IT’S NOT OVER UNTIL IT’S OVER
As Celtic get ready to break out the champagne to celebrate title success, Martin O’Neill offers a cautionary tale from 2005
WHEN it comes to the topic of reclaiming the league title from a runaway Rangers, Martin O’Neill could write the definitive manual.
The Northern Irishman arrived in June 2000 when Celtic had just finished 21 points behind their Ibrox rivals in a season that also saw First Division side Inverness Caley Thistle inflict one of the most infamous Scottish Cup shocks of all time at Parkhead.
The dream team of John Barnes and Kenny Dalglish had turned into a nightmare but against that chaotic backdrop, O’Neill set about building a remarkable Treble-winning team.
The 70-year-old has watched this season with admiration as Ange Postecoglou has starred in a similar movie, overturning a 25-point deficit on Rangers last season to move to within three points of sealing an unlikely Premiership title.
A home win over Hearts tomorrow would effectively seal the deal due to Celtic’s superior goal difference. A further point would be needed to make arithmetically certain.
For O’Neill, however, memories of the horror film that unfolded in his last-ever match as Celtic manager means he will never take any title win for granted before it is officially rubber-stamped.
On a final day of high drama in May 2005, two late goals for Motherwell’s Scott McDonald, coupled with a 1-0 Rangers win at Easter Road, saw the helicopter carrying the league trophy suddenly change direction towards Edinburgh.
‘Celtic’s confidence is high and they’ve got over the final Rangers hurdle, drawing 1-1 at Celtic Park last Sunday, so it would be hard for them not to make it over the line,’ said O’Neill.
‘Having said that, I can go back to 2005 when we beat Rangers at Ibrox to go five points clear with four matches left.
‘Then we lost at home to Hibs and we lost in the last few minutes at Motherwell on the final day — so don’t call it until it’s over!’
When Postecoglou does steer Celtic over the line, O’Neill believes it will be a feat worth celebrating after a huge summer rebuild restored harmony to a club that imploded during the failed bid to win ten in a row.
The Australian’s commitment to an attacking style of football never wavered despite Celtic getting off to the poorest league start in 23 years.
‘It’s been a great achievement,’ said O’Neill. ‘The reason being that he’s come in without being well known and that put some Celtic fans on the back foot immediately.
‘Then all you need is a really stodgy start and suddenly there were question marks all over the place regarding the nature of his game. When you come into a new club and that happens, then the hardest thing to do is not to change a thing.
‘But, watching from a distance, the impression I got from Ange was: “Listen, I’ll get things right. The players I’ve brought to this football club will improve the team” and that is exactly what’s happened. It’s been terrific.’
O’Neill was in the room at Glasgow’s Hilton Hotel on Sunday when Postecoglou was crowned PFA Scotland’s Manager of the Year.
The former Australia boss immediately paid tribute to his backroom staff, notably longserving coach John Kennedy.
O’Neill is delighted to see Kennedy prosper, having given him his Celtic debut, only for a thuggish tackle by Romanian Ioan Ganea on his Scotland bow in March 2004 to ruin his career.
Unable to make a full recovery, Kennedy retired in 2009 before working under successive Celtic managers Ronny Deila, Brendan Rodgers, Neil Lennon and now Postecoglou.
‘John was a young player when I was at Celtic,’ recalled O’Neill.
‘He played against Rangers and Barcelona. He played at Ibrox and did really well and he followed it up at the Nou Camp.
‘Then he got into the Scotland squad and, within ten days, his career was over. It was a shocking, really shocking challenge.
‘But Ange has come in and said he has been really helpful and that is nice to hear.’
Since leaving Celtic, O’Neill has managed Aston Villa, Sunderland, the Republic of Ireland and Nottingham Forest. He has not coached since leaving the City Ground in 2019 but would welcome a route back into the game.
Asked if he does not miss the grief that comes with being a football manager, he replied: ‘Strangely enough, that’s the bit I miss the most. Genuinely.
‘It is interesting. I think I have been hiding behind Covid now for two years. I haven’t actively sought out anything.
‘Of course, you have to be asked somewhere along the way. I do some punditry work for overseas television. I jokingly say I am massive in Malaysia, but not so big in Huddersfield.
‘If some owner of a football club or somebody who was preparing to take over came to me and said: “Listen, would you fancy managing for a year or two” I would maybe give it some thought.’
O’Neill’s old right-hand man, Roy Keane, had been linked with the Hibs job recently.
As Sportsmail revealed earlier this week, Michael Appleton is in the frame to take over at Easter Road while Darren Ferguson has held talks but is unlikely to pursue the post.
Keane ruled himself out of the running and O’Neill was not surprised. He believes potential candidates may be put off by the ruthless sackings of Jack Ross and Shaun Maloney.
‘I would be surprised (if Keane went to Hibs),’ said O’Neill. ‘I was hoping he would take the Sunderland job but then you are talking about Roy having to give up TV work, which he has done really well in.
‘Contractually, it (management) might not suit him.
‘I don’t know the people at Hibs, but if he looks at it he will see they let their manager (Ross) go after he got them to the League Cup final. Then they let another manager (Maloney) go after hardly any games.’
Meanwhile, Celtic have announced a pre-season training camp in Austria in July followed by Parkhead friendlies against Blackburn (July 16) and Norwich (July 23).