whose only ambition is to be a point above your O** F*** buddies at Ibrox.
For many that is an earth shattering achievement.
Myself and others think that Scottish football is utterly rank, the OF is toxic and the only platform of relevance is in Europe where Celtic are utter no marks. By design from the top of the club.
Rodgers briefly turned the focus to Europe but that would involve hard work and moving outside the #celticfamily to employ capable people.
Rodgers was reigned in, the CEO revealed that Nancy was the ideal manager of Celtic to ensure the cycle of mediocrity.
What jolly bad luck we had losing out to those unseeded upstarts from Malmo, Maribor, AEK Athens, Cluj, Ferencvaros, Midtjylland, Kairat and Lask.
Unlike you Kev I don’t think that Wilson and Nicholson have a clue how to make Celtic competent in Europe but hey ho faithful through and through and all that.
Bring back big Peter and he’ll get it all sorted…