{"id":449437,"date":"2026-02-28T01:21:19","date_gmt":"2026-02-28T01:21:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/449437\/"},"modified":"2026-02-28T01:21:19","modified_gmt":"2026-02-28T01:21:19","slug":"martin-oneills-cat-and-mouse-game-with-mainstream-media","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/449437\/","title":{"rendered":"Martin O\u2019Neill\u2019s cat and mouse game with mainstream media"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\tMartin O\u2019Neill\u2019s cat and mouse game with the mainstream media today shortly after he arrived back from Stuttgart was certainly highly entertaining. This was the pre-match media conference ahead of Sunday\u2019s Glasgow Derby. Enjoy\u2026\"WeCeltic Manager Martin O Neill waves to fans. Stuttgart v Celtic, UEFA Europa League, Knockout Round Play Offs, Second Leg, Football, MHP Arena, Stuttgart, Germany \u2013 26 Feb 2026Stuttgart MHP Arena Germany Photo James Marsh Shutterstock<\/p>\n

Q: Martin, you\u2019ve managed in a number of these fixtures now. How exciting is it to be making your return to Ibrox for a Derby?<\/p>\n

Martin O\u2019Neill: \u201cWell, gosh, never expected that again. But yeah, it\u2019s, as you mentioned, really great fixtures to be involved in, and I\u2019m naturally looking forward to it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"AA Celtic fan flies an Irish Tricolour on the way to Ibrox. theRangers v Celtic, Scottish Premiership, Ibrox, 11 March 2018. Credit: Photo by Stuart Wallace Shutterstock\/IMAGO<\/p>\n

Q: Some people are saying ahead of this one that (the)Rangers are favourites. That\u2019s perhaps because the game\u2019s at home, maybe the league position as well. Do you accept that tag? Do you see yourself as underdog?<\/p>\n

Martin O\u2019Neill: \u00a0\u201cThe Old Firm (sic) fixtures still are something special. I think I said to you before that, you know, when they finally allow, and I\u2019m sure it will happen in the not too distant future, the full allocation of away fans at both grounds, it would be terrific. And I think we are for the cup game, which is great. So, but they are definitely special. And having lived down south for quite some time, they\u2019re still talked about, which is great.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"LukeLuke McCowan of Celtic celebrates scoring during the UEFA Europa League 2025\/26 Knockout Play-off Second Leg match between VfB Stuttgart and Celtic FC at Stuttgart Arena on February 26, 2026 in Stuttgart, Germany. (Photo by Sebastian Widmann\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Q: We get the sense that perhaps the narrative has changed after that great result in Europe last night? Do you feel there\u2019s been a shift in confidence?<\/p>\n

Martin O\u2019Neill: \u00a0\u201cI don\u2019t think we\u2019ve ever lost confidence. I seem to be debating this point, but we got beaten last week, last Thursday in the game here at home. I never thought it was 4-1, although the fourth goal probably, in many aspects, maybe knocked it beyond us. It didn\u2019t seem that after we scored early. And then there\u2019s the last-ditch tackle on Daizen Maeda, just about four or five minutes later. It could have been 2-0 at this stage. But it was a tough ask, it always was. But we played really well in the game. And if you think that we maybe lost a bit of confidence from the Hibs game, which I don\u2019t think we did, then it\u2019s restored after last night\u2019s performance.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"MartinMartin O\u2019Neill, Manager of Celtic, and Danny Rohl, Manager of Rangers talk after the Premier Sports Cup Semi Final match between Celtic and Rangers at Hampden Park on November 02, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Q: Just on that game last night, we\u2019ve been speaking to (the)Rangers head coach Danny Rohl this morning. He said he was a little bit surprised, in his words, that you didn\u2019t try and win the tie after going 1-0 up so early. Are you surprised by those comments? And do you think he\u2019s maybe trying a bit of mind games ahead of Sunday?<\/p>\n

