Celtic have been a bit of an oxymoron this season.
On the one hand, the football on the pitch from Celtic has been ‘boring’ to watch, as previously stated by Frank McAvennie.
But on the other hand, the drama, entertainment, and off-field headlines have been non-stop, which has resulted in this being one of the most chaotic seasons in Celtic’s recent history.
That’s why Martin O’Neill returned on two occasions this term, but when the legendary coach hit back at McAvennie’s claims that the football is ‘boring’ at Parkhead, the former striker wanted to dampen the negative headlines.
“It puts Martin on the spot,” said McAvennie on reporters asking the Celtic boss about his ‘boring’ comments.
“Of course, he is going to say that. I have nothing but respect for him. He knows that. I know him. It’s just one of those things that didn’t come out sounding the way it did.”
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Frank McAvennie says he has ‘nothing but respect’ for Martin O’Neill
The irony about all of this is that Celtic’s Scottish Cup semi-final win over St Mirren certainly wasn’t boring, especially in extra-time.
But going back to when Brendan Rodgers was in charge and Celtic getting booted out of the Champions League by minnows Kairat Almaty in August, those two games certainly put you to sleep.
So, McAvennie’s claims don’t just stem from what has been happening under O’Neill, but what all the supporters have had to endure all season long.
Therefore, McAvennie isn’t wrong about what he is saying.
But he did also add on Let Me Be Frank that when he answered the question, he was talking about football in a general sense, ‘that’s Scotland and England.’
Either way, Celtic fans won’t care one jot if the team wins the double playing the most boring football during this hectic and highly pressured title run-in.
Simon Houston: “You made the back pages, Martin O’Neill having a wee go.”
McAvennie: “Martin, quite rightly so. I wasn’t having a go at Martin O’Neill, that’s for sure, because the blessed Martin, I want to take him to Rome.
“I will say it again, if Celtic win the league, then it’s nothing short of a miracle, so he should be sainted. I keep saying that.
“But there is something going on in this team that doesn’t fit though to me. It proved to me against St Mirren.
“Listen, I want Celtic winning the league, whether they win it playing rubbish football or not. I am a Celtic supporter, it’s as simple as that.
“When Forrest came on, he went by somebody, crossed the ball into the box for the striker to score a goal. It’s not rocket science. It’s one of them, I am thinking, why don’t we do that?”
Houston: “What you basically said in the interview, ‘football is boring.'”
McAvennie: “I was doing a thing promoting the semi-finals. They asked me, and I said, ‘It’s football in general.’ That’s Scotland and England.
“They were talking to me and said, ‘Does that include Celtic?” I said, ‘Yeah, it does.'”
Houston: “One of the print media sports reporters said, ‘Martin, what do you think of Frank saying football is boring?'”
McAvennie: “It puts Martin on the spot. Of course, he is going to say that. I have nothing but respect for him. He knows that. I know him. It’s just one of those things that didn’t come out sounding the way it did.”
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