Former Celtic captain Jackie McNamara has expressed confidence that Martin O'Neill will continue as manager beyond the current season. O'Neill is set to lead Celtic in the Scottish Cup final against Dunfermline at Hampden on Saturday, aiming to secure a domestic double after winning the league title last weekend.
O'Neill's Impact This Season
The 74-year-old manager has stepped in twice this season following the departures of Brendan Rodgers and Wilfried Nancy. Last weekend, O'Neill revealed that Celtic had given him 'a reason to live' and did not dismiss the possibility of staying on. While the club may consider a younger long-term option, McNamara believes the solution may already be in place.
McNamara, who played under O'Neill and captained Celtic to Scottish Cup victory against Dunfermline in 2004, sees no reason why his former boss cannot continue for at least another year. 'Yeah, I think it would be down to Martin and how he feels about it,' McNamara said. 'It's a question of if he really wants to do it. I think if he does, then he's shown how successful he is with the group of players he's had to work with.'
Turning the Season Around
McNamara highlighted O'Neill's ability to turn the season around after difficult periods. 'How he turned it around from before Wilfried and after Wilfried. The fact that he's going for a double, it could have been a treble this season for Martin. I think he's got the best out of the players that he's had. And that's what a manager is.'
He also noted the support staff around O'Neill, including Shaun Maloney, Mark Fotheringham, and Stephen McManus. 'The training-ground stuff, they can do all that and the coaching. I think Martin's strength was always the dressing room before you go out. Also, making the wee decisions that he does and getting the best of the players. That's what he's done with the group there.'
Champions League Prospects
McNamara believes retaining O'Neill could boost Celtic's chances of Champions League qualification. With a major squad overhaul expected in the summer, the veteran manager's big-game experience would be invaluable. 'I think he might. One more season,' McNamara said. 'It would need to be a quick turnaround if someone was coming in now. There are a lot of things to be sorted in terms of the players and recruitment. There's no doubt they need players to come in.'
'He's got the experience of doing it [in the Champions League]. He's got experience of getting there and qualifying. That's the other thing that Martin's had to contend with coming in, having the European games and then the domestic games and the cup games on top of it. He's managed to navigate his way through all that. Some big matches away at Stuttgart and a few other ones there. He's used to that pressure as well.'
Dunfermline Underdogs
McNamara, who began his career with Dunfermline before joining Celtic in 1995, warned against underestimating the Pars. Despite being heavy underdogs, he insisted Neil Lennon's side should not be written off. 'I think he's done a great job,' McNamara said of his former teammate. 'He's got a couple of young lads in there. The Tod brothers and a few others. They've loved it under him.'
'It's funny, everybody thinks this weekend it's a formality, but Dunfermline have beat three Premiership clubs to get where they are. It's not been lucky or lucky draws on the way through. They've done it quite the hard way. And they deserve to be there. I'm sure Lenny will have them all organised and difficult to beat.'
Jackie McNamara was speaking at the launch of On The Ball Academy's free and subsidised summer football programme, which aims to make football more accessible for children across Glasgow during a landmark summer of sport, including the World Cup and Commonwealth Games.
