If I am being totally honest, there have been times this season when I have felt like the praise of Martin O’Neill was a bit over the top…
I felt like a lot of fans, especially those who lived through the glory days under the Kilrea man over twenty years ago, were singing his praises mainly due to nostalgia yet what I was seeing out on the pitch in the here and now wasn’t anything to get excited about.
This season has been a slog
I have however admitted to myself, and have stated clearly writing on The Celtic Star, that beautiful football isn’t going to win us the league this season. I have long given up on the hope that we are suddenly going to burst into life and look like the Celtic we have all become accustomed to. This season has been a slog and I have no doubt it will continue over the next few weeks.
I’m a bit of a football purist. I love watching exciting football. I love watching my club ‘play the Celtic way’. Entertaining the fans is a huge part of Celtic’s history. It’s part of the reason we love the club so much. During the remainder of this season however I couldn’t care less about the purity of our football. Winning is all that matters, and this is what O’Neill is delivering. He did it during his first interim spell, and he’s doing it once again. Twice he has had to make up ground on Hearts and he’s succeeded.
Some of O’Neill’s decisions regarding both tactics and player selection have been criticised, and again if I’m honest I have also doubted him in that regard at times. My opinion has slowly changed however.
Martin O’Neill receiving criticism regarding Reo Hatate
The reason I am writing this article, my first on Celtic Shorts, is because I noticed yesterday that Martin O’Neill had been receiving criticism online for not utilising Reo Hatate correctly.
Look, I know that Hatate on his day can be a game changer. At times during his Celtic career he has looked like someone who could play at at a much higher level than within the confines of Scotland. He hasn’t shown that level enough however, especially not this season.
One of the main criticisms has been that O’Neill has chosen to bring Luke McCowan on ahead of Reo Hatate recently. Some have stated that Hatate is the far superior player of the two. You know what, they are probably correct. He obviously isn’t proving that regularly enough in training however otherwise he would be getting more game time.
League will be decided by who wants it most
Martin O’Neill knows, like I have been writing these past few weeks, that the outcome of the league is going to be decided on who wants it the most. He will pick his team with his mind on who he thinks will give everything to get Celtic over the line. He obviously thinks McCowan is the more reliable choice in that regard.
Our manager and his coaches are the ones who see how these players are performing at training each and every day.
The Maeda example
I trust their decisions. Let’s look at a prime example of where Martin O’Neill has made a decision that many fans wouldn’t have agreed with, and that’s his recent decision to stick with Daizen Maeda up front.
With the return of Kelechi Iheanacho many fans have been crying out for him to be starting as our striker. The manager however has instead stuck with Daizen, appreciating his work-rate whilst leading the line, and it’s a decision that has paid off handsomely.
Daizen has been sensational these past few weeks
Daizen has been sensational these past few weeks, and most of our goals have come directly from him or due to his ability to harass the opposition defence and goalkeeper into making mistakes to the benefit of others.
He has also been questioned on decisions like playing Kieran Tierney over Marcelo Sarrachi, and playing Callum McGregor whilst the captain is carrying an injury.
Currently it’s hard to argue against the fact that he’s been getting these big decisions right. I think it’s about time we all stopped questioned a man who knows more about football management than most of us put together.
Keep The Faith
With crucial decisions needed to be made over these next few weeks regarding who gets sent in to battle, I couldn’t think of a man more capable of making those decisions. It’s up to us all from here on out to Keep The Faith.
Surely Martin has earned that?
Conall McGinty
2 Comments
MON hasn’t a clue about tactics, we’re as bad since he arrived.
He doesn’t like skilful players, remember Lubo’s limited game time?
We’ve now got very average players being picked before talented players….. that’s MON
Personally believe that MoN has finally settled on his 20man match day squad, along with how he intends to use his 5 subs available during a match imo?
And agreed that there is also an element of which players want it moreso in that selection process also?
The use of 3 big players for ourselves at present, in Calmac, Tierney and AJ in which all 3 haven’t got the full 90 minutes within them at present. Means that we aren’t spoilt for choice in the subs department, with potentially pre planned subs in operation.
The 4th is the use of kelchi, which is a totally different type of striker to that of Maeda. Plus moving Maeda to the left is a totally different threat to whoever starts on the left flank.
In turn, our 5th sub hopefully remains as forrest, who has had a great impact when used in that position and role within our team, especially in the 2nd half of this season.
Therefore, it only leaves Yang and Seb available as starting in our wider areas?
So with such subs being used, potentially gives ourselves a different dimension to our team, in regards the team that starts the game, to the one that finishes a match? Already seen the benefits of such an approach within our last 2 matches, where we are looking like a full 90 minute team and beyond now imo?
Never been a fan of pre planned subs, especially as it eliminates the amount of changes that may be required, depending upon how a match is playing out, especially in the unexpected during a game.
So still potentially leaves the biggest decision surrounding Nygren, Hatate and McCowan untouched at present imo?
Personally believe that Hatate is still a better all round player than Nygren, but how do you leave your top goals scorer out of the team? In McCowan he is committed to our club possibly far higher than the other 2 between them?
That option potentially changes if AJ can get up to a full 90 minute player, but could be a few weeks away by the looks of things at present?
Therefore, we are potentially in a situation, where sinisalo, Trusty, scales, Engels, Maeda and Nygren at present, have to be regarded as our full 90 minutes players at present, to secure another double winning season imo?
But it also has to be noted, that any success gained from our team, will be achieved by not having our strongest 11, from the start of most of our available matches this season?
Who actually is going to take the credit for such an achievement?