Jens Berthel Askou did not need long inside Celtic Park to recognise something had changed during the win against Rangers.
The Motherwell manager was in attendance for Celtic’s 3-1 Glasgow Derby win over Rangers and his assessment afterwards said plenty about where Martin O’Neill’s side are right now.
Speaking ahead of facing Celtic, Askou admitted: “Yeah, I think they were on their way.
“Since the last time we played them they’ve picked up some results, but I also think there have been some more solid performances lately.
“I was there on Sunday for the game and you could feel the whole atmosphere. The club is a lot more united now and really in a good state.”
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Motherwell boss Askou spotted Celtic’s mentality shift first-hand
What makes Askou’s comments notable is that they are coming from an opposition manager preparing to face Celtic in a massive match.
He was not simply praising results. He was talking about atmosphere, belief and momentum. Those were all visible once Celtic recovered from going behind against Rangers.
Askou added: “A lot of positivity around them and obviously after a difficult start in the game, I think they start really brightly [against Rangers], but then they go behind and then to come back and win from their perspective to have everything in their own hands, is a massive thing for them to have right now.”
That comeback summed up the shift around this Celtic side under Martin O’Neill. Earlier in the season, setbacks regularly became collapses. Now the team looks composed even when momentum swings against them.
Daizen Maeda’s derby brace captured that mentality perfectly. Celtic responded immediately to adversity and overwhelmed Rangers once belief returned inside the stadium.
Askou’s “all the momentum” claim says everything about Celtic
The most telling part of Askou’s assessment was his admission that Celtic now carry the psychological edge in the title race.
He said: “So I think they have all the momentum going into the last two games that they could have hoped for how the season has played out.”
That is difficult to argue against when looking at the current Premiership table.
O’Neill’s side suddenly look united, resilient and emotionally connected again. Askou saw that himself inside Celtic Park.
Perhaps the biggest takeaway from his comments is that Celtic’s transformation is no longer only being discussed by supporters. Rival managers can see it too.
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