Martin O'Neill has called for "unification" at Celtic, but the question remains as to whether fan unrest is affecting the team's performance on the pitch. The interim manager, 73, believes that his side needs to come together again, echoing the words of legendary predecessor Jock Stein, who built a successful team based on unity among players and fans.
O'Neill's comments come after another round of protests against the board, with chants of "sack the board" ringing out at Celtic's Scottish Premiership match against St Mirren. The club has struggled in recent months, failing to score in six matches and losing several key games, including a humiliating defeat to Kazakh side Kairat in the Champions League play-off.
Despite O'Neill's reassurances that he believes the team can heal its rifts with fans and board, concerns remain about the impact of off-field drama on on-field performance. "You have to know your place here," he said. "What you did or were part of 20-odd years ago, I don't think makes a heap of a difference."
It is now nearly a month since O'Neill was appointed interim manager, and despite his best efforts, the club's fortunes have not improved significantly. The question remains as to whether a new permanent appointment will bring stability and success back to Parkhead.
Meanwhile, speculation continues over who might be lined up to take charge of the team on a full-time basis. Columbus Crew head coach Wilfried Nancy is reportedly the leading candidate, but Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna and Wales boss Craig Bellamy are also in the frame.
One thing is certain, however: Celtic needs unity if it is to succeed again. As O'Neill himself noted, "Jock Stein would have sorted it out in two days." Can a new manager bring that same level of success back to Parkhead? Only time will tell.
O'Neill's comments come after another round of protests against the board, with chants of "sack the board" ringing out at Celtic's Scottish Premiership match against St Mirren. The club has struggled in recent months, failing to score in six matches and losing several key games, including a humiliating defeat to Kazakh side Kairat in the Champions League play-off.
Despite O'Neill's reassurances that he believes the team can heal its rifts with fans and board, concerns remain about the impact of off-field drama on on-field performance. "You have to know your place here," he said. "What you did or were part of 20-odd years ago, I don't think makes a heap of a difference."
It is now nearly a month since O'Neill was appointed interim manager, and despite his best efforts, the club's fortunes have not improved significantly. The question remains as to whether a new permanent appointment will bring stability and success back to Parkhead.
Meanwhile, speculation continues over who might be lined up to take charge of the team on a full-time basis. Columbus Crew head coach Wilfried Nancy is reportedly the leading candidate, but Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna and Wales boss Craig Bellamy are also in the frame.
One thing is certain, however: Celtic needs unity if it is to succeed again. As O'Neill himself noted, "Jock Stein would have sorted it out in two days." Can a new manager bring that same level of success back to Parkhead? Only time will tell.
. One minute the fans are going wild, protesting against the board, and the next they're calling for unity under O'Neill. I mean, can't they just get on with it already? 
The team's performance on the pitch is suffering big time – 6 matches without a goal? That's gotta be hurting their chances of success.
. I mean, Jock Stein was a legend for a reason, right? He built a team on unity and it worked out pretty well for him. Still, I'm not holding my breath waiting for this to magically fix everything 
. Will a new permanent manager bring the stability they need? We'll just have to wait and see 
. One thing's for sure: Celtic needs a miracle right about now 
.
. can't help but think that o'Neill's comments are just a band aid on a much bigger problem. the question is, who else is gonna come in and actually fix things? 
the problem at Celtic isn't just about the fans and board not getting along, its about the lack of accountability... i mean think about it, 6 games without scoring a single goal, thats unacceptable... 
and yeah, O'Neill is right, you gotta know your place, but its also about players and staff taking ownership of their actions off the pitch... if anyone can bring that unity back to Parkhead, someone from outside the club might be able to bring a fresh perspective... 
right now... they need that unity, you know what I mean? 
It's like they're not all working together as a team, and it shows in their games 
. And I get where O'Neill is coming from with Jock Stein and all that, but at the end of the day, you can't just magic up some success 
. They need to sort out their differences and get on the same page... or else 
. Wilfried Nancy might be the man to bring stability, but only time will tell 
, I think the fans and board need to talk things through, you know? They can't keep protesting and then expect the team to just magically fix everything. It's like, what's the point if they don't work together? Interesting 
. It's been months since they lost their grip on the league and now they're struggling even in lower-tier matches. The protests are getting more intense, but is that really helping the team? Meanwhile, the fans who actually care about winning are probably tired of hearing from interim managers 
.
. They've had some incredible years in the past, but this whole "unification" thing rings hollow when the fans and management can't even agree on what's going on. Jock Stein might have been able to whip them into shape, but I'm not sure anyone else can fix this mess so easily 
️. Until then, I'm not holding my breath 
.
I'm so done with all this drama at Celtic! They're like the ultimate case study on how not to handle conflict 
. And what really gets me is that he's still acting like this is all about individual players making mistakes when clearly it's a systemic problem 
. Show me some actual action and leadership 
maybe o neill should focus on getting the team sorted out rather than reminiscing about the good ol' days 
. It feels like our fans are at each other's throats again. I know O'Neill is trying to bring everyone together, but it's not easy when you've got such passionate supporters who are used to getting results quickly 
. One thing's for sure, though - our fans are the heart and soul of this team 
.
their chants and protests are kinda giving me the heebie-jeebies 
meanwhile 
and it's not just about the players, it's about the fans' attitude too 
. I don't think a new manager can wave a magic wand and fix everything overnight 
. It's gonna take more than that. And let's be real, Celtic has had some top-notch managers in the past who've turned the club around 
. Can they find someone like that next? Only time will tell, but I'm not holding my breath 
. O'Neill's right that the players need to come together again, but can a new manager really bring back that unity like Stein did? It'd be crazy if someone like Nancy could walk in and turn things around 
. They're all about blaming O'Neill for everything, but have they even considered that maybe, just maybe, the problems run deeper than just one person 
?
. And as for O'Neill saying "you have to know your place" 
... yeah, because that's super reassuring when you're the one getting roasted by the fans 
. Fingers crossed!