BOLOGNA, ITALY - JANUARY 21: Celtic Manager Martin O'Neill during a Celtic MD-1 press conference at the Renato Dall'Ara Stadium, on January 21, 2026, in Bologna, Italy. (Photo by Craig Williamson/SNS Group via Getty Images)
Last night, after the game, Martin O’Neill delivered another masterclass in front of the media. He protected his players, praised them to the hilt, exonerated Reo Hatate, and took pressure off our new signing. It was tremendous.
Once again, it reminded us how fortunate Celtic have been over the years to have men of substance and intelligence in the dugout, even when people inside the club have not always fully appreciated them.
There is a fascinating debate to be had about which of three men was the smartest or the best, and this is not to disparage Neil Lennon, merely to acknowledge that Ange, O’Neill and Rodgers were in a different league.
Those three were simply exceptional at this side of the job. They dealt with the media brilliantly. They lifted player confidence to entirely new levels. That is a huge part of what management actually means. It is right there in the name. A manager manages.
That does not simply mean picking a team or choosing tactics. A top football boss manages people first. Before anything else, he manages men. He gets a group of multimillionaires to do what he wants, when he wants it done. In return, he gives them loyalty and absolute faith in themselves and in each other.
That can work miracles. It can elevate groups of players who might not otherwise be capable of big things. They achieve those things because they believe they can.
Never underestimate the power of belief. Belief is the first step towards achievement. Without it, there is no possibility of success. A good football boss makes players believe. Not just in him, but in themselves and in one another. That is a remarkable talent.
I loved Ange Postecoglou’s ability to do this.
Like all great managers, he understood dressing rooms. He understood that they are collections of different personalities, and that each one needs handling in a different way. Some need a kick. Some need an arm around the shoulder. Others need left alone to do what they do best. A good manager can walk into a dressing room, talk to someone for five minutes, and immediately understand which type they are.
Brendan Rodgers brought a different but equally powerful skill. His understanding of neurolinguistics, the use of language to shape thought and behaviour, was remarkable. It turned players into believers. It made them better than they ever thought they could be.
For all the talk about Rodgers being an egotist, his players would have run through walls for him. You saw it in their faces when he left. Shaun Maloney spoke about how hard that day was because the players felt so low.
John Kennedy followed Rodgers out the door.
That is the kind of loyalty he inspired.
O’Neill brings something else again. Something equally rare. A deep understanding of the law.
Not just rules and regulations, but how arguments are framed, how cases are won. He used to sit in courtrooms and watch lawyers work. From that, you learn how authority is projected, how narratives are controlled, how people are guided towards seeing things a certain way. Add to that the fact he played under one of the greatest man-managers of all time in Brian Clough, and it starts to make sense.
These three men brought different skills to the table, but all were masters at handling the media and protecting their players. All could make footballers believe they were better than they had ever been before. Celtic has been incredibly fortunate that the last decade has been dominated by managers of this calibre.
My fear is that this may be the end of that era.
Not because those men no longer exist, but because our board does not know how to support them or keep them. That genuinely worries me.
I did not like the idea of bringing O’Neill back when it was first mooted. But the more you watch him, the clearer it becomes that this is an exceptional man, not just an exceptional manager. He makes people feel good about him and about themselves. He disarms and jokes and he is self-deprecating.
Beneath all that warmth sits a hard-nosed, ruthless football boss who knows the game inside out and knows how to win.
The debt we already owe this man is enormous. If he wins this title, if he completes this turnaround, hell he should get his own statue. As far as I am concerned, we have lucked out again. The right man, at the right time, in the right place.
Men like this are the reasons Celtic is the most successful club in this country.
I only hope we are not at the end of that line.
We will be lucky to find any manager as close to Martin again unless there is a policy shift in ambition from the board.
Agree, James, all 3 managers were great at man-management but Martin O’Neill takes it to the highest level. But don’t forget Maloney who is pulling the strings in the background. A great combination and possibly one that could deliver another league title, despite a pathetic board
“I hope we are not at the end of the line”
I’m afraid we most definitely fuckin well are with Lucan and Sly at the helm James !
