GARY’S LOCKDOWN STRUGGLE
Jackie McNamara claims former boss Martin O’Neill’s steel in the dressing room demanded instant respect.
Tomorrow marks the 20th anniversary of O’Neill ’s appointment at Celtic when he took over from the illfated “dream team” of John Barnes and Kenny Dalglish.
McNamara was key in both eras but believes what set the Irishman apart was his unwillingness to entertain prima donnas.
He said: “Martin didn’t suffer fools gladly and let people know if they had stepped out of line.
“It really was a case of my way or the highway – and that was there from his earliest days at the club.
“I remember one day at training when we hadn’t long got into pre-season and Stephane Mahe had a bit of a tantrum.
“Stephane was a lovely guy but he was known to lose it on occasion.
“Someone kicked him in training and after throwing the toys out of the pram, he just turned and walked off the pitch. Martin didn’t bat an eyelid.
“He just shouted on him to keep on walking and he’d just been fined two weeks wages. He was back within a shot and fairly sheepish about it. But Martin had an aura about him. You got a feel of it right away.
“Other managers do sometimes let players away with that if they are big players or important in the dressing room. There was none of that.”
O’Nei l l signed Chris Sutton who went on to form a formidable partnership with Henrik Larsson while other big signings included Joos Valgaeren, Neil Lennon and Bobo Balde.
The boss turned a 21-point deficit into a 15-point title win in Celtic’s first Treble for 32 years.
There were other big landmarks too – a UEFA Cup Final, Celtic’s first entry into the Champions League and their first passage into Europe beyond Christmas for 23 years.
McNamara said: “There was quality in the team. But there was more than that.
“There was chemistry and a real belief in the squad. The turn around that first season was remarkable.
“There were some big characters in the squad too.
“But there was just something about Martin that could get the best out of people.”