NafisaMartin O’Neill’s Celtic reign has reached its most difficult point yet.
Just days ago, the situation looked considerably different.
Celtic had made a perfect start to their Scottish Premiership campaign, winning all six of their opening league matches and sitting at the top of the table.
But results outside the league have rapidly changed the atmosphere around the club.
First came the disappointing Champions League qualifying exit against LASK.
Then came the meeting Celtic supporters would have wanted to forget almost immediately.
Rangers produced a dominant performance at Ibrox to beat Celtic 3-0 in the Scottish League Cup, leaving O’Neill and his players with little time to recover before another important European fixture.
That response never arrived.
Instead, Celtic returned to Parkhead on Thursday night and suffered another damaging defeat, losing 3-1 to Ferencvaros in their Europa League opener.
Two defeats in the space of a few days have now transformed the conversation around O’Neill.
And with Rangers arriving at Celtic Park again on Sunday, there is a growing belief that the next 90 minutes could determine what happens next.
O’Neill’s Celtic future now under serious pressure
According to the report supplied by TEAMtalk, Celtic could consider making a managerial change if O’Neill’s side suffer another defeat to Rangers on Sunday.
That would mean Celtic losing to their biggest rivals twice in the space of seven days, with the second meeting coming on their own ground.
The circumstances would make such a result particularly difficult to absorb.
Celtic remain perfect domestically in terms of their league results, but their performances in several of the season’s biggest matches have created concerns.
The LASK elimination was followed by the emphatic Rangers defeat, before Ferencvaros inflicted another setback in front of the home support.
There are also reportedly concerns behind the scenes regarding the tactical setup and style of football being implemented under O’Neill.
Those concerns are now being tested at the worst possible time.
O’Neill knows exactly what Sunday’s fixture represents.
Another Rangers defeat would not simply be another loss.
It would arrive immediately after the 3-0 humiliation at Ibrox and the European disappointment against Ferencvaros, potentially creating a level of pressure that would be extremely difficult for the Celtic manager to escape.
Celtic’s perfect league record could count for little
One of the biggest complications for Celtic is that their league campaign tells a completely different story.
O’Neill’s team have won six out of six in the Scottish Premiership and currently sit at the summit.
That record gives the manager a significant argument in his favour.
However, the most damaging criticism has not necessarily centred on Celtic’s ability to defeat domestic opposition.
It has centred on what happens when the level of opposition increases.
The Champions League qualifying defeat to LASK, the 3-0 Rangers loss and the 3-1 defeat to Ferencvaros have all arrived in matches carrying considerably greater significance than a routine league fixture.
That contrast has inevitably raised questions about whether Celtic are getting enough from the squad in the biggest games.
And Sunday provides another immediate test.
O’Neill was only handed a one-year deal:
O’Neill returned to Celtic on a one-year contract after guiding the club to the Scottish Premiership title during his interim spell last season.
His appointment was always likely to attract scrutiny because of the expectations surrounding the club and the debate over whether Celtic should have gone in a different direction.
Now those questions have returned with considerably greater force.
O’Neill remains a hugely significant figure in Celtic’s history, but his current position is ultimately dependent on results and performances.
The club’s hierarchy must therefore decide whether the perfect league record is enough to outweigh the concerns created by the team’s performances in major fixtures.
And Sunday’s answer could be decisive.
One name that has previously been linked with the Celtic job is Kieran McKenna.
The Ipswich Town manager has been mentioned as a potential target on several occasions in the past, although a move to Glasgow has never materialised.
McKenna is now available after leaving Ipswich in the summer, meaning his name is likely to attract attention if Celtic do decide that a change in the dugout is necessary.
His coaching background includes Premier League experience and a previous role on the Manchester United coaching staff, while his teams have generally been associated with an attacking approach.
However, any decision over a replacement would ultimately depend on the direction Celtic’s hierarchy wants to take.
For now, O’Neill remains in charge.
But the timing of Sunday’s Old Firm derby could hardly be more significant.
Celtic have six league wins from six, yet their biggest tests of the season have produced a very different picture.
They have already lost to Rangers once this week.
They have subsequently been beaten by Ferencvaros.
And now the same Rangers side are coming to Parkhead.
The result could determine whether the conversation around O’Neill remains one about how he can turn Celtic’s difficult week around — or whether the club begins seriously considering what comes next.
Nafisa
