Martin O’Neill Media Conference -“That’s four games in very quick succession” | OneFootball

“I had a look at the schedule and I thought well that’s four games in very quick succession,” Martin O’Neill said at today’s media conference ahead of his fourth game in charge as interim Celtic manager…

Johnny Kenny celebrates. Celtic v theRangers. Premier Sports Cup, semi final at Hampden. 2 November 2025. Photo AJ (The Celtic Star)

With an international break following on from Sunday’s game against Kilmarnock, this could be the legendary Celtic manager’s last game in charge. There’s certainly a possibility that this will be the case but if you factor in Gordon Strachan’s remarks about Celtic’s preferred candidate not being available until December that we could have Martin around for a few more weeks.

That December timeline would fit with Kjetil Knutsen’s contract ending and those of you who follow such matters will have noticed that the Norwegian coach is now the firm favourite to replace Brendan Rodgers as Celtic manager. Here’s everything that Martin O’Neill had to say at him media conference at Lennoxtown earlier today including injury updates on Callum Osmand, Kelechi Iheanacho and Arne Engels…

Martin O’Neill interim manager of Celtic Midtjylland vs Celtic, UEFA Europa League, Group Stage, Football, MCH Arena, Herning, Denmark – 06 November 2025Herning MCH Arena Denmark Photo Michael Zemanek Shutterstock IMAGO

Q: Martin, how do you go about picking the players up after the disappointment from last night?

Martin O’Neill: “Yeah, well that’s my job. It was a disappointing night, a difficult game for us. I thought, again, in the second half we showed some resilience so we got something out of it. But yeah, a tough evening, really tough.”

Callum Osmand of Celtic is injured Midtjylland vs Celtic, UEFA Europa League, Group Stage, Football, MCH Arena, Herning, Denmark – 06 November 2025. Photo MichaelxZemanek Shutterstock/IMAGO

Q: How’s Callum Osmand?

Martin O’Neill: “Yeah, he’s gone for a scan this morning and we haven’t got any news back yet as we speak but it doesn’t look good.”

Kelechi Iheanacho of Celtic walks off injured in 3rd minute of the match to be replaced by Johnny Kenny of Celtic. Celtic v Sturm Graz, UEFA Europa League, Group Stage, Football, Celtic Park – 23 October 2025. Photo Stuart Wallace IMAGO/Shutterstock

Q: Is there a time frame on Kelechi Iheanacho?

Martin O’Neill: “Yeah, he is going to be a few more weeks. I think that obviously after Sunday we’ve got this fortnight break and we’ll see how things go from there. But yeah, he certainly won’t be available for Sunday anyway.”

Martin O’Neill. Celtic v theRangers. Premier Sports Cup, semi final at Hampden. 2 November 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Q: How do you feel now because that’s a whirlwind week, a big emotional day at Hampden and then the come down of losing a game, how do you take it all in?

Martin O’Neill: “Yeah, I saw the game a few weeks ago for Midtjylland and they are very strong. They’ve won all their games, they’re very strong at this minute, and that physicality that they possess. When they were bringing on some of their players as well, they left out some players who played against Nottingham Forest but it didn’t seem to make any difference. In that sense they’re very strong. So yeah, that’s European football which is something that I’ve said, that this football club should be aspiring to but we’re not there yet.”

Continued on the next page…

Celtic interim manager Martin O’Neill arrives at the stadium prior to the match between Celtic and Falkirk at Celtic Park on October 29, 2025(Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Q: I appreciate it’s been a very busy time since last night. Has anything been updated as far as your timeframe and what your role will be?

Martin O’Neill: “No, nothing. No, we just came in. I got back to the hotel I’m staying in around about just after one o’clock time. So no, I haven’t had a chance to speak to anybody.”

Q: When things don’t go well on the pitch, does that alter your appetite for this in any way?

Martin O’Neill: “No, my situation remains the same. The minute that the board will say to me, listen we’ve got someone in place, I’m absolutely fine with that. That was always the intention in the first place. So no, that doesn’t alter anything really.”

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)

Q: I guess externally it’s very easy for fans to get excited once you win two games, I’m not sure you’re aware of it, but people then say maybe we keep this until the end of the season?

Martin O’Neill: “No, I don’t think that that was ever going to be the case. That was my thoughts on it anyway. I knew these games would be very hard. When Dermot Desmond called me then I had a look at the schedule and I thought well that’s four games in very, very quick succession. A game away from home against in the Europa League and then these matches here.So my genuine focus is just on a Sunday now at this minute and then a fortnight after that there to see obviously some players head off to international duty, some players remain here and maybe they’ll get a few days off obviously. But then after that, it’ll give me an opportunity to see some of the players that we haven’t used.”

Chris Sutton in Seville. Photo imago/Colorsport

Q: I don’t know if you’re aware Martin, of Chris Sutton’s comments last night? He was warning you almost to not stick around too much in case your legacy at the club is tarnished in any way by the results and whatnot. I just wonder your thoughts on that?

Martin O’Neill: “I’ve honestly no concern about a legacy, never have had. If you’re talking about a legacy then you can talk about Jock Stein, but that’s fine and that great 1967 side. So I’m not worried about a legacy losing some games. We had a great victory over (the)Rangers and that’s fine. But really I’m very, very aware that it is one game at a time. You win a game then you maybe win another. I’m not saying that we’re back to basics again, you lose the game disappointingly and I think it was the manner in which we conceded the goals. But getting back to your point about the legacy, it genuinely doesn’t worry me one jot, never has done. When you’re dead, you’re dead. I know you two are not thinking about it at your age, but it is something that is a consideration for people over 52.”

