MARTIN O’NEILL came out of his six-year exile to answer an SOS from Celtic to become their interim manager in late October in the fall-out of Brendan Rodgers’ hasty exit.
Eight games later – and seven wins and one loss – the charismatic Irishman stepped down to make way for the December arrival of Wilfried Nancy.
Thirty-three days later, following a catastrophic six defeats in eight games, the Frenchman was sacked and once again O’Neill responded to the call from the champions to take control until the end of a turbulent campaign.
The club are now four crucial games away from a league and Cup double – as unlikely though that seemed a short while ago – and the 74-year-old gaffer is stalling on making any predictions on his future.
ON THE BALL…Martin O’Neill displays his skills after Celtic’s 2-1 victory over Hibs at Easter Road on Sunday.
Asked about his next move, O’Neill, in his usual forthright manner, responded: “I’ve said it umpteen times, I’ve never enjoyed management!
“I had been out a long time. But, of course, there is an enjoyment when you win.
“It’s still exciting, seriously exciting, and it is good. I feel a sense of renaissance, coming back and working with young people, it’s really, really terrific.
“We’ll see how we stand at the end of the season – and that’s nearly upon us now.”
O’Neill’s immediate challenge is to prepare his players for the sixth and final derby encounter of the season against a Rangers side that has stumbled to back-to-back losses in the first two games of the split.
Danny Rohl’s team followed up the weekend’s 3-2 home loss to Motherwell with a 2-1 reverse against Hearts at Tynecastle last night.
They are now seven points behind the Edinburgh pacesetters and four adrift of the Hoops with only three league matches to go.
As they head to Parkhead for Sunday’s noon kick-off, the Govan club are being dismissed as also-rans and, surveying the current situation, it is virtually impossible to argue with that assessment.
SCREEN GEM…Martin O’Neill gives his views to Celtic TV after the champions’ 2-1 win in Edinburgh.
However, O’Neill is refusing to rule them out completely and, speaking to talkSPORT, said: “Rangers are a number of points behind Hearts.
“We are talking about three games left. So, that would be difficult to overcome at this particular stage.
“But it is not impossible, it can happen. You can still win your games and they are very difficult matches for all of us to come through.”
Quizzed on his reaction to Derek McInnes’ team’s win in Gorgie, O’Neill answered: “Deep down, I was probably looking for a draw.
“A draw is very difficult to cheer on, but I think that was the case because it would then have put it in our own hands.
“As it turns out, mathematically speaking, it is not actually in our own hands.”
The champions also trail Hearts on goal difference by five, but O’Neill insists there are more twists and turns to come.
The Tynecastle club take on Motherwell at Fir Park on Saturday night with an 8pm kick-off before the derby takes place the following day.
In the previous three meetings with Jens Berthel Askou’s club, Hearts have drawn two and won one.
This encounter could yet prove to be a turning point in the dramatic run-in to the crown.
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