Shug is questioning whether or not even Martin O’Neill can imagine given he is not trying past Scottish Cup semi-final with St Mirren
06:00, 19 Apr 2026
Celtic gamers seem to have a assembly on the pitch at full-time
I give Celtic zero per cent chance of winning the Premiership title – and I base that opinion on one, easy observation.
They’re not excellent.
That doesn’t start to come back beneath the heading of being in any means controversial.
I listened to Martin O’Neill in his pre-Scottish Cup press convention on Friday afternoon, when he was requested if he had been dreaming about one final return to Hampden on May 23 for the last.
His reply was: “We’re not good enough to dream that far down the line.”
His phrases. Not mine.
If the supervisor can’t enable himself to assume past St Mirren at this time then what does that say about 5 league video games from now?
My suspicion is O’Neill’s aspect will drop extra factors than they’ll win in the 5 post-split fixtures, starting with Falkirk at house subsequent Saturday.
All of which suggests at this time’s Scottish Cup semi-final tie with Saints should be received to maintain alive the hope this season doesn’t finish with out a trophy.
In my line of work, I don’t imagine in establishing an opinion with the deliberate intention of avoiding confrontation.
Both barrels. At all occasions. That is my philosophy.
I hearken to radio callers who, night time after night time, appropriately say Celtic are “tepid,” or “scraping by”.
The issues come up, although, when a pundit like me says the similar factor. For some purpose, if I voice dismay and disbelief out loud it’s unacceptable. Too unhealthy.
My previous pal Frank McAvennie has described Celtic as “boring,” which, to be truthful, is borderline complimentary for Macca.
They are in dire straits, if the fact be advised, and the the rest of the season is about salvaging delight and never descending into farce.
That’s why Celtic will likely be dealing with the music at Hampden at this time.
The return of the Green Brigade final weekend was speculated to be about restoring concord inside the floor when Celtic performed St Mirren in the Premiership.
The crowd and the crew singing from the similar hymn sheet after months of cacophonous discord. There was, nonetheless, one bum be aware performed after one other, interrupted by a solo efficiency from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, to finish the afternoon on a low-key refrain of one thing passing for contentment.
But the fact of the matter is the Green Brigade, backed by the Vienna Boys Choir and the Scottish National Orchestra, couldn’t get a tune out of O’Neill’s aspect at the second.
Only the tone deaf would fail to understand that reality.
I suspect O’Neill is aware of that to be the case in addition to he approaches this afternoon’s cup tie at Hampden with what should be severe misgivings.
O’Neill stated Celtic’s efficiency final weekend towards a aspect preventing relegation was a “bit worrying”.
It was a remark based on the crew’s low power ranges, lack of creativity and close to whole absence of menace in entrance of aim.
Being breathless, clueless and aimless will not be the posture you wish to current to the public on the day of a match which could, theoretically, be your final chance of a trophy, if the pursuit of the league title finally ends up as pear-shaped as I assume it’s going to.
Not once you’re dealing with the aspect who’ve already denied you the Premier Sports Cup final December in what may solely have been described as a complete victory.
The mitigating issue for O’Neill this afternoon is that the cup last loss was suffered at the fingers of Wilfried Nancy, who had completely no thought of what he was doing. But there will likely be no absolution for O’Neill at this time in the occasion of a repeat efficiency as a result of followers don’t do sentimentality at occasions like these.
They do temper music. If Celtic are on track, then there may be, quickly, no drawback.
If they’re unable to hold a tune in a bucket, and St Mirren win, the opinion formers who paid to get into Hampden will abandon all pretence at endurance and give full vent to their emotions.
It received’t be fairly.
The Hollywood ending to O’Neill’s story could be a cup last win in May that enabled him to move off into the sundown whereas abandoning not a dry eye in the home.
In order for that occasion to be a forthcoming attraction, Martin can’t have a crew who’re out on their ft, drained in the minds and ineffective in entrance of aim on a Hampden pitch which is way larger than the one they’re used to taking part in on at house.
That could be the Doomsday situation for an iconic determine who answered an emergency name from a bizarrely run membership and has been making an attempt to make sense of idiotic circumstances ever since.
Elimination from the cup would additionally imply that, tomorrow morning, there could be no hiding place for anybody in authority at Celtic Park.
Is there anybody inside the membership, as an illustration, who has the first thought of who will handle Celtic subsequent season or maintain every other positions of authority?
Silence is not going to be an choice if O’Neill can’t strike up the band on the massive stage this afternoon.