Martin O\u2019Neill: \u00a0\u201cSorry, he said what?<\/p>\n

Q: So we spoke to him this morning and he said that when you went 1-0 up, he was surprised that you didn\u2019t go on and try and win the game.<\/p>\n

Martin O\u2019Neill: \u00a0\u201cWe did win the game, but do you mean\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Q: Sorry, the tie.<\/p>\n

Martin O\u2019Neill: \u00a0\u201cOh, the tie. That he thought we didn\u2019t try to win the tie? He wants to be involved in some of these games! Yeah, I never saw it like that. I mean, if we were driven back, because they are actually a very, very good team. They\u2019re in the top four in the Bundesliga. So, yeah, I\u2019m surprised he made a comment like that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"LukeLuke McCowan of Celtic reacts during the UEFA Europa League 2025\/26 Knockout Play-off Second Leg match between VfB Stuttgart and Celtic FC at Stuttgart Arena on February 26, 2026 in Stuttgart, Germany. (Photo by Sebastian Widmann\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Q: He\u2019s also had his say on Luke McCowan\u2019s post-match comments from yesterday, as well as commenting on the goalkeeping situation?<\/p>\n

Martin O\u2019Neill: \u00a0\u201cSorry, what? Sorry, you\u2019re in front of me here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Q: So, first of all, we\u2019ll take the McCowan one in isolation. Luke said when Celtic put their best on their day, there are no other teams in the country that can get near them. So that\u2019s what he said. First of all, with that, is that something that you would go along with and agree with?<\/p>\n

Martin O\u2019Neill: \u00a0\u201cWell, Luke\u2019s entitled to his comments, believe it or not. You know, I think the games are hard. I think every game that I\u2019ve been involved in since I\u2019ve come back, I\u2019ve found it difficult. But, you know, what I think he probably meant is that we\u2019re a fine side and we\u2019re playing at our very best.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"theRangerstheRangers Unveil New Manager Danny R\u00f6hl at Ibrox Stadium on October 21, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Q: So that was put to Danny Rohl this morning. And he pointed out that (the)Rangers are currently ahead of you. He was also unprompted, but brought up the goalkeeping situation as well. So I\u2019m asking you, do you feel like there\u2019s a bit of mind games at play here?<\/p>\n

Martin O\u2019Neill: \u00a0\u201cHe\u2019s picking our team? Well done, old Danny. Well done. He\u2019s only in less than a year himself. He\u2019ll soon know all about it in the next four or five years. Yeah. OK. There\u2019s very little to comment upon, really. I think that I must sit down here and see if I can find out. Maybe he might have a choice of some players and maybe I could put my oar in there, you know, and find out what he\u2019s doing. Sorry, I have to laugh. He\u2019s had a comment about our team? As in the picking of the team? Extraordinary. Absolutely extraordinary. Yeah, he hasn\u2019t been in Glasgow long.\u201d<\/p>\n

Q: Is that the sort of comments that, in your time here, comments like that, can they come back and bite you?<\/p>\n

Martin O\u2019Neill: \u00a0\u201cIn my time, absolutely right. They definitely can. There\u2019s no need for him to be commenting on my team or our side. I think he possesses a very, very decent team over there, and it\u2019s going to be tough for us to try and get a result. But regardless, we\u2019re still fighting.\u201d<\/p>\n

Q: Can those comments, words, whatever you want to call them, be used to your advantage?<\/p>\n

Martin O\u2019Neill: \u00a0\u201cI don\u2019t know.<\/p>\n

Q: Do you need any more fuel for the fire?<\/p>\n

Martin O\u2019Neill: \u00a0\u201cNo, definitely not.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"CelticCeltic Manager Martin O\u2019Neill speaks at a mainstream conference on Tuesday 6th January 2026 at Lennoxtown after returning to the club following the sacking of Wifred Nancy. Photo Andy Buchanan Shutterstock<\/p>\n