Continued on the next page…

Celtic coach Martin O’Neill celebrates a goal by Chris Sutton. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Q: I just wonder, you’ve came into this a bit afresh and you’ve worked with the squad for how long? You mentioned a few times, especially last night as well, just back to basics and stripping it back and football can be a simple game at times. Do you think within that squad there just has to be that reminder sometimes, and you have to just sometimes to go forward, do you have to strip it back?

Martin O’Neill: “That’s a good point you make, but I think that it’s time. You spend a little bit of time to get to know players. In an ideal world, if you’re going into a management job, you would like to have some time with the team. If I’m going back 25 years, I had pre-season with the team. I was able to sign, funnily enough, Chris Sutton, and then I brought some players into the football club to supplement some really good players who, strangely enough, had lost confidence from the previous year. I’m put into this situation here and it’s just a matter of probably getting to know the players as much as possible. There might be a couple of lads who have not participated at the moment that might come and shine and we’ll need them really at the end of it. We’ve picked up a few injuries, but we knew that at the time anyway, and we’ll see where we go.”

Celtic stating xI – team photo Midtjylland vs Celtic, UEFA Europa League, Group Stage, Football, MCH Arena, Herning, Denmark – 06 Nov 2025Herning MCH Arena Denmark Photo Michael ZemanekShutterstock

Q: Do you think nights like last night shine a spotlight, Martin, on where this squad is and the suitability to compete in Europe? Because for the last couple of weeks, there’s been a lot of focus on the job you’ve done since coming in, maybe the job the previous manager did. Does nights like last night maybe remind everyone that there’s a big rebuild needed here to compete?

Martin O’Neill: “Oh, I think that that’s pretty plain to see. Yeah, of course. This is it. You need strength and depth to compete in Europe. Obviously you’ve got your domestic football here and looking down at the fixtures again, there’s no respite here between now and probably the end of January time. So you’re playing weekends and midweek and it’s relentless. So you need a big squad to cope with that, and if you are trying to rotate as well too, getting to know the players as quickly as possible is something that is obviously really important for me and important to me.”

Martin O’Neill interim manager of Celtic Midtjylland vs Celtic, UEFA Europa League, Group Stage, Football, MCH Arena, Herning, Denmark – 06 November 2025Herning MCH Arena Denmark Photo Michael Zemanek Shutterstock IMAGO

Q: On that point, Martin, I just wonder, a lot of fans are just seeking clarity of what’s next and they just want to know what’s going to happen. You’ve of course got the January transfer window coming up as well. Do you understand the fans’ urge to get clarity?

Martin O’Neill: “Well, on a really serious note, and I assume that they’ll not have anybody in by Sunday, but if Sunday was my last game, that is absolutely fine with me. Really has been, and I think that’s been pretty clear. That’s my clarity, as it were, and that’s it. It’s a fortnight’s time to get someone in. I’m sure since Brendan resigned, the board must be thinking about it and must have people in mind at the end of it. I’m not party to that, nor do I want to be. So, as I said to you, if they announce a new manager on Monday morning or Tuesday morning, absolutely fine, I’ve done it. It’s just getting back to your thoughts of legacy and that there, it really wouldn’t bother me. We did beat (the)Rangers, and that would be that, so I can always mark that down.”

Callum McGregor at Hampden. Celtic v theRangers. Premier Sports Cup, semi final at Hampden. 2 November 2025. Photo AJ (The Celtic Star)

Q: If it were to be your final game here in this wee stretch, I just wonder how you try and sum up the last few games?

Martin O’Neill: “Yeah, honestly, I would go back to drinking coffee, which is rather expensive down in London, and that’s what I would do, and think to myself, did that really happen? I shouldn’t even be smiling after last night, and I’m not really, but yeah, it’s been really strange indeed. And there are moments I have actually enjoyed, and there’s moments when you don’t, and like last night was a moment that you couldn’t possibly enjoy. It gives you a reality check, like everything else, and some of the other surreal moments have been really nice, but that’s it. But genuinely, if there was a call on Monday that the board had decided on someone, that’s been fine. It would have been a really strange fortnight, and I might meet you for a coffee in a year’s time and think, oh my gosh, did that happen?”

Arne Engels. Celtic v theRangers. Premier Sports Cup, semi final at Hampden. 2 November 2025. Photo AJ (The Celtic Star)

Q: Just on Arne Engels, I know you said he was limping a little bit.

Martin O’Neill: “Yeah, he’s a little bit sore at this moment. I think that they think that, they’re hoping that he’s going to be okay. I think it was just more stretching than anything else, so I think that’s the case.”

Arne Engels of Celtic competes for the ball with Mikel Kruger-Johnsen of FC Midtjylland Midtjylland vs Celtic, UEFA Europa League, Group Stage, Football, MCH Arena, Herning, Denmark – 06 November 2025. Photo Michael Zemanek Shutterstock/IMAGO

Here’s what might turn out to be Martin’s O’Neill’s final pre-match media conference ahead of Sunday’s Scottish Premiership match against Kilmarnock at Celtic Park…

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