Former Celtic manager Martin O’Neill has told supporters to be patient as Greek-Australian Ange Postecoglou gets to grips with the demands of the Parkhead side.
Celtic are looking to wrestle their title back off of Rangers after limply losing the league last term. O’Neill, the last Celtic manager, to be charged with overhauling a deficit that stretched to more than 20 points, believes the games against the Ibrox side will be crucial this season but also believes that the 25-point chasm that separated the sides is not reflective of the gap between the squads.
“I don’t think the gap is as massive as it was in my time,” said O’Neill. “Only because I don’t believe that Rangers have the calibre of player [that they did]. It’s different generations that you are comparing but I don’t think that the Rangers team of today can compare with that Rangers side of the beginning the century.
“But give the man a chance. I noticed the players he has had have all spoken highly of him which is good.”
O’Neill’s first task as Celtic manager was to replace Mark Viduka, who told him via a long-distance call from Australia, that he wouldn’t be returning to Glasgow. And the Irishman has warned that any players who aren’t fully committed to the club need to go before a proper restructure can take place.
“Some players will leave – and they better. If you don’t want to play any more for Celtic then out you go,” he said. “The start of the season will be vital, as it was for me; I count the first victory against Dundee United and the Hearts game at Tynecastle before the Rangers [6-2] game as vitally important for my own position. Had we been dropping points the maybe the season takes a different outlook, who knows?
“I think he would give anything for a win over Rangers just to stabilise things. The situation is not going to be easy.”
What O’Neill would love to see at Ibrox, however, is not just the supporting cast of supporters who contribute so much to the occasions but also a return to the traditional allocation of tickets. In 2018 Rangers cut the Celtic allocation of tickets to just 800 with the Parkhead side doing likewise the following year. Both clubs cited demand from season ticket holders as the reason for the move but O’Neill believes it has created a dilution in atmosphere.
“The Celtic fans are coming back and you know what the Celtic fans can do,” he said. “They can be behind you and give you something you feel you didn’t have and, like every set of fans, they can be a bit volatile.
“It would be great if both sets of fans in their respective numbers were allowed back into the opposition stadia because there is nothing like it. There is nothing like 6000 or 7000 Rangers fans behind that goal adding to the atmosphere and the same with Celtic behind the goal at Ibrox. That would be lovely.”
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