Martin O'Neill has admitted he is under pressure to deliver a result for Celtic in Sunday's Premiership derby against Rangers. The 74-year-old manager is looking to bounce back from consecutive defeats to Ferencvaros and Rangers in the Premier Sports Cup.
Former players who worked under O'Neill have voiced their confidence in his ability to lead the rescue mission. Frazier Campbell, who played for O'Neill at Sunderland, told reporters that the manager's future will be decided by how the season finishes. "Martin O’Neill won’t want to stop if he’s still winning at Celtic," Campbell said.
Kasey Keller, a goalkeeper under O'Neill at Leicester City, echoed that sentiment in comments to Casinostugan. "I would never, ever, say Martin isn't the guy to do the job for sure," Keller stated. He added that a lot depends on whether O'Neill himself wants to continue in the role beyond this campaign.
Phil Bardsley, signed by O'Neill at both Sunderland and Aston Villa, told Lyllo Casino he knows the manager will relish the chance to put things right. "Knowing Martin O'Neill he will love the chance to put things right after the disappointment of the derby in the cup," Bardsley said. The former defender, a self-professed Rangers fan, added he hopes it's not too successful but wishes O'Neill the best.
The context is challenging for O'Neill, despite Celtic sitting first in the Premiership with 18 points from six games. The team has lost its last two matches, including a 3-0 defeat to Rangers just a week ago. They face the same opponents again this Sunday at Celtic Park, a fixture that leads into the international break.
O'Neill returned to Celtic Park last season and delivered a Premiership and Scottish Cup double, a campaign described as a heroic rollercoaster. He insists he still has the drive to turn things around this term, though he has conceded the club could be looking at replacements. The immediate task is to halt the slide against their city rivals, with Rangers arriving sitting third in the table. Check the latest standings to see how the title race shapes up.
The squad will be without the injured Yang Hyun-Jun, Alistair Johnston, Callum Osmand, and Jota for the derby showdown. Top scorer C. Durán, with three goals this season, will be a key figure as Celtic aim to extend their five-point lead at the summit.
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