Martin O'Neill ponders Celtic future after derby defeat to Rangers
Martin O'Neill said it might be time to wrap it up as Celtic manager after a 1-0 home defeat to Rangers in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday, 20 September.
The 74-year-old spoke at a post-match news conference at Parkhead. Celtic lost 1-0 to Rangers at Parkhead, according to RTÉ. Asked about his future, O'Neill replied: "I don't know. I'll have a look."
O'Neill said he will "reflect and see" whether he can still help the club. He said he will look at that this week, reflect on the games, speak to the board and try to get a couple of days away, as reported by the BBC.
It was a second defeat to Rangers in a week. Between those two losses, Celtic also suffered a home European defeat to Ferencvaros. Three defeats in quick succession have turned up the pressure.
O'Neill tried a new shape for the Sunday league derby, the name for a match between fierce local rivals. He dropped his wingers, fielded five defenders and pushed Kieran Tierney further forward. It did not bring a goal.
The run sits alongside a difficult European story. In August, Celtic were 4-0 up on aggregate against LASK in Linz half an hour into the second leg of their Champions League play-off. Aggregate means the combined score over two legs. Celtic collapsed and went out of the competition.
After that exit, Celtic won four Premiership matches. Three were single-goal wins against Falkirk, St Mirren and St Johnstone. The narrow margins kept points ticking over without easing the worry.
O'Neill has deep history at the club. He delivered the Scottish Premiership and Scottish Cup double last season. In his first spell in charge, he took Celtic to the 2003 UEFA Cup final against Jose Mourinho's Porto.
Celtic pointed supporters to his immediate reaction on the club's own channel. The club published a First Team news item titled "Martin O'Neill's post-match reaction on CelticPlayer" on 20 September.
For fans, this feels like a pause for breath at full speed. One voice that has given Celtic some of its loudest shared memories is now asking for a few quiet days to think.
