The big question after Celtic win double - will O'Neill stay?

ByKheredine Idessane

BBC Sport Scotland astatine Hampden

Martin O'Neill was lone expected to beryllium successful complaint of Celtic for a fewer weeks successful the autumn. An exigency measure. Yet helium ended up doing a treble stint crossed astir two-thirds of a season.

Now the 74-year-old nine fable walks distant - if so helium does locomotion distant - with a Premiership and Scottish Cup treble which volition spell down arsenic 1 of their sweetest, fixed the circumstances.

Which each begs 2 precise evident questions: Can Celtic truly spend to fto O'Neill leave? And does the antheral himself privation to stay?

"If the play was to commencement tomorrow, I couldn't bash it," helium told BBC Sport Scotland successful the contiguous aftermath of the 3-1 triumph implicit Dunfermline Athletic astatine Hampden.

"But the play doesn't commencement tomorrow. It does commencement quickly, though, and I'm getting old. I've done the learning successful the past 3 oregon 4 months. Some tactics I saw befuddled me, but it's bully astatine my age.

"In the adjacent week, I'll conscionable with the owner. He hasn't said thing to maine - I don't cognize whether that's bully quality oregon atrocious news. I volition person a wee look astatine it but I would deliberation the nine would astir apt beryllium looking astatine idiosyncratic younger.

"It's bully contiguous to deliberation 'I'd emotion to bash that again' but I truly bash not cognize whether I could beryllium astatine it each day. I cognize I tin walk it disconnected arsenic a gag but I genuinely don't know.

"I deliberation I indispensable beryllium successful information for the job, adjacent though it mightiness lone beryllium for a precise abbreviated time. Even astatine that, I couldn't bash a project. My daughters would beryllium each for it but I'm not definite if my woman would."

O'Neill's discussions with Dermot Desmond should beryllium perfectly fascinating.

One happening the bulk shareholder could bash earlier those talks is instrumentality a canvass of the Celtic players. They were each of a akin caput aft the cupful last victory.

"Everyone present knows however overmuch we admit him. He has earned the close to instrumentality a mates of weeks to deliberation astir it," right-back Alistair Johnston said. "He's got the vigor for it, I tin spot him coming backmost for sure."

Goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo added: "He's not atrocious is he? What he's done to the radical successful presumption of instilling that assurance and content is simply a occupation similar nary other. We each emotion him. We've been truly gladsome to person him."

Captain Callum McGregor chimed successful too: "Martin O'Neill has been fantastic and he's been backed up by astonishing unit members. I'm definite helium volition beryllium progressive successful immoderate capacity. He drove this squad connected and helium tin bask his summer."

So overmuch has happened successful this craziest of Scottish shot seasons that it is worthy recalling the circumstances of O'Neill's improbable - so sensational - instrumentality to the manager's office.

He was sitting successful a java store successful London's King's Road connected an October time erstwhile the telephone rang. It was Desmond. Brendan Rodgers had conscionable resigned.

Would O'Neill, Desmond wondered, clasp the fort for a fewer weeks portion Celtic got their ducks successful a enactment with a imperishable successor. Oh, and helium had astir 10 minutes to deliberation astir it.

Needless to say, O'Neill couldn't resist. Aged 73 astatine the time, helium was a leader to the Celtic fanbase aft his archetypal spell successful complaint of a star-studded squad that included the likes of Henrik Larsson and Chris Sutton.

The occupation this clip astir was that helium didn't person anyplace adjacent the aforesaid modular of player, nor was determination harmony astatine the club. Open instrumentality revolt. Poor recruitment. A stiff situation from a new-look Hearts.

And yet O'Neill couldn't accidental nary to Celtic. After back-to-back home defeats astatine the extremity of Rodgers' reign, his chap Northern Irishman embarked connected a tally of 5 league wins and a League Cup semi-final triumph implicit Rangers.

Calamitously, the nine thanked O'Neill for his renewed work and pressed up with the assignment of Wilfried Nancy successful December.

O'Neill was backmost by January, trying to preside implicit a chaotic transportation model portion picking up the pieces of a severely damaged league campaign. Celtic were level with Rangers but six points down Hearts.

They precise astir went retired of the Scottish Cup astatine location against Dundee but O'Neill's Celtic are made of beardown stuff. Junior Adamu's late, precocious equaliser efficaciously paved the mode for the sun-lit Hampden triumph the nine has conscionable enjoyed.

The cup, however, is specified icing connected the cake. The bigger feat was defending their league title. O'Neill achieved it with a triumph complaint of good implicit 80 per cent. Here are his Premiership numbers: played 23, won 19, drawn two, mislaid two.

Impressive by immoderate standards. But, amid a play of flux and chaos successful Glasgow's eastbound end, they are utterly remarkable.

By communal consent, this is simply a Celtic squad good past its sell-by date. But O'Neill's man-management skills person won them 2 large trophies erstwhile neither looked peculiarly likely.

All of this leaves the nine successful a somewhat awkward situation: could they truly fto O'Neill permission if helium feels helium inactive has the vigor and the tendency to continue?

Not according to a raft of ex-players and managers, who are each mightily impressed by the veteran's achievements this season.

Former Ireland manager Stephen Kenny is wide connected whether O'Neill should get the accidental to enactment on.

"The reply is yes," helium said. "You can't bash immoderate much than he's done. It's an exceptional achievement. If helium wants to bash it, helium should stay, and I don't spot wherefore they wouldn't support him.

No-one knows the demands of Celtic much than erstwhile nine skipper Scott Brown, who was much than blessed to stock his views connected O'Neill.

"It each depends if he's got the energy," helium said. "He's talked astir that successful the past, it is burning a batch of energy. He's getting a spot older. It's up to Martin what helium does."

It whitethorn not beryllium solely up to him, though. The Celtic hierarchy request archetypal to determine successful what absorption they privation to proceed and with whom.

Should they determine to springiness O'Neill the option, let's ponder 1 last question.

With a ace astatine the Champions League conscionable 1 play-off necktie distant - and having answered Celtic's telephone 3 times successful his vocation - could O'Neill truly defy a 4th and last spell?