Martin O’Neill has addressed the growing tension around Celtic Park after the 4-1 defeat to Stuttgart, with attention again turning to boardroom talks and supporter unrest.
The Europa League night was disrupted early on by a protest, and the absence of the Green Brigade was again noticeable. With the group still banned, and frustration among sections of the support boiling over, the mood inside the stadium never fully settled.
Interim chairman Brian Wilson has reportedly recently reached out to supporter groups in an attempt to calm the situation. Talks, though, have not moved as quickly as some fans would like.
O’Neill was asked about the wider picture after the match and made clear he does not see the benefit of protest actions during games.
He said: (BBC Sportsound), “Well, I think… Who’s to say that what it does? I think there was a disruption like this here, well, one of the other games that you had this season. Was it Dundee, was it, or something like that.
“So I never really asked the players about that because it wasn’t in my time, but it is now. And I don’t, I genuinely don’t see the point of it. I don’t really.
“It doesn’t help. And as I said to you, more to the point of the impact that it has on the opposition and as much as anything else.
“Well, you know, I think that there were, that Brian Wilson was having chats with different groups.
“We were hoping that something good could come from that. But yeah, it’s not great to see, I must admit. Not great for a fantastic football club like this.”
O’Neill is thinking about the football first. He feels stoppages and protests do not make life harder for the away side. If anything, they give them a breather. Stuttgart settled quickly after the delay, and Celtic’s sloppy start made it easier for them to grow into the game.
That said, the anger in the stands has been building for months. It is not just about one result. Questions over signings, poor communication from the board and the continued ban on the Green Brigade have all played a part in the mood around the ground.
Wilson reaching out now shows the club knows there is a problem. The issue for many supporters is how long it has taken to get to this point.
The Green Brigade were still absent against Stuttgart, and there has been little visible progress despite talk of meetings. Until something concrete changes, the gap between the board and sections of the support will remain, and that tension is particularly hard to ignore on European nights.
