How many games will Martin O’Neill manage Celtic and how the new manager will be appointed 

The question of how many games will Martin O’Neill manage Celtic is a very pertinent one, as the County Londonderry native makes his return to Parkhead, 20 years after he left the club following a very successful period. 

Martin O’Neill moved from Leicester City to Celtic in the summer of 2000, and over the next five seasons, he amassed three Scottish Premier League titles, three Scottish Cups, and one Scottish League Cup. 

There was also the run to the UEFA Cup final in Seville in 2002/03, when Jose Mourinho’s Porto defeated his team. 

His stock and status remain high in the East End of Glasgow, but two decades later, there is so much uncertainty around Celtic. 

O’Neill has answered the call from Celtic’s largest-minority shareholder, Dermot Desmond, following the conclusion of the Brendan Rodgers fallout. 

The Kilrea man will be assisted by his former player, Shaun Maloney, who has had spells as a manager in his own right at Hibernian and Wigan Athletic, both of which have been relatively unfruitful. 

In recent months, he has been back working at Celtic as the player pathway manager. 

How many games will Martin O’Neill manage Celtic? 

O’Neill has stressed that he is the interim manager and no more. 

“Number one, yes, this is definitely interim, he told the press conference on Tuesday. 

“There could be a new manager in two week’s time.

“If we don’t win on Wednesday, we might not have a manager on Thursday, O’Neill joked.

“That’s it, absolutely. Celtic will be looking for a young manager to come in with a very decent CV.”

However, his new tenure in the dugout will be dictated by results and the overall search for a new manager. 

If wins follow, there will be space and time added to the process, while speculation will grow on the continued status of O’Neill and Maloney. 

If results don’t pick up, the process to appoint a new boss will likely intensify. 

https://twitter.com/footballontnt/status/1983489264487702730

Martin O’Neill’s fixture schedule as interim Celtic manager

With Celtic trailing Hearts by eight points, there is no margin for error. 

Three points against Falkirk on Wednesday evening are imperative, ahead of a tough run of games, either side of the November international break. 

First up is Falkirk, followed by Sunday’s crunch Old Firm meeting with Rangers in the semi-final of the Scottish League Cup.

There is also the Europa League campaign to contend with, while Hearts only have league business to concentrate on over the next couple of months. 

• Celtic v Falkirk, Scottish Premiership, 29 October
• Celtic v Rangers, Scottish League Cup semi-final, 2 November
• Midtjylland v Celtic, Europa League, 6 November
• Celtic v Kilmarnock, Scottish Premiership, 9 November
• St Mirren v Celtic, Scottish Premiership, 22 November
• Feyenoord v Celtic, Europa League, 27 November

What happens next for Martin O’Neill at Celtic? 

As stated, the next steps will be dictated by results, but the man himself is adamant that this is a short-term fix. 

His response on an extended stay in Glasgow was clear.

“That’s never been discussed. I would say no I think I’ll just go into the sunset. That’s not been discussed and I wouldn’t imagine it.”

Martin O’Neill indicated Celtic will be looking for a younger manager with a proven record, as part of their wider appeal. 

Robbie Keane, Damien Duff, and Kieran McKenna are three prominent Irish managers to feature on the next Celtic manager odds list. 

In this betting market, the rules state that caretaker and interim managers will not count unless they complete at least 10 competitive games and they will then be deemed the permanent manager. Should a club appoint a director of football, this will not count in the settlement of permanent manager markets.

Former boss Ange Postecoglou has been linked to Celtic, but this article suggests the club should look to the future beyond the Australian. 

Image credit: celticstarmag/X