Chris Sutton has admitted that he hopes Martin O’Neill will take charge of Celtic for one last time this weekend.
The Hoops face Kilmarnock on Sunday in their final game before the international break, where work to find a long-term replacement for Brendan Rodgers will surely step up.
O’Neill said he isn’t worried about losing his legacy in response to his former player’s midweek comments about the Northern Irishman risking it the longer he stays there.
However, after listening to the 73-year-old, Sutton has doubled down on his verdict.
Photo by BO AMSTRUP/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty ImagesChris Sutton says Celtic need fresh ideas
While the former striker-turned-pundit has acknowledged the possibility of O’Neill staying until the end of the season is real, Sutton said the club must be decisive in order to get themselves back on track – both domestically and in Europe.
Sutton also continued to reiterate that he doesn’t want to see the Celtic legend lose any credit for his previous work due to the mammoth rebuild required now.
“Let me put my cards on the table right now. With my hand on my heart, I hope my old boss finishes up after tomorrow’s game against Kilmarnock,” he wrote in his Daily Record column.
“Martin O’Neill is a legend at Celtic for what he did during my time there as a player.
“He walked back into the club in the wake of the Brendan Rodgers departure and he answered the call with Maloney placed at his side.
“Now that’s great. It was important to have someone who could unite the club, the fans and bring a bounce into the players.
“But let’s be frank. This isn’t a short-term situation. This is a big job to get things back on track and the Europa League defeat in Midtjylland just summed that up.”
After the international break, Celtic return to action away at St Mirren on Saturday 22 November.