Celtic have a duty of care where Martin O'Neill is concerned, given all that he has done for the club over the last 11 months, according to Hugh Keevins. This is not a form of absolution from blame, no matter what happens to the team on the park, as that would be an artificial working relationship which would not even be to his liking.
However, there is a need to be aware of what's best for all concerned after the season-altering, ignominious implosion against LASK in Tuesday night's Champions League qualifier.
Fallout from the LASK defeat
The first radio caller after the match said the modern game had passed O'Neill by and left Celtic exposed in the technical area as a consequence. Keevins asks what the fallout would have been if Wilfried Nancy had lost five goals in Austria, when Celtic had a four-goal aggregate lead, other than calls for his dismissal.
There is no such thing as a legacy when it comes to Celtic managers. Jock Stein made history by winning the European Cup, and Celtic got rid of him. Billy McNeill was Stein's captain in Lisbon in 1967 and successor in the manager's office, winning Celtic the league and Scottish Cup Double in their centenary year in 1988, and the club got rid of him as well. Tommy Burns has a plaque in his memory at the front door of Celtic Park, but he was sacked as manager without ceremony.
O'Neill's position and health
Celtic would never get rid of O'Neill, but iconic status has a shelf-life. Some supporters believe he reached his expiry date in Linz, and in hindsight they think he should have seen an astonishing domestic Double last season as a perfect chance to bow out as a hero.
Keevins describes Celtic's capitulation against LASK as the worst result and performance in the 138 years of Celtic's history, saying it will live on in infamy. He argues that the global brand known as Celtic Football Club can't go on operating in a meaningful way because of what is, in the eyes of the fans, the fatally-flawed stewardship of principal shareholder Dermot Desmond. Celtic have, as of last week, become what Desmond despises above all else in association with his name: a laughing stock.
Keevins remains firm in his conviction that Desmond has run his course and Celtic need fresh dynamism from a person or persons unknown with a greater commitment to the club's day-to-day running. At the same time, it's only right that Martin's position as manager be reviewed in a humane fashion.
Responsibility and the road ahead
Post-match, O'Neill took full responsibility for Celtic losing, their sixth Champions League qualifier in a row. But while praising the manager for his honesty, that does not exonerate him from his share of the blame. The clue is in O'Neill's title: management is about handling in-game problems as they arise, and he has to bear responsibility for an inability to reorganise a side who had fallen beneath professional standards.
Keevins wonders if the recently-hospitalised Martin might reflect on what happened in Austria, and his inability to alter events, and conclude that his time as Celtic's saviour might be better brought to a dignified close, or redefined in terms of work practices, to lessen stress levels before matters get worse. He didn't create the mess that Celtic are in – the principal shareholder could be accused of starting it with his decision to jettison Brendan Rodgers. O'Neill, with the winning of a melodramatic league and Scottish Cup double, more than did his bit to restore dignity.
A renewal of internal warfare between club and supporters is very much underway, and it would be deeply regrettable if O'Neill was caught up in the crossfire. Keevins suggests it may be time for O'Neill to put himself and his health first and take a step back. The season is still in its infancy, but does Martin have the energy reserves or the inclination to enter the winter immersed in several theatres of war that a much younger man would find exhausting?
Schedule and squad concerns
There are two Old Firm derbies in eight days in September along with the start of Europa League matches before the month is out. It is a punishing schedule and resources are low. Keevins notes that Celtic finished up in Linz with the likes of Anthony Ralston, Liam Scales, Luke McCowan and Dane Murray on the pitch, with the tried-and-found-wanting attempting to salvage a place in the Champions League.
Fate has taken Celtic back to Lisbon to face Benfica in the Europa League. It will be a pilgrimage for fans, and they deserve to think the manager and his players will respect the occasion – not sully the club's name as they did on Tuesday night. Standards of application, determination and appreciation of what is expected from them will need to be infinitely higher than in midweek. This is the kind of pressure that now rests on O'Neill's shoulders.
