Martin O'Neill has defended his recent team selections and dismissed criticism of his age ahead of Celtic's key Old Firm clash with Rangers. The Celtic manager insisted his job is not to explain every decision to the media, responding to questions about his choice of goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo for Thursday's 3-1 Europa League defeat to Ferencvaros.

O'Neill was speaking in a pre-match interview before the Ferencvaros game. When asked about the thinking behind reinstating Sinisalo, who replaced Sam Johnstone after his nervy display in the 3-0 Premier Sports Cup loss to Rangers, O'Neill was direct. "No, I won’t talk to you about the thinking behind that there," O'Neill said. "Sinisalo was always going to play that game as well too."

Manager's media stance

The 74-year-old manager expanded on his approach to dealing with press inquiries. "Believe it or not Connie, my job is not to explain every single situation to you, much as you are going to ask and I’m delighted you are," O'Neill stated. He said he would inform supporters about selection decisions through the club's own in-house media channels instead. O'Neill admitted he can become "tetchy" at times and has had to apologise for it, but stressed he does not read social media and remains unaware of specific fan reactions.

Addressing suggestions he might be too old for the demanding role, O'Neill pointed to recent success. He referenced that Celtic won the league last season when he was 73. His team currently sits first in the Premiership with 18 points from six perfect victories, holding a five-point lead over their city rivals. However, the team's recent form shows they have conceded 7 goals in their last 3 matches across all competitions.

Looking to the derby

O'Neill firmly rejected claims that Celtic have hit "rock bottom" following back-to-back defeats. The losses came against Ferencvaros and Rangers, with the last meeting at Ibrox ending 3-0. Despite those setbacks, the manager emphasised the broader context of being league leaders. "We are still in the lead in the league," O'Neill said. He noted that a victory in Saturday's derby at Celtic Park could extend their advantage to eight points.

However, O'Neill insisted the match is not a "must-win" game in the traditional sense. "It would be nice to win it but it wouldn't be great if we lost it," he explained. He acknowledged the fixture's magnitude regardless of when it is played, stating the team needs to be ready for a battle whether it's in September or March. Celtic will be without several key players including Yang Hyun-Jun, Alistair Johnston, Callum Osmand and Jota for the encounter.

The next fixture sees Celtic host second-placed Rangers on Saturday, 20 September, with kick-off at 12:30pm. A full rundown of the upcoming schedule is available on our fixtures list.

Read the full report at Daily Record Football