Martin O’neill Finally Reveals his next club he’d like to coach and retire at after Celtic Exit! Fans Stunned by surprise Decision

He studied journalism at the University of South Wales and published a football book, named Bluebird Heaven, around the same time with Pitch Publishing.

Since then, Jamie has continued to specialise in football journalism, PR and football-related Spanish translation. He has worked with a number of media companies, including Reach PCL, Iconic Group and many more over a decade-long career.

Roy Keane has been backed to take over the Celtic job should Martin O’Neill leave the club, and it may be the right call at the right time. O’Neill future remains unclear after a run of three straight defeats that has included two Old Firm derby defeats either side of a defeat to Ferencvaros in their Europa League opener.

The results are one thing, but what’s more concerning is that Celtic have looked completely flat, and it’s clear that there are personnel, mentality and tactical issues. Despite that, the Bhoys are top of the Premiership and two points ahead of Rangers, so while it feels like a crisis, Celtic are not in a disastrous situation by any stretch.

The club has confirmed O’Neill will not be sacked, but the veteran will look over the issues during the international break and decide whether he can fix them. If he feels it is beyond him, he could call time on his latest spell at the club, and a statement is expected next week to clarify the situation.

The biggest issue at Celtic is the lack of midfield after the club decided not to replace Arne Engels, and that problem is not going away until at least January, but the mentality issue is one that should be fixed and without delay.

Should O’Neill step aside, Celtic are going to have to think carefully to find a manager who can solve that problem, and former Sunderland chief Niall Quinn has backed former Celtic midfielder Keane to take the job.

Celtic manager Martin O’Neill waves to the crowd Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Boyers

He said on the Graeme Souness Tackles’ podcast: “I watched that game [Celtic vs Rangers]… there’s been such a turnaround in Scotland. Football’s mad. Go back to the start of the season… under so much pressure. There’s talk of him [Derek McInnes] getting shown his P45, and then, in seven days last week, they turned it completely around. I think they’re in the ascendancy now.

“Celtic look like they’re feeling a wee bit sorry for themselves and in both games I’ve watched them last week and on Sunday, they were bullied. Rangers just bullied them.”

“And for any Rangers team to go to Parkhead and win, it’s quite a feat. It’s a hard place to go and get a win. I’m a big fan of Martin O’Neill, and I just look at him in his interview – it was a tired Martin O’Neill. And I’ll just throw this at you now. Roy Keane being in the stands, does that mean anything? He was at this game yesterday at Parkhead.”

Quinn added: “He hasn’t managed for a while, but you’d be a testament to say that when it’s in you, it’s in you forever. I think he’s more or less said that himself, and I certainly wouldn’t object to think that would be a hell of a thing to do.

“I had him myself at Sunderland, and he really got the city going – because he’s box office, the man. There’s no doubt about that.”

Keane may be the ideal man to come into this situation, with the current Celtic group having little excuse for how flat they’ve been, and their inability to change the feel of their performances over this poor run. A general type might be ideal to get this team going, and Keane will come in and respect what O’Neill has done, as a good friend of the veteran boss and a former assistant of his.

But the catch is that Keane cannot be seen as a long-term replacement for O’Neill. He rarely lasts in the job, with most players quickly having enough of the intensity he demands. Celtic need to have a long-term vision beyond O’Neill, and the veteran boss will offer an ideal chance to do that should he remain in place until the end of the season.

Bringing Keane in until the end of the season would protect that window, and indeed the opportunity to bring in a long-term boss. Celtic cannot afford to waste that, and they can’t afford Keane being a long-term appointment when it will ultimately lead to a su

dden exit and another managerial merry-go-round.