Honda Civics, Martin O’Neill’s appetite to win

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Speaking to Sky Sports on Sunday, Martin O’Neill denied he had any legacy at Celtic to worry about, too modest by far.  When he walked around Hampden after the 2005 Scottish Cup Final we knew the most impactful manager since Jock Stein, whom O’Neill referenced on Sunday, was leaving us to an uncertain future.

That parting was bitter sweet.  A week earlier a calamitous performance at Motherwell saw the league title slip away in the dying minutes of the game.  A squad which lost Henrik Larsson a year earlier looked more than a tad unfit.  Celtic’s squad was too old, cost millions more than our income could pay for and needed an overhaul.

It is incomprehensible that Martin has enhanced his considerable Celtic legacy since returning as manager in October.  A league challenge which was dented by defeats to Dundee and Hearts is back on track, as are our Europa League progression chances.  Players who were regarded as bit parts have delivered, and in Callum Osmand we even got a glimpse of an exciting young talent.  It is as though we were being driven around in a Honda Civic, and upgraded to a Ferrari.

Football fans want the fairytale ending.  This didn’t happen for Martin in 2005, his victory lap at Hampden was mostly with head bowed, still shaken from the previous week.  There will be a heightened appetite among the crowd for the win tomorrow night to allow the great man to say his farewells in appropriate style.  No matter how much you or I want the win, Martin will want it more.

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  1. bournesouprecipe on

    EKBHOY on 2ND DECEMBER 2025 1:46 PM

     

     

    FWIW I agree, in the main.

     

     

    We haven’t heard the full story or reached its end. All supporters have been told is in, the owner’s statement which bizarrely came in a separate highly controversial issue, minutes after Celtic’s .

     

     

    Brendan Rodgers rhetoric I think it attracts more traffic and importantly this blog signposted his downfall with dissention and disagreement about how Celtic were doing.starting a long time ago last season. A lot of supporters especially outside One Man and His Blog bubbles like CQN refer to ITK or Insider Information. The narrative on this blog IMO lends to the theory, but in fairness to Paul67 who is here 24/7 providing the platform, even for disagreement.

     

     

    Supporters are done with BR’s ( for the moment ) he’s a big wee bhoy and he’s a millionaire, now is not really the time when Celtic and the supporters will just carry right on with Wilfried especially if he hits the ground running. The MON temporary appointment they got very right, and I’m looking forward to seeing him in his farewell tomorrow.

     

     

     

     

    HH

  2. Tim alone will tell

     

     

    Don’t upset him. He will be on all day about board plants ….. Just get with the script. Brendan really didn’t spend 10 months creating havoc and leading supporters and leadership into direct conflict to protect his own positon when he should have been managing a football club which WE as supporters paid him to do.

     

     

    He really want manipulative in any way shape or form. And also the football we had to watch this past year really was better than that enjoyed under Ange. Oh and of course Kairat Almaty whose squad was worth 7% of ours only beat us because of our board.

  3. AN DÚN on 2ND DECEMBER 2025 2:16 PM

     

    EKBHOY

     

     

     

    On the basis that DD has hugely deep pockets BR is not going near this with his lawyers , time to get your blinkers off.

     

     

     

    —-

     

     

     

    I don’t know if BR is taking legal action.

     

     

     

    But I do know that if he does, it will be taken against Celtic, not DD.

     

     

     

    That’s the difference between Desmond issuing his own statement and Desmond putting a statement out on the Club’s website.

     

     

    ….

     

     

    Last one re Brendan

     

     

    Celtic will have filing cabinets full of Brendan’s public behaviour ( and likely behind the scenes stuff) to have HR him off the premises, he has zero chance of any success in a constructive dismissal case.

     

     

    Canweletthisgonowpleasecfc

  4. Burnley78 @ 3:02 pm,

     

     

    Are you busy at work?

     

     

    We know you can do better than that.

     

     

    So – let’s get it straight, you believe Brendan Rodgers will not be consulting lawyers?

     

     

    Hail Hail

  5. Rodger couldn’t lay a glove on:

     

    Jimmy Thelin Aberdeen SCF defeat costing us a Treble after daft Tims paid 50 quid for a cup final ticket.

     

    Oh dear.

     

    Wee Barry Ferguson’s Stray Dugs Level Hun team. lol

     

    Oh dear.

     

    Kiarat Almaty in CLQ costing us 40 Million CL Money Pot.

     

    Oh dear.

     

    Russell Martin’s Hun team after daft Tims paid 56 Quid for a ticket.

     

    Oh dear.

     

    Stephen Presley’s Dundee Uperstars.

     

    Oh dear.

     

    Derek McInnis’s Jambos Uprising.

     

    Oh dear.

     

    75,000 PER WEEK for a Toxic LIAR after every Transfer Window, was rightly removed by big powerful DD.

