Shug is questioning whether even Martin O’Neill can believe given he’s not looking beyond Scottish Cup semi-final with St Mirren
06:00, 19 Apr 2026
Celtic players appear to have a meeting on the pitch at full-time
I give Celtic zero per cent chance of winning the Premiership title – and I base that opinion on one, simple observation.
They’re not very good.
That doesn’t begin to come under the heading of being in any way controversial.
I listened to Martin O’Neill in his pre-Scottish Cup press conference on Friday afternoon, when he was asked if he had been dreaming about one last return to Hampden on May 23 for the final.
His reply was: “We’re not good enough to dream that far down the line.”
His words. Not mine.
If the manager can’t allow himself to think beyond St Mirren today then what does that say about five league games from now?
My suspicion is O’Neill’s side will drop more points than they’ll win in the five post-split fixtures, beginning with Falkirk at home next Saturday.
All of which means today’s Scottish Cup semi-final tie with Saints must be won to keep alive the hope this season doesn’t end without a trophy.
In my line of work, I don’t believe in constructing an opinion with the deliberate intention of avoiding confrontation.
Both barrels. At all times. That is my philosophy.
I listen to radio callers who, night after night, correctly say Celtic are “tepid,” or “scraping by”.
The problems arise, though, when a pundit like me says the same thing. For some reason, if I voice dismay and disbelief out loud it is unacceptable. Too bad.
My old pal Frank McAvennie has described Celtic as “boring,” which, to be fair, is borderline complimentary for Macca.
They are in dire straits, if the truth be told, and the remainder of the season is about salvaging pride and not descending into farce.
That’s why Celtic will be facing the music at Hampden today.
The Green Brigade at Celtic Park(Image: SNS Group)
The return of the Green Brigade last weekend was supposed to be about restoring harmony inside the ground when Celtic played St Mirren in the Premiership.
The crowd and the team singing from the same hymn sheet after months of cacophonous discord. There was, however, one bum note played after another, interrupted by a solo performance from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, to end the afternoon on a low-key chorus of something passing for contentment.
But the truth of the matter is the Green Brigade, backed by the Vienna Boys Choir and the Scottish National Orchestra, couldn’t get a tune out of O’Neill’s side at the moment.
Only the tone deaf would fail to appreciate that fact.
I suspect O’Neill knows that to be the case as well as he approaches this afternoon’s cup tie at Hampden with what must be serious misgivings.
O’Neill said Celtic’s performance last weekend against a side fighting relegation was a “bit worrying”.
It was a comment based on the team’s low energy levels, lack of creativity and near total absence of threat in front of goal.
Being breathless, clueless and aimless is not the posture you want to present to the public on the day of a match which might, theoretically, be your last chance of a trophy, if the pursuit of the league title ends up as pear-shaped as I think it will.
Not when you’re facing the side who have already denied you the Premier Sports Cup last December in what could only have been described as a comprehensive victory.
The mitigating factor for O’Neill this afternoon is that the cup final loss was suffered at the hands of Wilfried Nancy, who had absolutely no idea of what he was doing. But there will be no absolution for O’Neill today in the event of a repeat performance because fans don’t do sentimentality at times like these.
They do mood music. If Celtic are on song, then there is, temporarily, no problem.
If they are unable to carry a tune in a bucket, and St Mirren win, the opinion formers who paid to get into Hampden will abandon all pretence at patience and give full vent to their feelings.
It won’t be pretty.
The Hollywood ending to O’Neill’s story would be a cup final win in May that enabled him to head off into the sunset while leaving behind not a dry eye in the house.
In order for that event to be a forthcoming attraction, Martin can’t have a team who are out on their feet, tired in the minds and useless in front of goal on a Hampden pitch which is much bigger than the one they’re used to playing on at home.
That would be the Doomsday scenario for an iconic figure who answered an emergency call from a bizarrely run club and has been trying to make sense of idiotic circumstances ever since.
Elimination from the cup would also mean that, tomorrow morning, there would be no hiding place for anyone in authority at Celtic Park.
Is there anyone inside the club, for instance, who has the first idea of who will manage Celtic next season or hold any other positions of authority?
Silence will not be an option if O’Neill can’t strike up the band on the big stage this afternoon.
