Martin O’Neill took in his usual pre-match Europa League press conference as the Celtic boss delivered team news ahead of the Stuttgart clash.
The Celtic manager confirmed Julian Araujo stayed in Glasgow for the Europa League clash as O’Neill prepared to take on the Bundesliga club.
However, watching the press conference below, there are three things we noticed about the Celtic boss and it seems that O’Neill was not his usual chirpy self.
Martin O’Neill’s serious demeanour at Celtic press conference
O’Neill looked ultra serious during the press conference and what was missing was the friendly persona the Celtic manager normally exudes.
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Everything the Hoops boss said was very matter of fact, straight to the point and devoid of any personality.
For O’Neill, this is a far cry from what Celtic fans are used to and many may wonder what sparked this change in the Hoops gaffer.
Celtic boss lacked engagement
In historic press conferences, O’Neill normally engages in some friendly banter with the assembled press room.
O’Neill’s respect amongst the journalistic community had risen since his return to Celtic as he struck up clear bonds with some reporters.
That was completely missing from the Celtic manager’s ten-minute press conference and it was unusual to see.
Martin O’Neill’s glass half-empty European attitude
What was most concerning about the press conference was O’Neill parroting the lines about Celtic being unable to compete in Europe.
The Parkhead gaffer was asked about Bodo/Glimt’s progress in the Champions League, and instead of using the Norwegians as a benchmark, he played down their incredible run strangely citing Bodo’s pitch as an advantage and writing off their success as some sort of fluke.
Questions have been raised today about O’Neill’s happiness at Celtic and, for us, his pre-match press conference does nothing to allay those fears.
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