     

    Powerful because Tims are TOO Dim to realize that boycotting season tickets reduces the share price making DD less powerful.

     

    Tims protesting about the PLC but it really is because they all fell for Rodgers the LIAR and will NEVER be big enough to admit that.

     

    Dim Tims are the answer to – ZERO/ZILCH/NADA Not Now NOT ever.

     

    HH

     

    oot.

  6. Irlandarra

     

    @aldamu_jo

     

    2005: “George Galloway’s “pack of lies” speech in front of the U.S. Senate Committee with regards to the Iraq War. A tour de force. the beginning of the end for the Zionism.

     

    We forget the lessons of recent history at our peril.”

     

    https://x.com/aldamu_jo/status/1994490048251924953#m

     

    Only one Mhan will set you free.

     

    The establishment DON’T FEAR:

     

    Snp/Greens/Lab/Lib/Con/Ref/SF/FF/FG/PBP/Corbyn/Clowshow.

     

    The establishment fear:

     

    The-Workers-Party-of-Britain-ALBA-Paty-Scotland.

     

    The establishment fear people who don’t suck!

     

    Dim/Dumb/Glaikit/Dunderheid/Tims vote for:

     

    Freaks/Weirdos/Creeps/Liars/Thieves/Pretentious/Virtue/Signallers

     

    Tims kow/tow to the establishment like they did during C19 PLandemic, whilst the so called “Daft Huns” saw throught the entire scam, because years before, they saw through lying krankie and the Snp cess-pool. lol

     

    Clap/for/this/Kneel/for/That/Grassing/Snitching/Finger/Pointing/lol

     

    What a time to be alive.

     

    George Galloway CSC

     

    HH

     

    oot.

  7. The Battered Bunnet on

    I lost a post at lunchtime, along the following lines…

     

     

    I’ve been posting on here since 2004.

     

     

    In that time we’ve seen lots of folk come and go at the club and none have been deities, none beyond criticism. Even the great Henrik got it in the neck periodically. MON was no different. Who would want it any other way?

     

     

    MON’s resignation came as a seismic shock, on here and across the Timternet. If you lie still for a minute you might still feel the vibrations. It coincided with the resetting of the Celtic business model and perhaps we ought to better recognise Gordon Strachan’s contribution in that light. If you thought MON was criticised, you should have heard the stuff lobbed at WGS.

     

     

    It’s best not to become too invested in a particular manager at the club. They come, they go. Little more than two years is the average tenure here nowadays, no time at all.

  8. The Hearts game is now sold out.

     

    Roma – unless seats are being withheld from sale, there look to be under 20 tickets left. As so many boycotted the Europa group games it looks like there are many who are taking advantage of getting to a European game that they would otherwise not see.

  9. The Battered Bunnet on

    “This is definitely it, for tomorrow evening. I’ve been assured by the board. So the new man will come in… and this is definitely my last game.”

     

     

    MON’s curtain call. Going to be quite the riot at Celtic Park tomorrow night.

  10. 67 European Cup Winners on

    Looks like Martin will “officially” step down tomorrow night

     

     

    He was a legend before after his return he is now a Saint

     

     

    However a greate accolade awaits him

     

    From this day forward when the wee lassie in Starbucks says “Whats the name” I will forever say Martin

     

     

    I can do no more in honor of him

     

     

    67ECW

  11. Tim Malone Will Tell on

    So let me see if I have got this right…

     

     

    1. Arne Engels is a BR signing…not a club signing…BR having convinced the board to spend £11 million.

     

     

    2. Arne isn’t developing as expected (wonder why?) so to save the boy from everyone’s displeasure, BR gives him a permanent place on the bench as a magnanimous gesture – even though we are playing terribly.

     

     

    3. Meanwhile, Calmac is wearing out the 18 yard line – and occasionally the centre Circle – doing his ‘Peter the Pointer’ impersonation.

     

     

    4.MON & Shaun come in, play Arne, move Calmac further up the pitch to good effect – but everything that went before is the boards fault?

     

     

    I think that is the gist?

  12. The Blogger Formerly Known As GM on

    Any kind of result against Roma and the remaining Utrecht tickets will go like hot cakes.

  13. bigrailroadblues on

    Good evening all from old Glasgow Town. Mrs BRRB still shopping, time for a pint. Of hun tears.

  14. The Battered Bunnet @ 3:56 pm,

     

     

    Awesome stuff – what a legend…

     

     

    I remember over thirty years ago, I went to Wembley, my dad et al to the F.A. Trophy cup final.

     

     

    With Martin in charge – not for one minute did I think Wycombe Wanderers weren’t going to win it…

     

     

    MO’N – he’s always had thar special quality….

     

     

    Hail Hail

  15. Tim Malone Will Tell @ 4:05 pm,

     

     

    Over thinking.!?

