When appointed as interim manager in October, Martin O’Neill did not know how long he had in the role, so would be inclined to make few dramatic moves. This time he has a straight run until May. That gives him scope to make a sustained change.
As a manager, Martin has seen footballers decline with age, it was a feature of his last season in charge at Celtic. Much is said about the impact Henrik Larsson leaving in 2004 had on the subsequent season, but 2004-05 was also the time the years caught up with 35-year-old Paul Lambert. 33-year-old Chris Sutton also toiled, as Celtic’s engine stalled.
Goalkeepers always perform better behind a competent and settled defence. Kasper Schmeichel has not had that luxury this season, however, his decline from the excellent form he enjoyed last term is marked.
The first name on the team sheet on Saturday, will be the first big decision Martin makes in his stint as interim manager. Lessons from 2005 should inform his thinking.
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all scored by the other guy…
Prince Mohamed bin Fahd Stadium
Al-Qadsiah FC
capacity 22.042
agregate 33.387
average 5.565
KingLubo
Team and squad have been weakened over the last few years or so by a will to cash in on anyone that could be sold, without adequate replacements. A terrible run of bad injuries to several players, loads of hamstring injuries to others and the remaining players, not only left to carry the load then get several managers with various tactics picking them/dropping them!
Their heads must be mince and confidence will be low.
There’s not a lot of time to get that confidence built up again, but if anyone can, its Martin.
Optimistic that with a few games, a few wins and maybe a few signings, the man can completely change the trajectory.
Had questioned before whether Kenny could be the man if he got a run of games, relaxed a little and took any pressure off himself, but that was a reach going by his form since he got in.
Who knows what Martin can do for the lad and my fingers, toes, etc. are crossed for him.
HH
Let us not forget that the Rangers resurgence owes a lot to very favourable interpretations by VAR of a number of incidents in their own and the opponents’ penalty areas. Potentially worth quite a number of points during the resurgence period.
KINGLUBO on 7th January 2026 6:51 pm
With virtually every blog, saying we have a poor squad, just think what the players must feel when they see that rubbish
———–
I’m sure the players won’t be too bothered about blogs etc. Or even the Honda Civic jibe.
What will undoubtedly have spooked them is the abuse they got from their own supporters leaving Parkhead on Saturday.
Frankly it was OTT.
I previously mentioned that understandably emotions were running high. but now we are relying on these same players to do us a turn.
That was also missing from the Collective statement.
HH.
Evening all.
Kev, for the first time I can see your thinking.
Kenny as a twin striker set up could / would be interesting.
The rest of your posting is complete shite.
Your still a banger.
BURNLEY78 re: the drink
Yip, I am right in the heart of bourbon country. Have done a few distilerries. Sazerac Rye is probably my favouirte tipple from here. used to have a hookup for Pappy and would flip the bottles for insane money. Weller 12 used to be a great bottle but the prices have tripled in 6 years. Proper mental!
Does your boy come over here?
Thunder Road, good to see you posting.Been a while,hope all well
listening to Rod Stewart – “wish i knew what i know now” – maybe on the CEOs playlist too…tho maybe not
BelmontBrian on 7th January 2026 7:35 pm
Evening all.
Kev, for the first time I can see your thinking.
Kenny as a twin striker set up could / would be interesting.
The rest of your posting is complete shite.
Your still a banger.
………….
Well I’ve been called a lot worse, by a lot better.
Happy New Year to you as well.
HH
oot.
MON’s starting XI for his last two games in charge may give an indication as to Saturday’s starting XI:
Schmeichel
Donovan
Trusty
Scales
Saracchi
Engels
Calmac
Hatate
McCowan
Maeda
Yang
Tierney should start at LB with Saracchi injured. Would be no surprise to see Araujo get the nod at RB. Other than that, I expect the other nine may start.
HH
I think TBB gave an injury update to me just before Christmas. Much drink has been taken since then.
Think CCV and Jota would need a miracle to be back this season, what about the others?
Kev
Any time you want to meet up chat, just let me know.
Sir Rod the Fraud.
Royal Family sucker.
Boris Johnson sucker.
Nigel Farage sucker.
Tory Party sucker.
Jeremy Corbyn hater.
Green Brigade hater.
Pro Covid Vaccine Genocide shill.
Rod Stewart is a GOLD plated charlatan scumbag.
DESMOND WHITE would have long ago told RS to drape his brand of scumbaggery elsewhere.
Says EVERYTHING about how cheap Fergus McCann was inviting a FAKE Tim into the club.
Tims on the make are taking the mick!
RS uses his link with Celtic to try to appropriate some decency to his image.
Says everything about Celtic fans that they did not demand the banning of this disgusting tramp from Parkhead.
Stand for nothing – fall for everything.
As FANTASTIC Celtic historian, GERRY McNEE, said during the bull in a china shop, Fergus McCann era at Celtic.
McNEE said: “IT LOOKS LIKE THIS GRAND OLD CLUB, WILL NEVER KNOW PEACE.”
tic toc…..
HH
oot.
Kev
Contact P67
If you want my details
Nite y’all
Night BB!
Someone mentioned Gogic. Was it Kyogo or Maeda who nicked the ball off him and made him look like a donkey? Always looks like a red card waiting to happen when he played against BR’s and Ange’s teams.
Apols to the blog
BelmontBrian on 7th January 2026 8:16 pm
Kev
Any time you want to meet up chat, just let me know.
………
So somebody disagrees with you and you want a square go?
Its like this.
I agree to meet you.
I show up.
You emerge from an unmarked cop car.
You try to assault me.
I defend myself.
And that is the only bit that will be recorded on the cop recording device in the cop car.
