Caretaker manager Martin O’Neill says Celtic need “some sort of unification”, after supporters once again called for changes to the way the club is run during their dramatic Scottish Premiership victory over St Mirren on Saturday.
“Sack the board” rang out outside at the start and end of the match at Paisley, which Celtic won thanks to Callum McGregor’s piledriver in the 95th minute.
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It is the latest in a series of protests against Celtic’s leadership, which supporters say has allowed the club to regress.
Results, both nationally and in Europe, have collapsed since the start of the year.
Celtic trail Hearts by four points in the Scottish Premiership and have failed to qualify for the Champions League after a dismal play-off defeat to Kazakh champions Kairat. Since then, they have won just one of their four Europa League matches.
The much-needed attacking signings only arrived after they dropped out of Europe’s biggest club competition, with fans saying it was too little, too late.
O’Neill, 73, was parachuted into the role of Celtic manager after Brendan Rodgers resigned at the end of October, exposing a rift between him and majority shareholder Dermot Desmond.
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Former Northern Ireland midfielder O’Neill – a two-time European Cup winner with Nottingham Forest – is a Celtic legend having won seven major honors as manager between 2000 and 2005.
However, fans continued to protest despite the return of one of their heroes, determined to force change in the boardroom.
The club’s AGM was abandoned on Friday when shareholders taunted Desmond’s son Ross for accusing some fans of being “bullies”.
It was previously adjourned for half an hour by chairman Peter Lawwell following cries to “sack the board”.
O’Neill called it “as sad a morning” as he had seen and recalled his legendary predecessor Jock Stein saying “a club not united would never succeed”.
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“We just need some sort of unification again,” he added after the victory at St Mirren.
“I know I talked about Jock’s team, but Jock’s team is what he built. He built the football club in unification – the fans, the players, the team and everyone going in the same direction.
Off-field drama affecting on-field performance?
McGregor’s magnificent goal masked some big cracks against St Mirren.
Celtic have failed to score in six matches this season, have scored less in the league than Hearts and Hibernian, and have been brutal again against St Mirren.
It wasn’t until second-half injury time that O’Neill’s side had a shot on target – a tame header from substitute Yang Hyun-Jun. It took a moment of magic from McGregor to turn one point into three.
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During the big stages of the match, it looked like that number could have been zero.
Conor McMenamin went close twice in the first half, Miguel Freckleton created an excellent chance over the bar and Liam Scales scored a goal of his own, only to be saved by an offside flag against McMenamin.
It was suggested to the former Leicester City, Aston Villa and Republic of Ireland boss that off-field drama could have affected Celtic players on the pitch.
“When we continued to not really support the team tonight, and we just ‘fired the board’ all the way through, there’s an element that could (affect the team),” O’Neill said.
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“I don’t think it helps, but the one thing that’s not missing is unity within the dressing room.”
“Stein would have fixed the problem in two days”
It is now almost a month since O’Neill was summoned by Desmond to take over in the interim and there is still no indication that a permanent appointment is close.
Columbus Crew head coach Wilfried Nancy is said to be the leading candidate, while Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna and Wales boss Craig Bellamy are also linked.
O’Neill hopes to take charge of Thursday’s Europa League match at Feyenoord, but believes the new manager – whoever it is – is capable of bridging the gap between supporters and the board.
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“I absolutely do,” he said. “Jock Stein would have fixed it in two days, but it was Jock Stein. After that we were just followers.”
Asked if he thought he could help bridge the gap, O’Neill simply said he hoped the club could move in the same direction.
“You have to know your place here,” he said. “What you did or what you were involved in 20-odd years ago, I don’t think it makes much difference.
“But I would love to see it no matter who comes in or where I go. It would be awesome. And I hope at some point it happens.”
