NafisaMartin O’Neill has sent a pointed message to those adding to the pressure surrounding Celtic, insisting that the belief inside his dressing room matters far more than the criticism coming from pundits, supporters and the wider media.
The Celtic boss has endured an uncomfortable spell, with the club’s disappointing results sparking questions about his future and whether he can turn things around at Parkhead.
Defeats against Rangers and Benfica intensified the scrutiny, leaving O’Neill facing uncomfortable questions during the international break. Even his own comments about reflecting on his position fuelled speculation that his time in charge could be coming to an end.
Kris Boyd was among the pundits discussing the growing crisis around Celtic, warning that the negativity surrounding the club could threaten to make the situation worse if it was not addressed quickly.
Speaking on Go Ballistic, the former Rangers striker said: “But there’s a lot of negativity kicking around Celtic Park right now. And if it’s not addressed pretty quickly, this can start to unravel.”
Those remarks came as Celtic struggled to find consistency, with the pressure mounting on O’Neill following the Old Firm disappointment and the subsequent European setback.
However, the experienced manager has now made it clear that he will not allow the noise surrounding Celtic to dictate his approach, delivering a firm response to the wider debate as he prepares his team for another crucial European assignment.
O’Neill makes feelings clear amid growing pressure
Speaking on Celtic Player ahead of Thursday’s Europa League meeting with Celta Vigo, O’Neill addressed the media reaction to his comments following the defeat to Benfica.
Rather than allowing the criticism to dominate the conversation, the Celtic manager insisted that his priority had been to ensure his players took encouragement from the performance and maintained their belief.
“Well, the interesting thing you talk about the media, in all honesty, is that I know whatever you say, it’ll go whatever way they want it to go. But I was really positive about the second half.
“I told the players in the dressing room after the Benfica game that that’s it, we’ve got to take the positive side of it, otherwise you just might as well lie down.
“I wasn’t widely bothered about what media or fanzines were saying at the end of it all, as long as the players believed it was the most important thing. And they certainly did.
“We had great moments on Sunday, it was lovely to win, it was lovely to score the goals that we did. And now we’ve got a massive game on Thursday to try and win, to try and get back into that competition.”
Although O’Neill did not name Boyd or any other pundit directly, his comments offered a clear indication of how he views the criticism surrounding his team.
The Celtic manager appears determined to separate the external debate from the work taking place on the training ground, arguing that the players’ mentality matters more than whatever narrative develops outside the club.
That message comes at a time when the pressure on O’Neill has been impossible to ignore.
Boyd warned Celtic’s situation could unravel
Boyd’s comments reflected the concerns being raised about Celtic during a difficult period, with the former Rangers striker suggesting that the growing negativity could become a problem if the club failed to respond.
The former Ibrox forward has regularly analysed Celtic’s performances as part of his punditry, and the club’s recent struggles provided plenty of material for debate.
Celtic’s defeat to Rangers intensified the scrutiny, while the 4-1 loss to Benfica added another setback at a time when O’Neill was already facing questions about his future.
The manager subsequently admitted that he would reflect on his position during the international break, prompting further speculation about whether he would continue in the role.
Paul Slane predicted that O’Neill would “walk”, while Paul Lambert suggested that a departure would not surprise him. Stephen McGowan, Graham Spiers and Hugh Keevins also discussed the possibility of O’Neill leaving during the break.
O’Neill eventually remained in charge, but the discussion surrounding his future demonstrated how quickly the situation had escalated.
His latest remarks suggest that he is keen to prevent that outside pressure from undermining the players’ confidence.
Celtic’s 7-1 response gives O’Neill something to build on
The emphatic 7-1 victory over Hearts on Sunday provided Celtic with a welcome lift after the disappointment against Benfica.
Callum Osmand scored twice on his first professional start, while Benjamin Nygren also registered a brace as Celtic produced a dominant attacking display.
For O’Neill, the result offered evidence that his players could respond positively despite the criticism and uncertainty surrounding the club.
However, the manager will know that one impressive domestic performance cannot erase the concerns raised by the defeats against Rangers and Benfica.
Thursday’s meeting with Celta Vigo will provide another opportunity for Celtic to demonstrate that the Hearts result was the beginning of a genuine improvement rather than an isolated high point.
O’Neill is under pressure to deliver in Europe, and another disappointing result would inevitably bring fresh questions about the team’s direction.
A message to the critics?
O’Neill stopped short of directly confronting Boyd, and his interview should not be interpreted as a confirmed personal response to the former Rangers striker.
Nevertheless, his insistence that he was not overly concerned about what the media and fanzines were saying will resonate amid the ongoing debate over Celtic’s recent performances.
Boyd warned that the negativity surrounding the club could cause the situation to unravel. O’Neill, meanwhile, has placed his faith in the players and their ability to respond on the pitch.
The contrast is clear: while pundits continue to debate the seriousness of Celtic’s problems, O’Neill believes the most important response must come from within the dressing room.
Now he needs results to support that position.
A strong performance against Celta Vigo would strengthen his argument that Celtic are moving in the right direction. Another setback, however, would give the critics even more reason to question whether the club has truly turned a corner.
Nafisa
