Martin O’Neill has got the deja-vu all over again feelings as Celtic prepare for their latest ‘must-win’ game in their bid to snatch the Scottish title from the grasp of league leaders Hearts.
Celtic go to Motherwell tonight while Hearts entertain Falkirk in the penultimate round of matches with the Edinburgh side just one point ahead of their rivals with two games to play.
O’Neill, as the Irish Examiner reports, has been here many times before having won seven trophies in total as Celtic boss between 2000 and 2005 and he admits the feelings are familiar.
The former Ireland boss said: “Pretty much the same, to tell you the truth. I can’t remember, but the anxiety wouldn’t be that much different.
“And it’s good that I feel this way, because I’ve always felt that. I felt this is a player, although the thing I always felt as a player is, you could do something about it. I’ve always felt the same as a manager and then you’re depending on players for your living after that.
“And so the same sort of nervousness, the same sort of excitement, all those types of things still exist with me even at my age.”
After beating Rangers 3-1 on Sunday and with a six game unbeaten run also on the line tonight, form is definitely on Celtic’s side going into the final two games of a dramatic season with Hearts due at Parkhead on Saturday.
The Ulsterman added: “We’ve got some players who are in really good form, which is the most important thing. I think there’s a good connection with the team and the fans. I think that’s been an important issue.
“Celtic Park on Sunday was just kind of reminiscent of my old days anyway and that’s been great. But we’ve gone away from home and we’ve won some big matches as well too, so just a combination of all of those things gives us a chance anyway.
“They’ve known for some weeks, particularly after the game at Dundee United, that there was no room for mistakes. And that’s hard to keep going every single game because there’ll be a match where you might actually dominate, you might not score in that period and another team might break away and find themselves 1-0 up.
“For instance, on Sunday, we started off strongly and the game was helter-skelter and Rangers score and it sets us back. But we come rolling back into the game, scoring a couple of goals after half-time, one of them being a fantastic goal which gives us that big boost of confidence that’s so important at this stage.”
Michael O’Neill is set for a lucrative new contract as Northern Ireland manager after turning down the chance to stay at Blackburn Rovers.
O’Neill was offered the Ewood Park job on a full-time basis after successfully keeping Rovers in the Championship during his interim spell as boss from February to May as he shared the role with his international duties.
Now the Ballymena native has opted to stick with international football according to reports across many outlets, including BBC Sport.
They report that a statement from Blackburn on Tuesday said: “Following discussions with the club, Michael has decided to continue his long-term commitment to his role as Northern Ireland head coach, with a focus on leading the national team towards qualification for the Uefa European Championships in 2028.”
O’Neill himself said: “Blackburn Rovers is a historic football club with a proud tradition and passionate supporters. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time working with the players, staff and everyone around the club.
“After careful consideration, I have decided that my long-term focus must remain with Northern Ireland and the journey towards the European Championship campaign ahead. I would like to thank the owners, board, staff, players and supporters for the welcome and support shown to me during my time at the club.”
A statement from the IFA read: “We are delighted Michael has decided to stay on as Northern Ireland manager. He has built another exciting squad of players and we now look forward to building on this momentum as we plan for both the Uefa Nations League campaign this autumn and the subsequent qualifiers for Euro 2028 with Michael at the helm.”
Uncapped Portsmouth striker Millenic Alli and Swansea City’s Adam Idah scored the goals as Heimir Hallgrimsson’s Ireland beat Real Murcia B 2-0 in a friendly in Spain on Tuesday.
Hallgrimsson used the training game to get a look his experimental Ireland squad in action ahead of Saturday’s friendly against Grenada at the Real Murcia stadium.
Alli scored in the 18th minute according to a report on the RTE Sport website with Idah adding a second not long after his introduction as a substitute late in the game.
The report adds that Hallgrimsson used 17 players during the training game with Newcastle United youngster Rory Finneran involved for the first time at senior international level.
Speaking to FAI TV from Murcia, Finneran said after the game: “Massively proud moment. I didn’t expect it. A late call in but a massive achievement for me and I’m looking forward to the week.
“I was on my day off [when finding out about the call-up], I was at home. I didn’t reply for a couple of hours to the gaffer. I got a message and I spoke to him [Heimir] and he said he wanted me to come in.
“It’s good to get around the lads that play first team professional at a high level, it’s good to get around it and see what they do day to day.”
Asked about playing against Grenada on Saturday, Finneran said: “Obviously that’s the goal for this week. It’s up to me in training, doing what I can to impress and show what I can do at that level.”
Jose Mourinho is reportedly in finals talks with Real Madrid to discuss a return to the Bernabeu, a move that has sparked an internal row at the Spanish giants just days after Barcelona secured the La Liga title with a win in El Classico.
The Irish Independent reports that Real President Florentino Perez has resisted calls to resign and has called a board election whilst refusing to confirm the Mourinho return rumours.
“I am not going to resign,” Perez said. “I’m sorry to have to tell you this, because I’ve heard rumours that I’m going to resign. The process has begun for a board election with current members standing. I invite anyone who wishes to do so. I will be standing to defend the interests of Real Madrid’s members.”
Dick Advocaat will become the oldest coach to lead a team at the World Cup finals this summer after returning to take charge of Curacao for a second time.
Ireland’s former Dutch foe was in charge when Curacao qualified for the tournament but resigned to spend time with his daughter as she battled health issues.
Now he has been re-appointed by the Curacao Football Federation after his successor Fred Rutten resigned following two friendly defeats in March to fellow World Cup qualifiers Australia and to China.
