Martin O’Neill’s Celtic Manager Stats Then and Now: Why Boss Has Earned Crack at Permanent Return

Martin O’Neill has been around the block as Celtic boss over the years.

The Northern Irishman is now 73-years-old and has a full career of successes, disappointments and silverware behind him.

To be 73 and still going is testament to the sort of character the manager is and the aura he has in the dressing room.

Former seasoned professionals – Chris Sutton, Neil Lennon, John Hartson et al – have previously confessed to being scared of the diminutive boss and that comes down to how he put himself across on match days.

So it is little wonder he has performed well as interim manager at Celtic Park a staggering 20 years after leaving the job in the first place to care for his wife who was ill at the time.

O’Neill’s history in Glasgow is a storied one and he has more victories in his locker than most managers throughout their career as Hoops leader.

Has Martin O’Neill earned permanent Celtic job?

And that is why, following Brendan Rodgers’ resignation earlier this season, that leading shareholder Dermot Desmond sent out the bat signal to O’Neill to join Shaun Maloney to help steady the ship which had threatened to veer off course.

The question remains as to which manager will it be that Celtic’s board turn to to take permanent charge of their squad in an attempt to lead them into the rest of the season and beyond.

Champions League qualification is a must for the next gaffer and making the squad competitive in that elite competition has to be the plan and is the next natural step of progression for Celts.

But could O’Neill be considered for a longer term stay beyond the interim? Well, what do his numbers say?

Martin O’Neill Celtic manager stats 2000-2005

O’Neill is one of Celtic’s most winningest managers throughout his history in the Scottish Premiership.

According to the stats, he managed 266 matches in his first stint between 2000 and 2005 when he was first given the role.

Even back then it was about turning the tide with Rangers leading the charge in the division at that stage having won the then-Scottish Premier League before he arrived.

In his first season, O’Neill would win an historic Treble with 32 victories in all competitions from just 40 matches. A quite staggering feat for a boss in a new job.

During his first season Celtic scored 104 goals and conceded just 31 and they finished the league on 100 points.

Scoring goals was also not an issue in his next four seasons at the club with a grand total of 639 in all competitions where they conceded 215 from those 266 outings.

O’Neill won an enormous 200 matches in his five years as Celtic boss and lost only 40 and that included both domestic and European football.

There were 26 draws in that time.

He lifted seven trophies in his first spell at the club and took the Hoops to a UEFA Cup Final in 2003, losing after extra-time (3-2) to Jose Mourinho’s FC Porto.

The same Porto who won the Champions League with essentially the same squad the following season.

O’Neill’s interim Celtic stint so far

O’Neill has done well at Celts in the two fixtures he has managed since he was called by the club.

We know Dermot Desmond tore into Rodgers after the Irishman left Lennoxtown as head coach but that didn’t spook the veteran who was never worried about taking the position.

He brought a calming presence to the squad within just a day or two of being asked and following back-to-back defeats under Rodgers before he resigned, O’Neill’s first act was to guide his team to a roaring 4-0 victory over Falkirk.

He gave fringe players an opportunity and they seemed to take it and he brought his usual sprightly energy to the dugout which seemed to really inspire the squad.

The following fixture was against rivals Rangers at Hampden last Sunday in the Premier Sports Cup semi-final and it was in that derby match that fans saw the real difference.

The intensity was there from the opening bell and the players worked as hard as ever for 120 minutes.

Celtic won the match 3-1 with fans chanting O’Neill’s name throughout the afternoon and when asked at full-time if he’d take a call from Desmond about the future, he admitted he’d be mad not to consider it.

Could Martin O’Neill work with another coach?

As has often been the case over the years, managers have brought in their own coaching staff who ultimately have taken on the mantle in their own right after time.

There have also been cases where young coaches have been given the chance at a club but have received help from an older head as an assistant or in a consulting basis where required.

O’Neill could well be asked to stay at Celtic beyond his management opportunity as interim as an assistant to the next boss or in a higher position to offer advice if necessary.

Shaun Maloney is working with his former gaffer in the spot now as Celtic coach and fans have long speculated that the former Hibs and Wigan manager was brought in as player pathway lead at LT for this exact reason.

The former Celtic player got stuck in from the dugout when Celts faced Rangers last weekend and was the main voice before extra-time when dishing out the instructions as O’Neill watched.

O’Neill – again, as mentioned he’s 73-years-old – may feel more suited to the background role and if asked, he could be open to that in future with any boss Celtic decide to go with.

Shaun Maloney’s Celtic future

As mentioned already, Maloney is an ex-Celtic player who is in management.

On paper – if he perhaps had some more experience with a winning side – it would make a lot of sense for the 42-year-old to be given a crack at the big job.

Maloney has already explained that he won’t expect to be in the job long-term as he plans to return to his pathways gig and that is commendable considering the club have not yet made their decision on their next leader.

But you’d suspect he would secretly enjoy the chance to explore the job down the line if it was presented to him, with or without O’Neill.

Celtic have a history of promoting from within with Neil Lennon, John Kennedy and now Maloney all being handed the reins at different times.

It would not be out of the realms of possibility that the club do it again for Maloney if results continue to go their way.

What are Celtic fans saying about O’Neill?

O’Neill is a certified icon at Celtic.

He has been for a number of years from his previous results as well as his clear affinity even now, two decades later.

The boss can do little wrong in the fans’ eyes and after his win over Rangers to take the club to another cup final, the support seem to be fully behind the veteran again.

One commented: “Hope Martin O’Neill stays on,” as another added: “Martin O’Neill should stay for the season. There have been too many players not getting any time since the beginning. MON seems to have taken charge of this situation but this is just the beginning for this correction.”

One wrote: “Watching Martin O’Neill’s passion on the touchline yesterday was truly nostalgic – incredible energy for his age and pure love for the game.”

Another took to social media to write: “The Celtic board should give Martin O’Neill the manager’s job until the end of the season. He’s a class act and they won’t find anyone more suitable for the job.”

Others were slightly less persuaded by O’Neill with one saying: “He won’t stay for the long term, but Martin O’Neill has been the breath of fresh air that Celtic have been craving.”

Another commented: “Martin O’Neill is a Celtic legend, and a man that deserves a ton of respect, but I suspect very few fans realistically want him as the next permanent manager.”