Celtic manager Martin O'Neill has revealed he will consider his future at the club during the upcoming international break following a second derby defeat to Rangers in a week.
The 0-1 loss at Celtic Park saw the Scottish Premiership leaders' advantage at the top of the table cut to two points after Ryan Naderi scored the only goal of the match in the first half.
The defeat capped a frustrating week for Celtic, marking the first time O'Neill has lost three consecutive games as manager. The slump began with a 5-1 European defeat away to Austrian side LASK, followed by a loss against Hungarian club Ferencvaros and two consecutive defeats to Glasgow rivals Rangers in the Premier Sports Cup and the Premiership.
O'Neill, 74, stated that he has no issue with supporters questioning whether he remains capable of turning the situation around after a series of poor performances.
Managerial Future and Fan Criticism
Speaking after the derby loss, O'Neill acknowledged that Celtic supporters are fully entitled to express concern over recent results and question his position.
"I think they're absolutely entitled to," O'Neill said. "I'm not immune from criticism. Far from it. Absolutely. I think they have every reason to ask, can you turn this round? Can you change the whole thing? We are two points clear. I have to look at the bigger picture at this minute."
O'Neill emphasised that the title race remains extremely competitive, with Edinburgh club Hearts remaining firmly in contention alongside Rangers.
"I knew that we were in a big, big fight anyway with both ourselves, Rangers and Hearts, who are far from out of anything," O'Neill said. "It's a long season ahead. It's not the first time I've been questioned about my managerial time. So, I'll have a look at it. I will reflect and see."
Reflections and Age Considerations
Asked whether a period of self-reflection might inspire him to bounce back stronger when Celtic return to competitive action, O'Neill said he would use the break to evaluate how he can best serve the team.
"I genuinely will reflect and see. It's a matter of whether I can help the team," he stated. "If that's the case, the manager's supposed to be able to do that. And, yeah, I will have a look at that this week."
Addressing questions regarding his age, the Northern Irishman offered a light-hearted response while acknowledging that poor results naturally invite scrutiny.
"I think that every single time that something crops up, things don't go so well, age plays a part," O'Neill remarked. "And you know what? They may well be right, you know? I'm 110 in two years' time, so, yeah, that might be a time to wrap it up."
Return to Celtic Park and Board Discussions
O'Neill reflected on his return to Celtic Park last October and his second spell in charge starting in January, which culminated in securing the Scottish Premiership title in a dramatic match against Hearts.
"First of all, I got an opportunity to come back here last October, which I never thought would ever happen in my life," O'Neill said. "So, I'm really grateful for that. And then I get the chance again in January to do it again, second time around and, as it turns out, us winning the league was like... I don't know. I can't remember how I felt when we won the treble away back in 2001, I must have felt really pretty good about it. But I think that game against Hearts was probably one of the great moments of my managerial time."
O'Neill previously led Celtic to a domestic treble in 2001 during his initial five-year spell in charge of the Glasgow club, establishing a period of dominant domestic success.
"I've had some really, really good moments and I've had some pretty poor moments," O'Neill added. "That was good, I'm thankful for that. I was delighted to get that opportunity. But all the time I was still thinking about whether you can still have the energy, desire, the things that I say to the boys here every Friday that we talk about. So, I'll have a look at that. We'll see."
O'Neill confirmed that he intends to speak with the Celtic board of directors during the break to discuss the club's direction.
"Well, self-reflection is looking at the games. I'll obviously speak to the board. And, you never know, they may want to speak to me," O'Neill said. "But, yeah, I'll see. I've got some time to do that there. I got a short break in the summer time. So, I will try and get a couple of days away and see how it goes."
Derby Analysis and Performance Concerns
Analyzing the performance against Rangers, O'Neill offered no excuses for the defeat, pointing to a lack of clear-cut opportunities created during the match.
"I thought it was obviously a tough game. It was tough on both sides. There wasn't much in it between the two teams," O'Neill said. "But, from our own point of view, I don't think we created enough during the course of the 90-odd minutes. I think Kieran (Tierney) hits the bar and within 90 seconds or two minutes later, they score. Maybe we could have got a goal just after half time. But in essence at home, regardless of who you're playing, you should try and create a bit more."
While O'Neill praised the work rate of his players, he highlighted recurring problems with decision-making and execution in key areas of the pitch.
"I cannot honestly question the effort of the side, not at all," O'Neill said. "What we did do, sometimes we get into really good positions, and then either the final ball or the lead up to it was just misplaced. I think that's something that we can definitely improve on."
Following a difficult week across domestic and European competitions, O'Neill accepted that scrutiny of himself and his coaching team is entirely justified.
"Listen, we've lost some big games. There's no question about it," O'Neill concluded. "I personally think every game here is big. We lost a European game on Thursday. We lost the big match out in LASK. And, here, two defeats against us. Of course, you have to question it."