     

     

    Arne, Auston, Adam…

     

     

    What a waste of time and money that was.

     

     

    It’s that easy – stick to the progamme

     

     

    Hail Hail

  16. EKBhoy @ 3:09 pm,

     

     

    Simon says – close the door and stand away from the filing cabinet;)

     

     

    Hail Hail

  17. Tim Malone Will Tell on

    Chairbhoy – what does that gibberish actually mean?

     

     

    Just to be clear, I think Celtic’s structure and governance is a mess – so I don’t exonerate the board and DD from due criticism.

     

     

    But the notion that due criticism of BR somehow translates to supporting the board is frankly mind boggling.

  18. Tim Malone Will Tell @ 4:26 pm,

     

     

    Leave Brendan Rodgers out of it, he has gone.

     

     

    Drop the obsession – please…

     

     

    Hail Hail

  19. Brendan has a few quid as well, not always about how much money you have in a court of law,it’s about who is right and who is wrong, FWIW, I don’t believe BR resigned.

  20. Kev Jungle

     

     

    Powerful because Tims are TOO Dim to realize that boycotting season tickets reduces the share price making DD less powerful.

     

    ==============

     

    What would the objective of an ST boycott be?

     

     

    What Celtic would HAVE to do in order to be FSR compliant if football earnings plummet as result of supporters reducing the income that pays players wages, is to sell better players to compensate any loss and replace those sold at lower wages than those sold.

     

     

    So if ultimate objective is to improve player squad quality then significantly reducing football earnings is self defeating.

     

     

    The boycott idea you advocate is dim.

  21. The Bada Bing @ 4:39 pm,

     

     

    100%

     

     

    Anybody that doesn’t understand that hasn’t the first clue about legal structures.

     

     

    The day our Judicary bow to Billionaires we are finished.

     

     

    Hail Hail

  22. You’d like to think Nancy will be at the game tomorrow, if he’s in charge for Sunday, he will need to lean on Maloney and Fotheringham .

  23. the Bada Bing on 2nd December 2025 4:52 pm

     

    “You’d like to think Nancy will be at the game tomorrow, if he’s in charge for Sunday, he will need to lean on Maloney and Fotheringham”

     

     

    I think Maloney & Fotherignham need to be standing right beside him, BADA, por cierto.

  24. bournesouprecipe on

    THE BADA BING on 2ND DECEMBER 2025 4:39 PM

     

    Brendan has a few quid as well, not always about how much money you have in a court of law,it’s about who is right and who is wrong, FWIW, I don’t believe BR resigned.

     

     

    ——————————

     

     

    Even if he did resign you’d need to know why , very clear case of Constructive Dismissal could be pending. John Kennedy leaves after 27 years at the club ? – definitely not heard the end of that ‘coincidence’

     

     

    “ By the way even although you’ve just won the double (again) you’re toxic and we’ll accept your resignation “

     

     

    That right aye CSC

  25. Tim Malone Will Tell on

    Chairbhoy – the word I used is gibberish – maybe gidderish can be a new word for a permanent state of confusion?

     

     

    Well done.

  26. 67 European Cup Winners on

    The Bada Bing on 2nd December 2025 4:39

     

    Chairbhoy on 2nd December 2025 4:48

     

     

    I do not think for a minute any part of the last few months will get played out in a court of law

     

     

    BUT….

     

     

    There would be some questions asked under oath and one or two may get a bit nervous with their answers

     

     

    Like did you Mr Nicholson do a full enquiry into the leak to the press about BR

     

    Did you Mr Lawwell appraise any person regarding the article printed about BR

     

     

    And probably one or two more

     

     

    Having said that I would not want a public fiasco

     

    I’m keen to move on

     

     

    I was sorry to see BR go, but move on

     

     

    67ECW

     

     

    PS I would also like our host to move – cheap comment today

  27. glendalystonsils on

    So , Martin wins Manager of the month ! It’s like a hollywood film script where the long retired sherrif is persuaded to strap on his six-guns again to rid the townsfolk of maurading desperadoes .

     

     

    Absolutely magical .

  28. BSR

     

    You just posted the $64.000 question, John Kennedy, I’m more than sure nothing will be aired in public, it will be conducted behind closed doors and for sure, again I am 100% convinced there will be a pay off, with a NDA of course.

     

    In my working life I was involved in writing a fair few contracts and every single one was different, nobody posting on here will have a clue what BR’s contract was, the small print as always tells the story.

  29. bournesouprecipe on

    GLENDALYSTONSILS

     

     

    He’s world class the go to guy, for finding out about the new manager.

  30. Tim Malone Will Tell on

    DD’s statement was ill advised – but was it libellous as defined in Scottish Law?

     

     

    Who knows what was said, what was witnessed, what was recorded – and what would be a ‘reasonable belief’?

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