Tony Pulis has revealed that a Celtic supporter told him he is 'frightened to death' that Martin O'Neill could tarnish his legacy at the club by staying on too long. The veteran former Stoke City and West Brom boss shared the fan's concern after speaking with him recently.
O'Neill's Return and Current Form
O'Neill returned to Celtic initially on an interim basis last season before stepping in again following the departure of Wilfried Nancy, guiding the club to a Double. He resumed charge in the summer, and the team currently sits top of the league after back-to-back wins following the international break, though performances have not been wholly convincing.
The Hoops have lost all three of their Europa League matches and suffered back-to-back defeats to Rangers before the break, which had O'Neill considering his future. They returned with a convincing win over Hearts but looked shaky in their 2-1 victory over Hibs last time out.
Fan Fears Over Legacy
Pulis told CasinoHawks: "I was speaking to a massive Celtic supporter who goes up there every week the other day, and Martin is an absolute legend up there. The supporters idolise him."
"The one thing this lad said to me, which resonates a bit, is that he is frightened to death that Martin loses that esteem that he's got from the supporters the longer he goes on, whereas at the moment he is absolutely idolised by everybody up there."
Pulis added: "But telling Martin that is another thing. He'll be wanting to prove everybody wrong. Until they knock the nails in his coffin, he'll still be trying to prove people wrong, which is brilliant. To have the energy and commitment that he's got at a club like that which demands you to win every week, it's not over a season, it's every week, is extraordinary."
Sinclair Backs O'Neill
Former Celtic winger Scott Sinclair, however, believes O'Neill is the right man to lead the club to another title. Sinclair, who was part of the Invincible Treble and Treble Treble winning sides under Brendan Rodgers and Neil Lennon, acknowledged that Rangers are providing more of a challenge than Celtic are used to.
Sinclair told Andy's Bet Club: "When you play against Rangers, it means so much. Playing in it, you understand how big of a game it is for the fans and it's what they live for when both teams meet on the weekend."
"The main priority is to win the Premiership every season. When you're at Celtic, you're expected to play and win every single game, and it's the same with Rangers now. Rangers have improved but for me, Celtic will always be the team everyone is chasing and Martin O'Neill is the right man to go and win another title."
Sinclair concluded: "He has so much experience, and you can see that in how he manages Celtic to silverware. Even when fans and people are talking and aren't happy with certain results, he is still the right man to be at Celtic. The main thing for him is to go out and win the league and he will do that."
