Celtic manager Martin O'Neill has said it would have been "poor" to walk out on the club, explaining that it "did not take long" for him to rediscover his drive to lead the team after 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 before the international break, the 74-year-old said: "It's not the first time I've been questioned about my managerial time. I'll have a look at it. I will reflect and see." He confirmed this week that he was remaining as manager and expanded on the decision at 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. "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." 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. "I have belief in the team and I think our focus should be to try and win the league." He also revealed that Jota, sidelined for almost 18 months with a cruciate ligament injury, has "every possibility" of being in the squad on Sunday. O'Neill also expressed sadness over the widening rift between Celtic supporters and the club after the Green Brigade announced a boycott of upcoming Scottish Cup and Europa League matches.
Source: Sky Sports Champions League · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing