O’Neill calls for Celtic ‘unification’ – but is fan unrest affecting team?

Fans again demanded changes to the way the club is run following their dramatic Scottish Premiership victory over St Mirren on Saturday, according to interim manager Martin O’Neill, who believes Celtic need “some sort of unification.”

At both the start and the end of the Paisley contest, which Celtic won with Callum McGregor’s 95th-minute piledriver, “Sack the board” rang out from the away end.

The latest in a string of protests against the Celtic leadership, which supporters claim allowed the club to fall.

Since the beginning of the year, both domestically and internationally have been down.

After suffering a disappointing play-off defeat by Kazakh champions Kairat, Celtic are four points clear of Hearts in the Scottish Premiership. Only one of their four Europa League games has been won so far.

O’Neill, 73, returned to his position as Celtic manager after Brendan Rodgers left in late October, exposing a rift between himself and Dermot Desmond, the company’s majority shareholder.

O’Neill, a former Northern Ireland midfielder who won seven major awards under his belt between 2000 and 2005, is a Celtic legend. He twice won the European Cup with Nottingham Forest.

Fans have continued to protest despite one of their heroes returning and attempting to change the boardroom.

Shareholders criticized Desmond’s son Ross for calling some fans “bullies,” which led to the club’s AGM being cancelled on Friday.

Chairman Peter Lawwell had previously halted it for half an hour in response to chants of “sack the board.”

O’Neill recalled legendary predecessor Jock Stein’s statement, “A club without united would never be successful,” and described it as “as sad a morning” as he had seen.

After the St. Mirren victory, he continued, “We just need some sort of unification again.”

McGregor’s magnificent goal tipped over some significant gaps in St. Mirren.

Celtic have lost six of their previous six games, have fewer league goals than Hearts and Hibernian, and have been brutal once more against St Mirren.

O’Neill’s side only managed to score once in the second half thanks to a weak header from substitute Yang Hyun-Jun. One point turned into three after McGregor’s magical moment.

It appeared to be zero for the entire match’s length.

Conor McMenamin twice doubled the lead in the first half, Miguel Freckleton smacked a fantastic chance over the bar, and Liam Scales put his own goal past Conor McMenamin, who was saved by an offside flag for his conduct toward McMenamin.

Off-field dramas may have had an impact on the Celtic players on the pitch, according to the former bosses of Leicester City, Aston Villa, and Republic of Ireland.

There’s an element that it might [affect the team] when it was a continuation of not really supporting the team tonight, and it was just “sack the board” the entire way through,” O’Neill said.

There is still no sign of a final appointment until almost a month after O’Neill was called in to take interim control by Desmond.

Wilfried Nancy, the head coach of the Columbus Crew, and Craig Bellamy, the manager of Wales and Kieran McKenna, both have been linked.

O’Neill anticipates taking over Thursday’s Europa League game at Feyenoord, but he thinks the new manager, whoever they may be, will be able to mend the rift between the board and fans.

He responded, “I totally do.” In two days, Jock Stein would have resolved the situation, but that was him. After that, we were merely followers.

O’Neill responded when asked if he believed he could help break the iceberg by moving forward in the same direction.

He said, “You have to know where you are.” What you did or did not make a lot of a difference 20 to 30 years ago, in my opinion.