Celtic’s Martin O’Neill future latest – succession plans, club stance and £1m barrier

Martin O’Neill Celtic future latest as manager considers next move during international break

Martin O’Neill’s future at Celtic remains one of the biggest talking points during the international break after the veteran manager admitted he would take time to consider his position.

The 74-year-old opened the door to a possible departure following Celtic’s 1-0 defeat to Rangers, a result which completed a miserable run of three straight losses.

The Hoops had already been knocked out of the Premier Sports Cup by their city rivals before suffering a Europa League defeat to Ferencvaros. The league loss to Rangers then left Celtic with just a two-point advantage at the summit of the Scottish Premiership.

O’Neill has now had some time away from the immediate pressure, with Celtic facing a difficult run when domestic football returns.

Motherwell are next up on October 11 before a trip to Lisbon to face Benfica, while Hearts will then visit Celtic Park.

What O’Neill said about his future

O’Neill acknowledged after the Rangers defeat that he needed to assess whether he remained the right person to lead Celtic.

The experienced manager said he would reflect on what he could do differently to help the team and indicated that he would also speak with the Celtic board.

He explained that he planned to take a few days away from the situation before making any conclusions about his future.

O’Neill also admitted that his age could be part of the discussion, although he stressed that his main concern was whether he could still make a positive difference to the team.

Celtic board still backing O’Neill

Despite the uncertainty surrounding the manager, Celtic chief executive Michael Nicholson has publicly backed O’Neill.

Speaking after the club published its latest accounts, Nicholson acknowledged the disappointment of the difficult week but insisted the club would continue to support the manager and his players.

He said Celtic would now focus on recovering domestically and competing in the Europa League.

That public backing suggests there has been no immediate decision to remove O’Neill from his position.

Could the finances play a part?

There has also been speculation over whether the financial implications of changing manager could influence Celtic’s thinking.

Former Celtic player Charlie Mulgrew suggested that O’Neill could be due a significant payout if the club were to terminate his position.

Mulgrew claimed the figure could be close to £1million, although that figure has not been confirmed by Celtic.

His view was that O’Neill believes he can still do the job, while the club may be reluctant to pay a substantial compensation package if the manager leaves.

Who could replace O’Neill?

Several names have already been linked with the Celtic job amid the uncertainty.

Roy Keane was among those to attract attention after being spotted at Celtic Park during the recent 1-0 defeat to Rangers.

The former Celtic midfielder has previously said he would be interested in another management opportunity, but he has also dismissed the idea that he would attend matches simply to watch a manager under pressure with a view to replacing them.

Robbie Keane was another name previously considered before O’Neill was appointed on a permanent basis, although he has since indicated that he is enjoying time away from football following his departure from Ferencvaros.

Kieran McKenna has also entered the conversation, with former Celtic winger Aiden McGeady claiming he had heard the former Ipswich boss could be part of the club’s plans for next year.

Will O’Neill still be in charge against Motherwell?

For now, the expectation is that O’Neill will remain in the Celtic dugout when the Premiership resumes.

Former Celtic midfielder Scott Allan believes the manager will want to stay and fight after taking time away to clear his head.

Former Rangers goalkeeper Cammy Bell has reached a similar conclusion, suggesting O’Neill’s decision to remain in place after such a difficult week indicates that he still believes he can lead Celtic to silverware this season.

The next indication of O’Neill’s future could therefore come when Celtic return to action against Motherwell on October 11.