Brodge-Ball to Chaos-Ball, Martin O’Neill brings the fun back

In partnership with

The Celtic Star

·30. Oktober 2025

Brodge-Ball to Chaos-Ball, Martin O’Neill brings the fun back

Prior to kick-off there was anger, noise and defiance. The Celtic Fans Collective staged a protest outside the main entrance, a loud and visible show of frustration at the chaos we see off the field, directionless leadership, boardroom uncertainty, and a club drifting from its identity.

Celtic supporters gather outside the stadium to demand the removal of the board ahead of the Scottish Premiership match between Celtic and Falkirk at Celtic Park on October 29, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

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Inside Celtic Park a different kind of chaos unfolded, but this time it was welcomed. Martin O’Neill, returning to the dugout 20 years on, offered a version of Celtic that was raw, perhaps even unpolished, but also gloriously liberating.

And how we all needed it.

Martin O’Neill celebrates Celtic’s opening goal during the Premier League match between Celtic and Falkirk at Celtic Park on October 29, 2025 (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

A 4–0 win over Falkirk doesn’t erase months of discontent, of course, and we’re all aware we scored four against this opponent under Brendan Rodgers too, but last night felt like a release valve bursting open after weeks of built-up tension. For the first time in what seems an age, Celtic played with joy and aggression, not just protectively recycling the ball, but tearing forward with real purpose.

Where Brendan Rodgers demanded precision and control, O’Neill’s brief has clearly been freedom. In just two days, he gave the team license to play faster, to take risks and to trust instinct as well as instruction. Passes went forward, not sideways. Crosses came in early. Players moved into space rather than waiting for the ball to come to feet. The ball went into space, expecting players to find it, rather than the ball to find the player.

Celtic recorded their second-lowest possession share of the season (60%), yet produced their highest expected goals tally (4.48) in a league game this year. Less of the ball, more of the action, and far more entertainment.

After a cagey opening, Celtic struck through Johnny Kenny, whose sharp reactions turned a Nygren shot that came off the post, via Scott Bain, into the game’s first roar. From there, the mood changed completely. Falkirk’s Trey Samuel-Ogunsuyi nearly found an equaliser, but Kasper Schmeichel stood firm, with a save that may have been overshadowed by subsequent events, but was vital, and Celtic never looked back. Ten minutes after his opening goal, Kenny doubled the lead, another classic striker’s goal, heading home after Nygren’s clever knockdown at the far post.

Kasper Schmeichel and Benjamin Nygren of Celtic celebrate during the Premier League match between Celtic and Falkirk at Celtic Park on October 29, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Nygren then got the goal his relentless movement deserved just before the hour, pouncing on Bain’s spilled save, before Tounekti capped the night with a driving run and composed finish, whilst somehow also avoiding an attempt to cut him in half, at the edge of the box, for 4–0.

Saracchi and Tounekti’s understanding down the left was one of the night’s highlights, pace, bravery, and a willingness to take on defenders that’s been missing for too long. Trusty looked commanding at the back, while Engels anchored midfield protectively and superbly beside McGregor, freeing Nygren, who looked all the better for playing on his stronger side, to push on.

Daizen Maeda of Celtic is seen during the Premier League match between Celtic and Falkirk at Celtic Park on October 29, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

There was even a vintage performance from James Forrest, working tirelessly on the right, and a warm, welcoming ovation for Daizen Maeda on his return from injury.

For all the talk of tactics, the biggest change was maybe emotional. The players just looked like they wanted to be out there, and they played for each other, perhaps best exemplified when half the team piled in to defend a teammate after a tangle with Scott Arfield.

Celtic interim manager Martin O’Neill during the Premier League match between Celtic and Falkirk at Celtic Park on October 29, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Speaking post-match, Martin O’Neill praised his players’ response.

“I just wanted them to enjoy playing football again. The fans needed that. The players needed that. There’s a long way to go, but that was a good start.”

It was a performance full of risk, energy, and, yes, some imperfection too, but also of release. After months of focus on structure, this was Celtic unleashed.

The protests outside showed that deeper issues remain unsolved, there’s no escaping that. The presence of Dermot Desmond in the main stand, after a week of recriminations and finger-pointing, underlined that tensions run far beyond the pitch. Yet for 90 minutes, we got to escape for a while.

Celtic Chairman Peter Lawwell, Dermot Desmond, largest shareholder and Michael Nicholson CEO are seen during the Scottish Premiership match between Celtic and Falkirk at Celtic Park on October 29, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

As news filtered through that Hearts had dropped points, Celtic’s night of catharsis was complete. The gap narrowed slightly, and the mood lifted considerably. With a League Cup semi-final against theRangers looming on Sunday, O’Neill’s challenge is to channel that chaos into consistency.

It’s only one game, but what a difference one game can make. For a club engulfed in turmoil, this was proof that a little on-field madness might be exactly what Celtic need to find their mojo again.

Niall J

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Celtic 4-0 Falkirk - St Martin of Parkhead as Hearts Start to Falter. The ongoing internal war was far removed from the mind of the venerated Irishman as he brought joy back to the faithful on a night where it could have all gone wrong...Story in comments below👇🍀
– Donnerstag, 30. Oktober 2025