Q: I just wonder, on the game itself, we saw what happened here with Wilfried Nancy, who was in charge of the last game. You don\u2019t need to get up for a derby game, but can that still hurt?<\/p>\n

Martin O\u2019Neill: \u00a0\u201cYou know, I mean, the two sides play each other reasonably often during the course of the season. So I think the next fixture, one of the teams is usually trying to rectify something that\u2019s happened before. So now it\u2019s our turn, if that\u2019s the case. This will be a difficult game for us. Absolutely no question about that. But are we capable of winning? Yes, we are.\u201d<\/p>\n

Q: Just in terms of the title race, whenever two of the three play against each other, it\u2019s always bandied about that it\u2019s a must-win or a must-not-lose. What\u2019s your assessment of this one?<\/p>\n

Martin O\u2019Neill: \u00a0\u201cYeah, it\u2019s a good question. I really don\u2019t know. We\u2019re running out of games. We\u2019ve been trying to catch up for quite some considerable time, and we\u2019re still trying to do that at the moment. So, yeah, losing to Hibs was a setback, but it wasn\u2019t mortal, and we\u2019re still there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Q: Just when we were hearing your interviews last night, when we were talking about the real Celtic that you take umbrage of, is it just a case of\u2026<\/p>\n

Martin O\u2019Neill: \u00a0\u201cI didn\u2019t know I was Celtic, sorry. I wasn\u2019t sure what you were saying. I was talking about consistency, you know. I think we\u2019d taken 31 from 36 points, I think.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"CelticCeltic Manager Martin O\u2019Neill speaks at a mainstream conference on Tuesday 6th January 2026 at Lennoxtown after returning to the club following the sacking of Wifred Nancy. Photo Andy Buchanan Shutterstock<\/p>\n

Q: That\u2019s what I was about to ask. So I think, is it just the microclimate of Celtic that when you get beat one game, it\u2019s as if, you know, the roof\u2019s caving in around you and really that\u2019s not the case?<\/p>\n

Martin O\u2019Neill: \u00a0\u201cYeah, I think that\u2019s been the case. It\u2019s been the case since I managed here way back 20, 25 years ago. So it\u2019s always been the same. Always seems to be Celtic, never seems to be anybody else\u2019s football club. Yeah, of course. I remember once that we had won the league and the cup. \u00a0We lost two pre-season games, and the headlines were Celtic in crisis. It was brilliant. So nothing has changed. And do you know what? In many aspects, delightfully so. Yeah, I think there\u2019s something. There\u2019s something really nice about that!\u201d<\/p>\n

Q: Well, you talk about the away allocation. Does it change your preparation? Do you have to steel your players a wee bit more?<\/p>\n

Martin O\u2019Neill: \u00a0\u201cNo, I don\u2019t think so. No, they\u2019re ready for the games. You know, we\u2019ve got a lot of players here who have played in these fixtures and have gone to Ibrox and won. You know, so they\u2019ve done that now. In the recent past, it\u2019s up to us to try and emulate that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"CelticCeltic players walk off the pitch triumphant after the final whistle. Celtic won the match 3-2. theRangers v Celtic, Scottish Premiership, Ibrox, 11 March 2018. Photo: Stuart Wallace Shutterstock \/IMAGO<\/p>\n

Q: Did you always enjoy going into that arena, that atmosphere, the fans behind you?<\/p>\n

Martin O\u2019Neill: \u00a0\u201cYeah, in a perverse sort of way, I did, really. Yeah, honestly, they are great games still. They\u2019re still great games and things to look forward to. But as the great Walter Smith once said, games to have relief at once they\u2019re over, particularly if you\u2019ve a result. Of course, you can be a bit euphoric, but I think relief might be the biggest way to describe it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Q: Is that how you felt after the semi-final? Was it just the same feeling afterwards?<\/p>\n

