Martin O’Neill was on punditry duty before everything exploded inside the four walls of Celtic on Monday evening.
In the morning, O’Neill was working for talkSPORT and discussing all things Scottish football, especially Hearts’ lead over Celtic, as well as Rangers’ continued demise.
Fast forward to the present, and Brendan Rodgers has left Celtic, with O’Neill returning to the dugout, with Shaun Maloney beside him.
But before O’Neill could come in, he had some interesting discussions on the radio regarding the format of the Premiership, and who it suits.
- READ MORE: John Kennedy leaves Celtic as two key backroom team members stay with O’Neill and Maloney
Martin O’Neill plays down suggestion of Celtic and Rangers advantage amid Hearts’ lead
This is unprecedented territory for Hearts. An eight-point lead over the champions of Scotland, and a further 13-point lead over Rangers, as well as beating both of them this season.
But it was suggested to O’Neill, by a Hearts fan on talkSPORT, that ‘the league is designed to suit Celtic and Rangers’ because you have to play each other four times, and they could yet ‘easily’ claw those points total back.
However, O’Neill wasn’t too sure, and this was his take on it all.
Hearts fan: “I would rather be in Arsenal’s position, because you simply play each other twice. In Scotland, it’s designed to suit Celtic and Rangers. You play each other four times a season. So, they can claw those points back quite easily.”
O’Neill’s response: “I’m not so sure when they were playing four times with each other, it was designed to help Celtic and Rangers.
“But it probably would do, in all honesty. I think it was the number of teams that were involved in the league at the time, and they were trying to stretch it and get so many games.
“Remember, towards the end of the season, you had 33 games, and then the extra five matches, which still exists.”
Celtic’s next meeting with Hearts before the split
This is a very busy period for Celtic, because of European commitments, something Hearts and Derek McInnes don’t have to deal with.
But the next meeting between the two isn’t far away, of course, due to broadcasting reasons, the game could be shifted by 24 hours.
- Celtic vs Hearts at Parkhead, Premiership, Sunday, December 7
Then, after the turn of the year, Celtic, and it will be interesting to see who will be in the dugout for the Hoops, will return to Tynecastle for meeting number three.
- Hearts vs Celtic at Tynecastle, Premiership, Sunday, January 25
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