Martin O'Neill "realised how good the opportunity at Celtic is" before deciding to continue as manager, according to former Parkhead boss Gordon Strachan, after the Scottish champions extended their lead at the top of the Premiership.
O'Neill had admitted he considered his future last month after heading into the international break with a league loss to rivals Rangers. That marked a third consecutive defeat for the Scottish champions, following a Premier Sports Cup exit at the hands of their rivals and a Europa League opening loss to Ferencvaros.
Back-to-back wins after the break
O'Neill opted to fight on with the Glasgow giants, and a Premiership win over Motherwell appeared to calm the waters following the international break. Despite a heavy loss to Benfica in Europe, O'Neill and his table toppers made an emphatic statement last weekend as they thumped Hearts 7-1.
Strachan, who worked closely with principal shareholder Dermot Desmond during his spell as boss, with the pair publicly sharing their admiration for each other over the years, reckons the veteran gaffer has shown he is up for the fight.
Strachan on O'Neill's mindset
Strachan told BOYLE Sports: "Every manager has a moment of doubt after a painful defeat where they question if they want to continue. But after stepping back and reflecting, Martin O’Neill realised how good the opportunity at Celtic is."
"People scrutinise body language, but managers process defeat in different ways. It's good to see Celtic respond with strong performances after the break. You can tell when a manager owns their interviews, and it was good to see Celtic play so well. Martin is the right man for the job."
Title race still alive
Rangers were held on Saturday night by Dundee and failed to return to the top of the league, allowing Celtic to extend their lead at the summit to four points by demolishing Wouter Vrancken's men.
But Strachan insists it is too early to write off Derek McInnes and his side: "Football opinions change overnight. Just a few weeks ago, people were writing Rangers off completely, and after a couple of good results, the narrative shifts dramatically.
"Pundits and fans can be overly reactionary. I never believed the title race was over, and recent results show that the title race is very much alive for Rangers and Derek McInnes.
"But that's the way they were thinking, that Rangers had no chance. Especially after the Rangers performance in Europe, people said 'this was one of the worst performances Rangers have ever had'.
"It just shows you that this is the wonder of football. So I've got to say that people did think the league was finished, but it’s very much game on for both teams."