I get banged up for sorting out a Sentinel Celts banger.
You get an envelope and walk away.
lol
I can smell you through CQN’s pages.
How about YOU grow the fk up?
Celtic cattle.
HH
oot.
Message to Celtic board
We really, really need a striker ……not tomorrow or the day after, we need one now !
Think we sort of knew this weeks ago , get yur finger oot! 🥴😴🥱😤
Kev
That post was from I while ago.
Nite
WITS
Thank you.
Concerns for our team and club provoking me to stick ma neb in.
Great to see that you have stuck around.
Hope you are keeping well?
Saw a post from you a day or 2 ago mentioning good pubs in Dublin and it took me back to a nice time.
Was tempted to butt in with The Gravediggers as your no.1?
Will hit the big 60 next year and was planning a wee trip in my wee campervan to see some more of your amazing country instead of just the inside of the pubs.
Can’t think of a better way to begin than making my 1st stop Dublin to maybe buy yourself and Almore a beer, so maybe next April/May i will be in the neighbourhood and if you are about…..it would be great to see you.
Why do players whose team has just scored often try to grab the ball out of the net?
The restart is taken by the team who have just conceded.
Possession is theirs.
ERATIC
We need 2, yesterday.
And have known that since July.
One striker is easily marked out of the game with a defense of 3, 4, 5, 6, whatever.
BUT.
Two strikers drags the defenders all over the place.
A Celtic team with One striker when we are not defending the away goal rule, is because the manager has made HIS EGO as more important than the team on the pitch.
Rodgers PLAYSTATION tactics with Always One striker drove big Idah to drink.
Idah might have been a brilliant striker but we’ll never know cause his Celtic manager was an erchie of the highest order.
That’s why he is now in the losers lounge in ZOG controlled Dubia.
HH
oot.
BelmontBrian on 7th January 2026 8:54 pm
Kev
That post was from I while ago.
Nite
…….
Explain.
Then go and get a sleep and stop acting like a Hun.
HH
oot
Aipple
That’s good to know.
He is only over once a year. Usually to Frankfort and Kansas though.
Back to Basics – Glass Half Full on 7th January 2026 8:56 pm
I know , it annoys the hell out of me too , but it depends on circumstances.
Imagine you’re 2-0 down with 5 minutes to go . You score ,and it’s 2-1 . All you want to do is get the game started asap because you sniff a chance of a second The fact your opponents have kick off is irrlevant .
There are lots of things that have crept into the modern game which annoy me a helluva lot more .
Croft Celt
Yes dodgy calls have gained them 6 points I reckon directly. Maybe more.
Dundee Utd 1
Livingston 2
Motherwell 2
Dundee Utd 1
expat_celt on 7th January 2026 8:30 pm
Someone mentioned Gogic. Was it Kyogo or Maeda who nicked the ball off him and made him look like a donkey? Always looks like a red card waiting to happen when he played against BR’s and Ange’s teams.
Think that moment was with Rogic?
I have always liked Gogic and thought he would be a very useful addition to our squad. Could see him as a defensive midfielder sat right in front of our defence in European ties for a start. Fit, powerful, athletic guy. Looks a good pro., but whether his combativeness would be interpreted differently with us probably isn’t up for debate.
Think he signed a new contract recently with St Mirren and he’s now @33/34?
Missed opportunity or dodged a bullet?
I think we missed an opportunity.
Thunder Road: 👍🍀🍀
Good to see the majority of Board applauders,are quite happy with loans,frees.Its in the blood now.Don’t spend.We can’t spend too much as a new manager coming in the Summer.
That ancient Chestnut.Until the Summer comes.Burnley just happy to keep on trying to demean BR.Seems he has evidence.More chance of The Epstein files revealing anything.
No offence,but at the moment,Kenny should be nowhere near the team.Forced in too early because of the Board signing policies.Eh,none.The boy is not ready to play for us.
KEV J
altho i said i was listening – it wasnt my music…
https://philmacgiollabhain.ie/2026/01/06/can-celtic-still-make-the-cut/
Kèv Racist
Born into the then world’s big Gaeltacht kevracist,
You are a rent boy to racism
A gullible sap.
Black skin pigment,Brown skin pigment
Crippled inside kev racist
Only bettered by your genuflection to the crown
You and George racing to kneel before
You are lost kev racist
Lost faith in life for whatever reasons
Default to racism
Lost faith in Celtic,not attended since 2006
Default to racism.
Lost faith-;default to racism
Who do you put your racism down to ?
Na fanx with any of your confused love
Why would anyone seek advice of faith when you have a loathing of “the invader:
You seek division,
You are mired in racism
A poor gullible sap to the info age.
Refugees are welcome Kevracist
Your racism is not
watching disclosure on bbc – are refugees welcome here – if there is one place that needs to broaden its gene pool, jeezo its falkirk – the locals on the “right” are one shower of ugly bast****
GDT @ 9:09 pm – cheers.
I’d enforce a 10 yard rule across the board.
Touch the ball after a free kick, goal kick, throw in …
… ref automatically pushes the play 10 yards forward.
If ball grabbing after a goal? Indirect free kick at the top half of the centre circle instead of a traditional restart
In the unlikely event of slowing the play after the concession of a corner?
Attacking team can move the ball 10 yards in any direction from the corner flag.
If a direct free kick awarded 27 yards out or less?
Ball cannot be forwarded into the 18 yard box – so move the wall 12 yards (not 10) from the dead ball.
PS – if a player tries to churn up the penalty spot after a penalty awarded?
Awarded a penalty goal. Works in Rugby Union.
… and yellow card him.