Martin O\u2019Neill: \u00a0\u201cYeah, exactly the same. Yeah, it was no different at all to what I felt 20-odd years before that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Q: Obviously, you\u2019ll have a decision to make in central defence with\u2026?<\/p>\n

Martin O\u2019Neill: \u00a0\u201cLoads of decisions, I\u2019ve just climbed off the plane, believe it or not. Loads of things to think about.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"AustonAuston Trusty of Celtic FC looks on during the UEFA Europa League 2025\/26 Knockout Play-off Second Leg match between VfB Stuttgart and Celtic FC at Stuttgart Arena on February 26, 2026 in Stuttgart, Germany. (Photo by Sebastian Widmann\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Q: Do you feel you have good options there for whatever you choose?<\/p>\n

Martin O\u2019Neill: \u00a0\u201cYeah, Trusty is obviously a blow. He\u2019s been playing very, very well for us. But we\u2019ll have to try and cope.\u201d<\/p>\n

Q: Does experience matter when you\u2019re picking a team for this game?<\/p>\n

Martin O\u2019Neill: \u00a0\u201cI think experience does matter. I think it\u2019s important. You wouldn\u2019t want to be going with a lot of novices in the side. But if that\u2019s the case, then that\u2019s what happens and go with it. But it would be better if you had some experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

Q: Do you still get the same nerves and excitement?<\/p>\n

Martin O\u2019Neill: \u00a0\u201cMe? Absolutely, yeah.<\/p>\n

\"AA dejected fan of theRangers sits with his head in his hands in the Govan Stand after watching his team lose 3-2 against 10 men Celtic. theRangers v Celtic, Scottish Premiership, Ibrox, 11 March 2018. Photo Photo by Stuart Wallace Shutterstock\/IMAGO<\/p>\n

Q: What\u2019s it like in the morning waking up as a Celtic manager and getting to know you\u2019re heading to Ibrox?<\/p>\n

Martin O\u2019Neill: \u00a0\u201cRight, that\u2019s a good point. Well, it\u2019s quite some considerable time since I\u2019ve done it. So I\u2019ll let you know afterwards. All right. Thank you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Q: Was there any other sort of knocks or niggles?<\/p>\n

Martin O\u2019Neill: \u00a0\u201cNo, I think we\u2019ve come out of it OK. I think so. You know, as I said, we just arrived back. We stayed over overnight in the\u2026 and just try and get ready for it.<\/p>\n

Q: I wonder, do you take the idea, the sort of two ideas, that (the)Rangers have had all week to prepare? You\u2019ve went over to Germany and had quite an arduous game. Is that an advantage to (the)Rangers, some may say?<\/p>\n

Martin O\u2019Neill: \u00a0\u201cNo, I think that\u2026 I think in normal circumstances, you\u2019d like a free week to prepare. But we\u2019ve gone to Ibrox before in my time where we\u2019ve played mid-week games and we\u2019re ready for the matches. You know, so it is what it is.<\/p>\n

\"MartinMartin O\u2019Neill, manager of Celtic. Celtic v Livingston, Scottish Premiership, Celtic Park, 11 February 2026. Photo Mark Runnacles IMAGO\/<\/p>\n

Q: It\u2019s your birthday at the weekend, Martin. You\u2019re going to be 74 on Sunday. Do you have any plans for after the game, before the game? Have the players got a cake for you in the dressing room, anything like that?<\/p>\n

Martin O\u2019Neill: \u00a0\u201cI hope not, for a start. I hope not. And secondly, I haven\u2019t\u2026 I wouldn\u2019t have celebrated a birthday since I was 49, you know? So, you know, it\u2019s made no difference to me, believe it or not. Honestly, none at all.\u201d<\/p>\n

Watch Martin O\u2019Neill\u2019s media conference ahead of Sunday\u2019s Glasgow Derby at Ibrox below\u2026<\/p>\n

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\"Celtic<\/a>Celtic in the Thirties by Matt Corr. Click on image to order <\/p>\n

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