Martin O’Neill once again rolled back the years

On Saturday Celtic’s latest manager this season Martin O’Neill once again rolled back the years as Celtic got back to winning ways with a 4-0 win over Dundee United. Chants of his name rang out in the East End of Glasgow and beyond long after the final whistle. The Derry mans name was even sung in the queue at Glasgow Airport as we waited to board our aeroplane to take us over the Irish sea to Dublin Airport.

O’Neill is famous for his man management skills and he will need it if the Celtic board do not back him in the transfer market. He has told reporters that this Celtic team needs new faces in the door in this transfer window. The Celtic fans I spoke to after the game on Saturday are not confident that those running Celtic can deliver for O’Neill with one fan calling them clueless and outdated.

On Saturday afternoon Celtic dominated, Dundee United created chance after chance in front of goal. Each goal was celebrated with fist pumps and hugs and a sense if relief.

The Bhoys Ultras were in full voice once again in the absence of the Green Brigade who remain banned so was left to the Bhoys to get the songs and chants going including “All Celtic Fans against the Board” and “Sack the Board”.

The re-appointment of Martin O’Neill and Saturday’s win took the toxic atmosphere away from the match day experience at Celtic Park that had been brewing and getting worse with each passing week of this calamity of a season since Brendan Rodgers called for the Celtic board to back him to build a team capable of competing in the Champions League.

We all now know how that worked out and how the rest of the season played out with the mis-management of the football side of the club. The financial spreadsheets may look healthy but the team is in need of surgery and has been for 12 months.

Celtic’s new chairman Brian Wilson has called for Unity but refuses to meet with Celtic supporters after the Celtic Fans Collective released an open letter to ask him to meet them for talks. Banners were on display on Saturday including “So Much for Unity, Brian” and “Nicholson Own Your Failures Resign”.

Each morning when I wake up I check my phone to see if I missed something during the night regarding transfers. It’s a bad habit as it is the last thing I do before I go to sleep. Sure what could happen during the night? Nothing. During the day I am hoping that news will break that Celtic have finally signed a striker ready to go into the first team, 12 months is a long time to wait.

The silence from the Celtic Board continues as they refuse to take responsibility for the state of the club and the mess they have made of it during the the past 12 months. Failure to back O’Neill in the transfer window will not be forgiven. Celtic sit in third place in the league and are now in a 3 horse race for the title with Hearts favourites in the race.

Time is running out for the current Celtic board. O’Neill is a club icon and he has Dermot Desmond’s ear surly he now has to listen to him and as the Puppet Master at the club pull the strings to allow the Celtic board to back the manager and open talks with the Celtic fans. Over to you Dermot to finally get your finger out!

Andrew Milne is Editor of More than 90 Minutes & Host of the Celtic Soul Podcast