Celtic Spirit Reminds O'Neill of Glory Years
Captain Callum McGregor expressed his delight following Celtic's dramatic victory at Rugby Park.
When a manager who is a club legend begins to compare the current squad to the team that defined his own legacy, it signals that the team is performing well. Whether Martin O'Neill's comments were a strategic psychological tactic or genuine praise, they appear to be motivating the Celtic side as they pursue another Scottish title.
O'Neill's halftime talk at Rugby Park proved effective as Celtic overturned a two-goal deficit to secure a 3-2 win deep into stoppage time.
Recent results in the Scottish Premiership include Chermiti's hat-trick leading Rangers to a significant win over Hearts, Celtic scoring a 97th-minute winner against Kilmarnock, and Motherwell securing a strong victory over Aberdeen.
This comeback marked the third time in a week that Celtic salvaged a victory from a potentially damaging result. The previous weekend, they appeared set to exit the Scottish Cup before Junior Adamu equalised in the 90th minute, and Sebastian Tounekti scored the winner in extra time to advance to the quarter-finals.
On Wednesday, Celtic were moments away from dropping points at home against bottom-placed Livingston, until recent signing Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain scored a winning goal in the 90th minute on his debut.
Against Kilmarnock, the visitors seemed poised to earn a deserved point until Julian Araujo shattered their resistance with a spectacular strike seven minutes into added time.
For some observers, these late goals recall the relentless spirit of Ange Postecoglu's title-winning Celtic side. For O'Neill, they evoke memories of his own successful teams featuring notable players such as Henrik Larsson, Chris Sutton, and John Hartson, who collectively won three league titles, three Scottish Cups, a League Cup, and reached the UEFA Cup final.
"I managed, coached, a really top-quality side here 20-odd years ago who had loads of spirit, loads of resilience, loads of ability," the 73-year-old Northern Irishman told BBC Scotland. "And these lads here are emulating that in many aspects and sometimes surpassing."
Late goals have become a hallmark of O'Neill's current squad since his return as interim manager following a disappointing tenure under Wilfried Nancy.
Celtic have now scored six winning goals in the 90th minute or later in the Premiership this season, the highest number by any team in a single campaign since the league was rebranded in 2013, surpassing Rangers' previous record set in 2016-17.
Before Araujo's winner at Rugby Park, the Old Firm clubs were tied with eight goals each scored in the 90th minute or later this season.
Both Glasgow clubs have faced challenges this season, including managerial changes, while Heart of Midlothian have capitalized on this to lead the league since September.
Julian Araujo scored a dramatic winning goal at Rugby Park
Nonetheless, the spirit exhibited by Celtic has been gradually closing the gap on Derek McInnes' league leaders as the traditional Scottish football giants regain form.
"The spirit the players has been absolutely fantastic," McNeill said. "It was a wonderful second-half performance for us. Kilmarnock adapted to the conditions, the rain, the pitch, much better than we did and sometimes you just have to dig in - and that's exactly what we did."
Celtic's board has faced scrutiny this season over recruitment decisions both on and off the pitch, but recent signings appear to be making a positive impact.
Adamu, who joined on loan from Freiburg last month, rescued the team against Dundee, while Tounekti, signed in the summer from Hammarby, secured cup progression and scored the opener that inspired the comeback against Kilmarnock.
Right-back Araujo, another January loan signing from Bournemouth, and former England midfielder Oxlade-Chamberlain, who was signed after a period without a club, have also contributed crucial goals.
O'Neill's tactical substitutions at halftime, introducing Oxlade-Chamberlain, Tounekti, and Czech striker Tomas Cvancara, proved decisive in turning the match around.
Despite the praise, O'Neill acknowledges that the team still has areas to improve.
"I thought we were very poor in the first half," he said. "As a team defending, we weren't that good then we keep giving the ball away at times, but the second half was totally different. We made the changes at half time and then Seb scores a wonder goal for us and puts us right back in the game, culminating in us winning the match. But you can't keep doing that. We've got to put in the full 90 minutes."
'That's the Making of a Title-Winning Team'
The victory at Rugby Park prompted former Celtic goalkeeper Pat Bonner to recall another era of the club's history.
"They know now that this game is not 90 minutes - it's now 96-97 minutes and they will keep going to the final whistle," he said. "And that's the making of a championship-winning team. We did it in '87-88 and we won games when we were almost out of it and that's what it takes. You keep going. You might not play brilliantly in all of the games."
Former Kilmarnock goalkeeper Cammy Bell noted that "small margins are going Celtic's way" at present.
"They do not stop and you see the reaction of the players, the fans and the togetherness and the players will be in there on top of the world because that is a huge result for Celtic."
With Rangers staging a comeback to defeat Hearts 4-2 in a later match at Ibrox, the top three title contenders are separated by only three points, with Celtic in third place holding a game in hand.
The question remains: how many more stoppage-time winners will prove crucial in deciding the championship?
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