Celtic may have to find a new head coach to lead the team out for their next game on the other side of the extended three-week break for international matches.
After the team’s third successive loss in all competitions on Sunday, Martin O’Neill revealed that he will have to reflect on his suitability for the job during the break.
It now remains to be seen whether or not the veteran Northern Irish tactician will still be in charge of the club when the Hoops travel to play Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership next month.
Celtic have lost twice to Rangers and lost 3-1 to Ferencvaros in the Europa League in their last three matches, and those defeats could result in a change in the dugout.
Why Martin O’Neill may walk away from Celtic job
There are multiple reasons as to why O’Neill may decide to walk away from his 12-month rolling contract instead of being sacked by the board during the break.
The 74-year-old boss initially only joined on a short-term basis to help the team out last season, and has only ever committed to short-term contracts, which suggests that he may not want to continue if he does not feel like he is making a short-term impact.
Another reason why O’Neill could move on from Parkhead is because of the work done during the summer transfer window. It has been claimed that he was unhappy with the signing of Oliver Sorensen as a replacement for Arne Engels.
|
26/26 Premiership |
Oliver Sorensen |
|---|---|
|
Appearances |
3 |
|
xG |
0.44 |
|
Goals |
0 |
|
Key passes per game |
0.7 |
|
Assists |
0 |
|
Tackles + interceptions per game |
0.3 |
|
Ground duel success rate |
33% |
|
Aerial duel success rate |
50% |
The Dane has yet to show that he has the attacking quality to replace Engels in the number ten role, failing to provide a goal or an assist in his start against St. Johnstone in the Premiership.
O’Neill, therefore, may decide to walk away from the job because of the team’s short-term struggles and the lack of quality brought in during the summer transfer window.
Celtic have held talks with dream O’Neill upgrade
Should the experienced boss move on from Parkhead in the coming days or weeks, the club have already held talks earlier this year with managers who could replace him.
At the end of the 2025/26 campaign, Celtic’s board held talks with former Ferencvaros head coach Robbie Keane about potentially taking over from O’Neill at Paradise, and he was open to taking the job, even being interviewed by the hierarchy.
However, they turned away from that potential move when O’Neill made it clear that he was willing to stay on for another year, as the club opted to go for continuity instead of bringing in a new long-term manager.
Almost four months later, the Hoops should now make contact with the Irishman to see if he is still interested in taking the job, because there may be an opening during the international break.
Keane left Ferencvaros at the end of last season after winning 31 of his 50 league matches in charge of the Hungarian outfit, winning one league title in two seasons.
The 46-year-old boss, who typically deploys a 3-5-2 formation, also navigated the European stage impressively during his time with the club, reaching the last 16 of the Conference League and the Europa League.
|
Robbie Keane’s record in Europe |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Stat |
Conference League |
Europa League |
|
Matches |
8 |
16 |
|
Wins |
6 |
8 |
|
Draws |
0 |
3 |
|
Losses |
2 |
5 |
|
Points |
18 |
27 |
|
Points per game |
2.25 |
1.69 |
Meanwhile, O’Neill lost at the play-off stage in the Europa League last season and oversaw a 5-3 aggregate loss to LASK in their Champions League qualifier this term.
Keane has shown that he can deliver results in Europe, unlike O’Neill, and that suggests that he has the potential to arrive at Parkhead as a big upgrade on the Northern Irishman, as he has the tactical nous to oversee big wins in European competitions.
The 3-5-2 manager is not only impressive when it comes to European matches, though, as he has also won 58 of his 87 league matches as a head coach, winning titles with Ferencvaros and Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Keane, who has won 2.20 points per game across his career, has shown that he can set up a team to dominate matches and win league titles, whilst also being able to set up a side to play on the counter in European games.
The former Celtic striker, therefore, could be the perfect appointment for the Scottish giants, should O’Neill walk away from his post, because he has a proven track record of doing exactly what the Hoops would need him to do.
