Martin O'Neill Issues Challenge to Celtic Squad Ahead of Ibrox Clash
Celtic manager Martin O'Neill has issued a direct challenge to his players ahead of today's Scottish Cup quarter-final showdown at Ibrox, urging them to force his hand for team selection throughout the remainder of the season. The Parkhead club's tenth match since early February marks the end of a grueling period, with O'Neill anticipating a lighter schedule post-derby that will reduce the need for rotation and minimize enforced changes due to injuries or suspensions.
Form Over Rotation as Schedule Eases
With the business end of the campaign now in sight, O'Neill emphasized that standout performances against Rangers could cement a player's place in the starting lineup. Reflecting on the hectic fixture list, he recalled, 'It might have been one free week in the two spells that I've been in. Coming back second time, it's just been that midweek, midweek, midweek. And therefore, in your mind you think - can the players continue this and keep going?'
He added, 'So, there's that element of form, as much as anything else. I'm not even sure that I would have played the same side twice in two consecutive games. Now, when you're down to the one fixture per week, then it will really very much matter of how you perform that time. Because you've got time to recover, you've got time to think about it.'
O'Neill highlighted that the reduced fixture congestion allows for more stability, stating, 'So really, the times of rotation, you have now a wee bit more time. You don't have to worry about rotation as much. It's the injuries that concern you and the form. And if you can do really well at Ibrox, you give yourself a chance, don't you of staying in the side.'
Celtic's Resilience on the Road Praised
The manager praised his team's recent away performances, which began in Stuttgart, continued at Ibrox a week ago, and concluded with a midweek trip to Pittodrie. With two wins and a draw from those matches, O'Neill believes they have demonstrated their ability to thrive in challenging environments.
'They have and I think they should really get some credit for that,' he remarked. 'I thought that Stuttgart was pretty hostile in that sense. They're flying in the Bundesliga, so we did great there. But to come back to Rangers and show some character in the second half, and then to follow up with a game on a pitch just trying to recover from pretty lousy weather, for us to go and win the game was really important.'
He concluded, 'It sets us up anyway. At least then after this, we're nearly down to just one fixture per week, which gives us a chance again, if we can hang in.'
Desire to Make Amends After Cup Final Disappointment
O'Neill's first spell this season saw Celtic defeat Rangers at Hampden in the League Cup semi-final, with Luke McCowan scoring a morale-boosting goal in the second leg win at Stuttgart. However, he was forced to watch from afar as the side lost the final to St Mirren under Wilfried Nancy's management, and he senses lingering disappointment among the players he later returned to coach.
When asked if he detected a desire to make amends, O'Neill responded, 'I hope so. I genuinely hope so. It's not something I've mentioned at the time. It's obviously a massive disappointment to them that they couldn't win that. Maybe you’ve given me food for thought. I might even mention it to them tomorrow or something.'
Reflections on Past Triumphs and Hampden Memories
O'Neill's last game in his initial tenure was a one-goal victory over Dundee United in the 2005 Scottish Cup Final. Hoping to return to Hampden in May under better circumstances, he reflected on that bittersweet moment, noting, 'It was kind of bittersweet in many aspects because we'd lost the league the previous week at Motherwell. If you ask me about memories, my two biggest memories of my five years at Celtic were Seville and Motherwell. It's never been about winning. The two times you get beaten. And it's essentially true. But it was nice, I suppose, to finish winning the Scottish Cup.'
He added a personal touch, saying, 'Which actually, believe it or not, means a great deal to me because I go back to the days when there was only one live game on TV. It was the FA Cup final. And then you were getting reports coming through, if memory serves me right occasional pictures, what was happening at what I would call the great Hampden. The atmospheric Hampden, not the one where the seats are about 14 miles away. But still, it's a great competition. So, from that viewpoint, yeah. It was just nice maybe to finish my spell there as having won something.'
