Martin’s magic hasn’t gone away you know

One of the great joys of this time of the year, if you’re embedded in the GAA world, is taking a look around each Monday and Tuesday on social media for some clips from the wonderful Monday clubs happening around the country.

An age-old tradition during county final season, it’s generally a joyful experience for the winners; a day in the company of all your friends, joined by that precious piece of silverware in a local hostelry. I suspect it doesn’t get any better than that.

Sadly, yours truly had a recent experience of being a member of a losing Monday Club (don’t try it at home, kids), and as now seems a minimum requirement, retro jerseys were the order of the day.

After a frantic search that morning, after crying into my cornflakes, the jersey of choice was an old Celtic top from yesteryear, with NTL branding on the front.

That was a brilliant Celtic team in the early noughties, when it was a side full of names that still roll off the tongue: Larsson, Sutton, Lennon, Thompson, Mjallby, Petrov et al. Arriving at a time when Rangers had dominated the 1990s – they won nine titles in-a-row at one stage in that period before Wim Jansen's Celtic stopped the rot in 1998 – that emerging Hoops side had an endearing quality about them as they tried to turn the tide.

Reaching the final of the UEFA Cup in 2003, where they’d fall to Jose Mourinho’s Porto, only added to the romance.

That glorious period at Parkhead was overseen by Martin O’Neill. Appointed as boss at the turn of the millennium, the former Derry minor football star would go on to lead the club to three Scottish Premiership titles, three Scottish Cups and a League Cup for good measure, too.

In an era where Rangers were frequently edging out their rivals to the title, O’Neill’s guidance in helping Celtic back to the summit on a more regular basis means there will always be a sense of reverence attached to his name on the green side of Glasgow.

Notwithstanding all of that, there was a genuine feeling of shock in footballing circles the world over when Dermot Desmond, Celtic’s majority shareholder, turned to O’Neill to steady the ship following Brendan Rodgers’ dramatic resignation last Monday week.

O’Neill achieved much in the game as a manager in England, Scotland and indeed as manager of the Republic of Ireland, but with him being out of the game for six years since his hasty dismissal as Nottingham Forest boss, it appeared as though he had settled into life post-management as a pundit on several platforms, including Premier Sports here in Ireland.

Being thrust back into frontline management at very short notice was hardly on O’Neill’s bingo card, but after Celtic beat Falkirk 4-nil in his first game in charge last Wednesday, it was like he was hardly away. His celebrations even included that trademark leap into the air. Beating Rangers in the League Cup semi-finals on Sunday only served to further enhance O'Neill's standing at Parkhead.

As an aside, Sligo’s Johnny Kenny netted twice on Wednesday and again on Sunday to cap off a great few week for his family; three of Kenny’s brothers helped Shamrock Gaels to the Sligo senior football title a couple of days previously with his brother, Ciaran, winning man of the match.

Back to O’Neill. Just what is it about his return that has sparked Celtic into some sort of life?

There’s little doubt that during the final weeks of Brendan Rodgers’ tenure, things started to go a little stale, even sour. There was an obvious – and perhaps justified – frustration from fans that lingered since the summer at the lack of transfer activity during the off-season. Celtic lost some key players over the last 12 months, such as Japanese forward Kyogo Furahashi, and failed to replace them with proven talent.

Rodgers’ utterances in press conferences on occasion hinted at some anger on his part, too, at the club’s perceived lack of interest in investing in the squad. But, in a comprehensive statement released after Rodgers’ departure last Monday night that was breathtaking in its depth and language, majority shareholder Dermot Desmond made clear that Rodgers had full say who came in and out of the football club when it came to players.

Clearly, there was a breakdown in relations behind the scenes as well as in full public view.

In that regard, the appointment of O'Neill is a masterstroke in an effort to bring everyone back together again. There's nothing like nostalgia to do just that and with another fan favourite in Shaun Maloney also on the touchline, it’s all feeling like bygone days again.

From a tactical point of view, there has been nothing too drastic in terms of formation changes, but there has been a noticeable eagerness by Celtic to get the ball forward quicker and play a more direct style under O'Neill. Indeed, there is evidence of this in the Premier League this season, too. Most likely, though, the main difference for Celtic over the last week has been a fresh voice or two in the dressing-room helping reinvigorate the environment.

Several names have been linked to the hotseat on a more permanent basis, with Kieran McKenna a compelling prospect. The Fermanagh native has climbed the coaching ladder impressively and, having worked under Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Manchester United, he has done a superb job at Ipswich, even guiding the club to the Premier League last season.

Given the nature of his relationship with Ipswich, there was an understandable need on McKenna's part to bat away claims he'd be tempted by a move away from Portman Road mid-season. In that regard, a plausible solution could be that McKenna remains in situ until the end of the season before making the move north. And that, in turn, gives O'Neill an extended stay in the interim role.

In the aftermath of Sunday's win at Hampden Park, O'Neill was asked about the prospect about staying a little longer than initially anticipated. While initially fobbing off such suggestions, you get the sense he is softening his view to maybe sticking around a bit longer.

As a pundit, O'Neill constantly stresses that football is about winning matches. If Celtic keep winning games, perhaps they will postpone their managerial search.