Martin O’Neill: Lord of War.

Celtic has not been calm this season. There has never been a moment to catch a breath. To be honest, the 2–2 draw at Ibrox did not calm anything. It did not settle anything regarding the title race. If anything, it intensified it.

This is no longer just about points. It is about belief, nerves and pressure management. The Boys in green and white are not simply fighting for results now. They are fighting to protect a title. That carries a different weight.

A draw away at Ibrox is not a bad result. But it wasn’t enough either. There have been days in Celtic history when the Hoops went there and dominated completely. Context matters too. Last season the Ibrox club finished miles behind as Celtic lifted the title. This season the margins are tighter. The pressure is heavier.

Matches like that do not calm a race. They poison it with tension.

Going two goals down away from home should have finished Celtic mentally. That stadium feeds on momentum. When the crowd senses weakness, it usually becomes suffocating. But this time something shifted. Celtic refused to disappear.

What struck me most was not just the comeback, but the reaction afterwards. The discussion moved away from tactics and towards mentality. When Callum McGregor spoke about turning the stadium against its own team, it felt significant. Celtic did not just chase the game. They altered the emotional balance inside Ibrox.

That is when mind games truly begin. Not when managers talk about them, but when one side realises the other could not finish them off.

Now every match carries psychological baggage. Every dropped point feels heavier. Every press conference sounds sharper. The title stops being a football competition and becomes a test of emotional endurance.

You can feel it building week by week. Derby matches at Ibrox overload the senses.

The mind races. You start doubting. You start imagining the worst. The pressure rises with every minute.

That is why mentality matters more than ever. Celtic must move from “can we win this?” to “we will win this.” That shift in belief changes everything. It’s on the brink. You can feel it. We’ll either grab it or this whole season will crash into rubble.

The most fascinating element for me is the contrast between Martin O’Neill, Derek McInnes and Danny Röhl. This feels like three football philosophies colliding in public.

Röhl speaks like a modern coach. Analytical. Measured. Focused on preparation and psychology. He frames the derby in terms of structure and mental control. There is confidence in that approach, perhaps even an attempt to present Celtic as vulnerable.

But that’s all surface effect. Beneath it … he’s worried. He should be. He’s in a job that has crushed managers with more experience than he has.

O’Neill’s tone is different. Not anger. Not panic. Just the calm authority of someone who has lived through this rivalry before. When he responded to comments about Celtic’s selection, it felt less like defensiveness and more like a reminder: you do not question a man who has been over the course like a thoroughbred.

O’Neill has managed professional football for more than three decades. He arrived in Scotland twenty-five years ago having already won honours with Leicester City and managed elsewhere. He understands pressure and what it means to go up against a major Ibrox rival and still shift belief.

When O’Neill first took charge of Celtic, the Ibrox club were spending heavily and boasting established European talent such as Giovanni van Bronckhorst. Yet O’Neill changed something deeper than tactics. He changed the mindset. Celtic began to believe again. There is a rumour that he asked every player, before that first season began, if they believed we could win the title and he ruthlessly purged the non-believers.

That is the difference experience makes.

Words matter in Glasgow. Managers know supporters listen carefully. Players sense tone and they respond to confidence. Even small comments can plant doubts or enhance belief. These exchanges are not accidents. They are positioning.

The wider title picture only increases the tension. When figures like Derek McInnes and other contenders remain within reach, anxiety spreads at all the clubs. Every fixture becomes dangerous. There is no breathing space.

Pressure becomes currency, and everyone tries to spend it wisely. Refereeing discussions surface. Fatigue is highlighted. Injuries are emphasised. None of it is random. Each comment attempts to shift focus.

This is where O’Neill is a genius. This is where he dominates the battlespace.

History shows that when tension reaches this level, quality can become secondary to composure. We still have the quality but it’s not been seen often enough. Thankfully titles swing when one side loses control. Late goals, nervy performances, one mistake under pressure; these are the moments that define seasons.

At a time like that you cannot have a manager cracking under pressure. Equally, it is dangerous to have one who has never completed the course.

Right now, Celtic’s messaging feels rooted in calm authority. By contrast, the Ibrox club appear eager to challenge that narrative. That is natural. That is rivalry. However, we have entered the final phase now and only one of the bosses sounds as though he’s relaxed.

The 2–2 draw at Ibrox did not settle anything. If anything, it raised the temperature. Celtic showed resilience. Now, though, they must turn resilience into consistency. Martin talked about starting fast tonight, trying to get off to the right beginning. In other words, settle the nerves early. If we can do that, and win three points tonight, then the pressure shifts back to our rivals. And ultimately, that is exactly where we want it.

In the end, this title race will not be decided only by tactics or quality. Instead, it will be decided by mentality. Specifically, by who absorbs pressure without cracking. Just as importantly, by who refuses to let doubt creep in. In Glasgow, after all, when everything starts to shake, belief is often the difference between lifting a trophy and watching someone else do it.

So Celtic must embrace that reality. From here on, there can be no hesitation. Likewise, there can be no second-guessing. There is only one mindset now: we will win this. Thankfully, we have the right man in charge for it.