O’Neill is definitely a very rare breed. I watched his post match interviews and it was clear, he’s back in the groove. And it’s fantastic for us. He seems to have all the skills, drive and fight in him that he always had. I’d run through walls for him. Hopefully it’s not the end of an era, there must be other inspiring great managers that will fit Celtic, but we can worry about that in a few months. Give MON some more players and let’s see what’s possible this season.
James. Please drop the Brendan stuff. Nobody, apart from you, really cares. He was a divisive figure so please just leave it at that. No amount of browbeating by you is going to change that. Personally, I hated his crab like approach but he won us many honours.
I’m a Celtic fan for over 40 years and i have to say that MON is the best manager in my view , especially with regards to man management , and management of the scottish media . We saw maida and the team last night run themselves into the ground for him
When he arrived in glasgow the daily record punks and their kin at the scumbrox were like rabbits caught in headlights , this wise intelligent articulate man full of wit left the cunts dumbfounded , they’d never encountered anyone like him before as he toyed with them
The scottish media insult Lennon Rodgers and O’Neill when they refer to them as northern Irish men , there is no difference between a southern Irishman in Cork to Donegal or the 6 counties
Not convinced…is that you Dermot
Come on Nicholson 10million on a player or 10million to the tax man everybody can see that except you.if not you will never be forgiven.
The piece says ‘not to disparage Neil Lennon’ – but why not?
Checks notes…co=comms v sturm graz
checks notes…sky sports studio at tynecastle doing the boards dirty work.
Rodgers defence of the hun manager earlier this season is a level of professionalism and class totally alien to that weapon lennon. good article
I’ll tell you ” why not” you piece of shit.
Nobody and I mean nobody in the Celtic family has suffered more than Neil Francis Lennon.
The abuse this man has taken for the crime of being a northern Irish Catholic who played and managed Glasgow Celtic is off the scale.
Lesser men would have crumbled under the weight of the onslaught.
If you’ve got nothing good to say about this legend of a man, then say nothing.
You’re no better than the scum that tried to destroy this man’s life.
Well said GorbalsBhoy.
Neil should be part of that Trilogy as far as I am concerned, having won 5 league Titles.
Ange, while I have the utmost respect for him, was not a Celtic man long enough to deserve to be included along with the others.
I don’t care what anyone thinks of Neil Lennon regarding the Covid year, sure he fkd up and we lost 10 in a row, a vey costly mistake, but when all is said and done he has been a great servant to Celtic and as said above, he was hated by the huns and he suffered for the Celtic cause with his head held high.
He is still Celtic’s 3rd most successful manager with 5 Titles, behind Willie Maley and Jock Stein, he bleeds green and white and I love the man.
“We are all Neil Lennon”
Hi Johnny.
Celtic imo, suffered more than the huns during the covid season.
The Celtic fans would’ve drove the team on to the title.
Playing in empty stadiums done us in.
On the other hand, it suited the huns at that time. Their fans were on their case big time.
Can you imagine?
BTW, have you seen Broonies interview with Charlie Mulgrew and Kevin Thompson?
He gives you an insight as to what it was like for the players. Remember this was a very tight group of players. A brilliant dressing room.
I didn’t know the all had separate changing rooms, did you?
You should watch it.
Poor Neil was up against it and for so called Celtic supporters to disrespect him the way many do, disgusts me.
Brendan has to share some of the blame too.
If he doesn’t leave, imo we do the 10.
God bless Neil Francis Lennon.
I hope these players realise how lucky they are to play under such an esteemed manager and grasp this great opportunity to learn as much as they can from him. Not too many managers have won 2 European cups and an English Premiership as players then 2 English league cups and 3 Scottish premierships and a Europa final as a manager.
Ok those styles are currently obsolete but that was football back then.
Brendan was a very divisive character though, I agree, as all Sevco fans hated him as did many Lawellite types.