Celtic boss O’Neill: ‘Too early’ to call Old Firm derby a must-win

Martin O’Neill thinks it’s premature to label Sunday’s Old Firm derby between Celtic and Rangers as a “must-win” for either side this early in the season.

While O’Neill’s squad has secured six consecutive wins to kick off their title defense in the Scottish Premiership, their performances in other tournaments have been disappointing.

Just days ago, they suffered a 3-0 defeat to Rangers in a League Cup quarter-final at Ibrox, followed by a 3-1 loss to Ferencvaros in their Europa League debut on Thursday.

Celtic has triumphed in six of their last eight home matches against Rangers in the league and could potentially establish an eight-point lead over their rivals with a win.

However, O’Neill emphasized that a loss wouldn’t spell disaster for their season.

“No, it’s too early in the season to label it that way,” he stated when asked if the match was crucial.

“A victory would be fantastic since it could give us an eight-point cushion, especially after winning six league games in a row.”

“The match is significant, regardless of whether it’s September or March. It’s an important challenge, and we need to be prepared.”

“Is a win necessary? It would be nice; losing wouldn’t be ideal, as that would make it three losses in a row, which would be a psychological setback.”

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O’Neill has faced scrutiny from some Celtic fans in recent days regarding his strategies and his sometimes curt demeanor during post-match interviews, though he acknowledges that many of the criticisms are warranted.

“That’s part of the game,” he remarked. “I can get a bit irritable at times and sometimes need to apologize for that.”

“What I pointed out was that we rarely face questions when we’re winning. Everyone has the right to inquire.”

“Ultimately, I am accountable for team selections and tactics, so questioning is appropriate.”

Historically, there have only been two occasions when Rangers faced Celtic in consecutive matches and won both—once in September 1960 under Scot Symon and again in April 1998 under Walter Smith.

Additionally, Gers manager Derek McInnes could become just the second manager to achieve victories in his first two Old Firm derbies, following Graeme Souness in 1986.

However, when asked if he planned to maintain the same tactical strategy that was effective last weekend, McInnes redirected attention to his players, asserting, “Sometimes tactics can be overstated.”

“Winning relies heavily on individual moments and players performing at a high level. You can’t win at Celtic Park unless everyone is in form, so we must aim to replicate that and seek further improvements.”