‘Very Difficult To Do That’ – Martin O’Neill Issues Warning To Celtic
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Celtic boss Martin O’Neill has acknowledged the stark reality that dropping points would severely hinder the Bhoys’ ability to defend the Scottish Premiership title, warning that recovering lost ground would be extremely difficult with the number of games remaining.
With just four games remaining before the split, Celtic sit in a decent position to retain the Scottish Premiership, occupying second place, sandwiched between Rangers, who trail by a single point in third, and leaders Hearts, who hold a five-point advantage over O’Neill’s side.
Motherwell remain in close pursuit of the top three, sitting four points adrift of the Gers on 53 points, but their momentum took a hit last weekend with a defeat at Dens Park against Dundee.
The Bhoys have enjoyed solid league form, suffering just one loss in their last nine outings, steadily gaining momentum as the competition heads towards its climax, despite facing criticism for being vulnerable at the back.
Confidence has also been boosted by their Scottish Cup triumph over Rangers at Ibrox, winning on penalties last Sunday, marking back-to-back victories in all competitions.
Ahead of the weekend clash against the Steelmen, O’Neill emphasised the importance of every remaining match as the season progresses, noting that the team cannot afford to drop points if they hope to remain in contention for the league title.
He acknowledged that with the number of games dwindling, it would be extremely challenging to maintain a realistic chance of winning the league if too many points were lost, highlighting the critical nature of each fixture.
The Northern Irish tactician said at a press conference (9:20): “Well, it’s crucial in every aspect because you’re running out of games.
“We couldn’t afford to.
“I think if I looked at it really properly, I don’t think that we could drop too many points and still think that you could possibly win the league.
“It would be very difficult to do that with the games running down.”
The last meeting at Fir Park ended in a 2-0 victory for Motherwell and Celtic will be determined to reverse that result to avoid falling further behind Hearts.
The Bhoys will be without captain Callum McGregor due to a calf injury, a player widely praised by a former top-flight star as the league’s finest on the ball.
Against a formidable Motherwell side, Celtic will be eager to secure a positive result to retain their league position, particularly as Rangers face St Mirren and Hearts take on Kilmarnock, both sides sitting in the bottom half of the table.
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