If Martin O’Neill’s second interim spell can be as transformative as his first, Celtic could be onto something.
Things had gotten messy under Brendan Rodgers, with O’Neill coming in to tidy up – but he has an even bigger mess on his hands this time around.
Wilfried Nancy’s spell was unprecedented in Celtic’s history, as he lost six of his eight games and was sacked after just 33 days.
Despite this, a title win is still more than achievable for this Celtic team. The January transfer window will be pivotal with the Hoops six points off the top.
And it all starts this weekend against Jim Goodwin’s Dundee United.
The team I would start against Dundee United is…
Jim Goodwin on Martin O’Neill at Celtic
Goodwin admitted he ‘wasn’t surprised’ by Nancy’s sacking, having beaten him 1-0 in the sides’ last meeting at Tannadice.
The United boss will be prepared for a completely different kind of encounter this time around.
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A Celtic academy graduate who grew up supporting the club, Goodwin made his debut under O’Neill back in 2000.
And speaking to The Courier ahead of Saturday’s encounter, he paid a classy tribute to the Hoops icon.
He said: “I remember Martin came in and very quickly realised that I wasn’t good enough. He put me right back down in the reserves!
“No, he carried a great deal of respect within the dressing room. There were some strong characters in the dressing room like Chris Sutton, John Hartson, Paul Lambert, Neil Lennon; lots of big guys that have done great things in their career.
“But as soon as Martin entered the room, you could hear a pin drop.
“He had a certain aura about him that demanded respect from all the players. He was brilliant at a time when Celtic were going through a difficult patch.
“Martin sorted things out pretty quickly and they had good success together.”
After coming through at Celtic, Goodwin went on to play for Stockport County, Scunthorpe United and St Mirren, where he became a club legend.
Martin O’Neill’s fixtures beyond Dundee United clash
After his first home game back, O’Neill will take Celtic for their first away fixture against Falkirk in over a decade.
It’s a proper cup tie after that, when the Hoops will face junior outfit Auchinleck Talbot at Rugby Park in the Scottish Cup fourth round.
Attention will then turn to the Europa League, with an away trip to Bologna and a home game against Utrecht, both of which will potentially be pivotal in sealing qualification for the Celts.
Sandwiched between the European double header is the small matter of a top-of-the-table clash with Hearts at Tynecastle.
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