Martin O'Neill said it would have been "poor" to walk out on Celtic as he explained it "did not take long" for him to rediscover his drive to lead the team following a brief period of uncertainty about his future. In a downbeat post-match interview following the 1-0 defeat at home to Rangers in the last game prior to the international break, the 74-year-old said: "It's not the first time I've been questioned about my managerial time. I will reflect and see." After O'Neill confirmed this week he was remaining as manager, he expanded on his decision to stay in Friday's press conference ahead of Sunday's trip to Motherwell, live on Sky Sports.
"It didn't take that long in all honesty," he said. "There was an international break. It gives you time to reflect.
"I was obviously disappointed with the week we had. There's a long season ahead and it didn't take me long to make my mind up to continue, as long as the club wanted me and I was happy to do it. "Leaving at this particular stage would have been poor.
Had there been no international break, I probably wouldn't even have said what I said." Despite losing their last three games in all competitions before the break, Celtic remain two points clear of Rangers at the top of the Premiership. "The main driver is to try and win the league again, that's really it," O'Neill said. "My two spells last year in charge for 23 league games, we were able to pull it off.
I know it's in the past but because it's in the recent past, it gives you that spur to want to go and do it. "We've a full season ahead, remarkably. It sounds hard to believe but we're actually still in front in the league at this minute.
I was reminded, until Rangers beat us in the league, we had won the previous 13 games in the league. "I have belief in the team and I think our focus should be to try and win the league." Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player O'Neill revealed Jota, who has been sidelined for almost 18 months with a cruciate ligament injury, has "every possibility" of being in the squad on Sunday after "training with us now for some considerable time" and then playing in a friendly against Falkirk. Chelsea left-back Landon Emenalo, who agreed a loan move to Celtic at the end of the summer transfer window, will belatedly join up with the Hoops squad after recovering from injury.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
