Bigger Celtic picture looks cloudier by the game as Martin O’Neill sees big calls backfire in damaging week

Celtic manager Martin O'Neill is facing scrutiny after a damaging week that saw his side suffer consecutive defeats. Following a midweek European loss to Ferencvaros, Celtic fell 1-0 to rivals Rangers, marking their second meek defeat against them in just over a week. Despite the setbacks, Celtic still maintain a two-point lead at the top of the league table.

O'Neill made several tactical adjustments and personnel changes for the Rangers match, including starting Luke McCowan and Auston Trusty. However, these decisions failed to produce a positive result. O'Neill acknowledged the difficulty of managing squad rotation during demanding European schedules but refused to use the quick turnaround as an excuse for the defeat.