Martin O'Neill is staying at Celtic. After a week in which he openly said he would think about his future, the 74-year-old has come back from the international break and told the club's own media channel that the answer took him very little time to reach.
Three defeats and a pause to think
The wobble began after Rangers won 1-0 at Celtic Park on 20 September, the second defeat by the old rivals in a short spell, with a Europa League loss to Ferencvaros wedged in between. O'Neill said afterwards that he would take time to reflect and speak to the board, and that was enough to set off a round of resignation talk among supporters and in the papers. He now describes the reaction as overblown. Losing to your fiercest rival and dropping a European tie is, in his words, not the end of the world, even if it was painted that way.
He was also candid about how he reviews a bad run. As a manager, he said, he looks at himself first, which he joked is a change from his playing days, when he blamed everyone else for his own poor games. His view of the Rangers defeat is that it hinged on one moment: an equaliser just after the restart, he argued, would have turned the whole afternoon into a different match.
What the club said and what Sky Sports understands
Sky Sports News reporter Anthony Joseph writes that Celtic were never close to sacking him. The real question was whether he would walk away himself, and the club stayed calm throughout. Chief executive Michael Nicholson had already put his name to a public show of support in the club's latest financial results, saying everyone would come together behind the manager and the players as they chase success at home and in the Europa League. O'Neill's own reading of his position matches that: he wants to lead the club, he wants to try to win the league, and he says he is as determined as he has ever been.
Injury news and a hard month ahead
There was some welcome team news too. Jota played 45 minutes of a training-ground friendly against Falkirk on Friday, a step forward for a winger who has spent 18 months out with a knee injury. Alistair Johnston and Callum Osmand are back on the training pitch after hamstring problems. The one doubt is Hyun-jun Yang, who felt his hamstring while away with South Korea, and O'Neill will check on him on Friday.
The fixture list gives him no room to settle. Celtic travel to Motherwell on Sunday for a 12pm kick-off live on Sky Sports, and that opens a run of five games that also takes in a trip to Benfica, home games against Hearts and Celta Vigo, and an away match at Hibernian. If the manager's reflection was real, this is the stretch that will show whether the squad has taken it on board.
Match facts / Club context: Martin O'Neill, 74, Celtic manager. Next game: Motherwell v Celtic, Fir Park, Sunday 11 October, kick-off 12:00, live on Sky Sports. Following fixtures: Benfica (away), Hearts (home), Celta Vigo (home), Hibernian (away). Source reporting: Sky Sports, 6 October 2026.
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