“I don’t think that we could drop too many points,” Martin O’Neill title admission

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The Celtic Star

·13 mars 2026

“I don’t think that we could drop too many points,” Martin O’Neill title admission

Martin O’Neill this afternoon accepted that it would be difficult for Celtic to win the Scottish Premiership is his side dropped many more points. A win tomorrow against Motherwell is absolutely essential. Kieran Tierney is likely to play while Celtic captain Callum McGregor will miss out with a calf injury….

Martin O’Neill spoke to the mainstream media at Lennoxtown this afternoon ahead of tomorrow’s low awaited return to Paradise when Celtic take on Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership. As things stand the Green Brigade remain banned as does the Celtic fan media including The Celtic Star.

Here’s everything that was said…

Vidéos OneFootball

Martin O’Neill at the Scottish Cup quarter final on Sunday 8 March 2026. Photograph by Vagelis Georgariou

Q: Martin, it feels like there’s been a lot going on this week with your joy, I’m sure, at going through in the cup versus a lot of fallout from the scenes at full time. How do you reflect on it all now?

Martin O’Neill: “I thought, naturally, the rules are that people should stay in their positions. I thought there was a lot of emotion, joy, things like that there, coming on, our crowd coming in. Next thing you know, I’m up there. My general thing is maybe to wave to the away fans at the end, regardless of the result. And then you seem to be caught in the middle of it. Next thing you know, the Rangers fans are coming at the other end. So yeah, obviously the scenes weren’t great. So I think the SFA are holding an inquiry about it.

“And to me, the saddest part about it all is that, of course you don’t want anybody injured for a start, although they think there were some scenes outside the football club. But to me, the idea then that the full allocation of tickets looks as if that will disappear again. And that’s something that, as I said to you, I would like to have seen. And I assume that because of those scenes, it probably won’t happen. I suppose that was a bigger allocation for the top anyway. A league allocation is still bigger than it was, but it’s smaller than the weekend.”

Q: Rangers are due to come to Celtic Park after the split. Is there a fear from you that that won’t play out the way it normally does? Or how do you see that transpiring?

Martin O’Neill: “No, no, Rangers will be due their allocation, won’t they? And they’re entitled to that as well too. It’s a league game, so I don’t think anybody’s arguing about that. But what I was talking about was the full allocation, something that I feel the fixture, although still a great fixture, has missed in years. And it looks, because of the happenings on Sunday, I assume that everybody will have a look at it and think, well, maybe it’s not worthwhile.”

Q: Does it feel like it’s overshadowed the joy of progressing in the Cup? I know you kind of touched on that after the game, when we were almost a week off.

Martin O’Neill: “Well, yes, I suppose maybe because it was the first question that was asked at the time, I thought that the efforts were big from us. We were minus a couple of really big players for us as well too. So stepping in and going there and getting the result in the manner in which we did, getting through on penalties eventually, it was a tough afternoon for us. I knew it would be. And Rangers, I suppose, pretty well at full strength. I thought it was a brilliant defensive action by us, and naturally, I’m pleased that we’ve won the game.”

Q: Can it be a springboard, Martin, for the remainder of the campaign? Have you sensed that around the trend around the last seven days, the atmosphere just lifting?

Martin O’Neill: “No, I don’t think the atmosphere has needed lifting. I think, if anything, I think the result on Wednesday at Aberdeen probably gave us that lift to go to Ibrox and try and get a result. So, no, I think the players are pretty buoyant and have been now for some time. Obviously, during the course of weeks, if you didn’t get a result, as we didn’t against Hibs, there’s just a natural deflation. But you have to try and overcome that as soon as possible. And I think we’ve done that.”

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Kieran Tierney and Callum McGregor at Ibrox. Scottish Cup quarter final on Sunday 8 March 2026. Photograph by Vagelis Georgariou

Q: How are the boys who missed last week looking? Callum, Kieran, how are they looking for this weekend?

Martin O’Neill: “Callum, he will miss the game. But Kieran’s in better shape and he’ll be there.”

Q: What is wrong with Callum? How long are we expecting him to be out?

Martin O’Neill: “I think it’s a calf strain. And we’re hopeful, pretty hopeful. He’s done very well in recovery and we’d be hopeful for him for next week.

Kasper Schmeichel, Stevie Woods and Viljami Sinisalo of Celtic. Stuttgart v Celtic, UEFA Europa League, Knockout Round Play Offs, Second Leg, Football, MHP Arena, Stuttgart, Germany – 26 Feb 2026Stuttgart MHP Arena Germany Photo James Marsh IMAGO Shutterstock

Q: And Kasper?

Martin O’Neill: “Kasper, he’s much, much better now. He trained today and he didn’t feel… His shoulder is feeling much better after the injection.”

