Gordon Strachan reckons that Martin O’Neill, during his short spell of reflection on his own position as the Celtic manager following three consecutive defeats in eight days, soon realised how good the opportunity he has at Celtic really is…
Kieran Tierney of Celtic celebrates with teammates after scoring his team’s first goal during the Scottish Premiership match between Celtic and Hearts at Celtic Park on October 18, 2026. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
The former Celtic manager was been discussing both Martin O’Neill and Derek McInnes as the two look set to go head to head for the Scottish Premiership title for the second season in a row, although McInnes has of course changed horses for the race and and now heads up the latest Ibrox club rather that Hearts, who fell apart at the weekend.
Martin O’Neill has realised how good the opportunity at Celtic is says Strachan
“Every manager has a moment of doubt after a painful defeat where they question if they want to continue. But after stepping back and reflecting, Martin O’Neill realised how good the opportunity at Celtic is,” Gordon Strachan said.
Callum Osmand of Celtic is congratulated by Camilo Duran of Celtic after they combine to scote their team’s fourth goal during the Scottish Premiership match between Celtic and Hearts at Celtic Park on October 18, 2026. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
Celtic returned to domestic football after the break with two impressive wins away to Motherwell and on Sunday at Celtic Park when last season’s title challengers were hammered 7-1 by Martin O’Neill’s Celtic side.
“People scrutinise body language, but managers process defeat in different ways. It’s good to see Celtic respond with strong performances after the break,” WGS said.
“You can tell when a manager owns their interviews, and it was good to see Celtic play so well. Martin is the right man for the job.”
Strachan also outlined his thoughts on Derek McInnes since he jumped ship in the summer to go for the increase in calories in his soft drink.
13th September 2026; Ibrox, Scottish League Cup, Rangers versus Celtic; Rangers manager Derek McInnes. Photo Vagelis Georgariou
“Football opinions change overnight. Just a few weeks ago, people were writing Rangers off completely, and after a couple of good results, the narrative shifts dramatically,” the former Celtic and Scotland manager noted.
He added: “Pundits and fans can be overly reactionary. I never believed the title race was over, and recent results show that the title race is very much alive for Rangers and Derek McInnes.
“But that’s the way they were thinking, that Rangers had no chance. Especially after the Rangers performance in Europe, people said ‘this was one of the worst performances Rangers have ever had’.
“It just shows you that this is the wonder of football. So I’ve got to say that people did think the league was finished, but it’s very much game on for both teams,” Strachan added.
Manager Alex McLeish of Rangers and manager Gordon Strachan of Celtic look on during the Scottish Premier League match between Celtic and Rangers at Celtic Park on November 19, 2005. (Photo by Chris Lee/Getty Images)
Gordon Strachan was speaking to BOYLE Sports, who offer the latest football betting.
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Celtic in the Fifties by Matt Corr, in two volumes, both published on 4th September 2026 by Celtic Star Books. Click on image to order.
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