Q: Are we expecting him to be in the squad then for tomorrow’s game?

Martin O’Neill: “I’ll have a look at that and see.”

Callum McGregor celebrates. Aberdeen v Celtic, Scottish Premiership. Wednesday 4th March 2026. Photograph by Vagelis Georgariou

Q: In terms of Callum, is it related to the injury he had a couple of years ago?

Martin O’Neill: “No, it isn’t. No, funnily enough, Tim, my physio, mentioned this to me this morning. I think there are rumours flying around that that’s what it was. No, it’s got nothing to do with that. That was an achilles injury. This is just a calf thing.”

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Q: In terms of the way the game went, the balance of play, it was a great defensive performance but there wasn’t so much going forward. Was that evidence of how much Callum is important to you?

Martin O’Neill: “Yeah, of course. He’s been a great captain. I’ve said this both in the dressing room and on the field. But I think that’s something that at home we’ll have to address. Against Motherwell tomorrow, we’ll have to try and find a few better attacking options.”

Celtic interim Chairman Brian Wilson looks on during the Scottish Premiership match between Celtic and Falkirk at Celtic Park on February 01, 2026. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Q: We heard from Brian Wilson yesterday about the olive branch, I suppose you would call it, being handed out to the supporters to find themselves banned at the moment. Is the hope that things can be resolved because this could be a really crucial period where you would want everyone moving in one direction?

Martin O’Neill: “It would be great if that was the case, absolutely. We’re running out of home games now, I don’t think we’ve got that many left, both now and during the split. The sooner it could get sorted, it would be fantastic because, as I said to you before, the club going in the same direction is what we want to do.”

Q: You mentioned the derby allocation earlier and the fear that the bigger allocation might be gone forever…

Martin O’Neill: “That’s just me. It will not be a phenomenal concern to me from a distance, but it would be a shame if that was the case. It is really because there’s something pretty special about the Old Firm atmosphere, particularly when the away fans are in the numbers they were.”

Q: Is your message to those who have that power to stick with it and hope that it’s the case? Can you see why that might never happen?

Martin O’Neill: “My message? Well, my message would blow in the wind, to tell you the truth, because I haven’t even got that power in my own household, so there’s not much chance of anybody listening to me.”

Q: You hold a lot of sway.

Martin O’Neill: “No, I do not. Honestly, it is utterly exaggerated. It really is. But in ideal circumstances, I would love it. And I’m sure lots of people would. I’m sure lots of Rangers fans would like it too, as well. Obviously, it’s still fresh in the memory. I think that, as I said, the SFA are having some meetings. By the way, the allocation that we used up was actually in the SFA rules, isn’t that right?

“I assume the police will have a look at it and think it’s not worthwhile. It would be a real shame, from my viewpoint, from this distance. And also, if I could, for one moment, look at it in sort of a neutral way, I think, I go back to those days. Obviously, memory plays a few tricks with you as you get a bit older, but there were those matches that we both won and lost at the Ibrox where the atmosphere was just electric, really unbelievable.”

Q: Do you think the fan rivalry that you experienced then has changed now? Is there more of an edge to it now?

Martin O’Neill: “I really don’t know. I don’t know. I think people think because society has changed a wee bit in 20 years that automatically everything else does. I really am not in a position to make that judgement. I don’t think I am.”

Q: Can I say something about Motherwell as well? A lot of applause from across the board for the way Jens has been about his business. How tough are you expecting this to be tomorrow?

Martin O’Neill: “Oh, really tough game, absolutely. They’ve had a fantastic time. A bit of a setback there last week at Dundee would really have been the proverbial breath of fresh air for the SPL. It’s been terrific. They’ve played really well and they play matches without any real fear. It’s great. No, it’s been terrific for them. They’ve been terrific. Hearts have been great this season and I also think that Falkirk have been terrific as well. But from our immediate opponents, Motherwell, yeah, a real difficult game for us.”

Martin O’Neill at Ibrox. Scottish Cup quarter final on Sunday 8 March 2026. Photograph by Vagelis Georgariou

Q: From a momentum point of view as well, you’ve been applauded for tackling these four away games that were crucial this season. To then keep that going, it would be crucial for that side of things as well?

Martin O’Neill: “Well, it’s crucial in every aspect because you’re running out of games. We couldn’t afford to… I think, if I looked at it really properly, I don’t think that we could drop too many points and still think that you could possibly win the league. It would be very difficult to do that with the games running down.”

UEFA Europa League 2025 2026, Play Offs first leg Celtic FC Glasgow vs VfB Stuttgart Celtic Park. Martin O’Neill with Iain Jamieson, Celtic Head of PR. Photo JOERAN STEINSIEK