Celtic manager Martin O’Neill believes the wider football world is pulling for his side to prevent Hearts from taking the Scottish Premiership crown today, as the Edinburgh club looks to break the long-standing control traditionally held by the Old Firm.
Hearts can make history by becoming the first team in 41 years to end the dominance of Celtic and Rangers, provided they leave Parkhead without losing. For the visitors, it would be a statement victory against the backdrop of a title race that has carried extra weight beyond just league points.
For Celtic, a win would lift them to a 14th championship in 15 years, but their path to securing that outcome has been aided by a dramatic result in their most recent match. On Wednesday, the Hoops saw off Motherwell 3-2 thanks to a contentious late penalty, a finish that eased the pressure on O’Neill’s side ahead of today’s showdown.
Had that late strike not gone Celtic’s way, the outlook would have been far more demanding. Without the late winner, Celtic would have needed to win by three goals, owing to Hearts’ superior goal difference entering the day.
The penalty decision that swung Wednesday’s game quickly spilled beyond the normal boundaries of Scottish football debate. Former England striker Gary Lineker described it as arguably the “worst VAR decision” he had ever seen, highlighting how quickly the controversy had captured attention internationally.
O’Neill, though, insisted ahead of the match that the spot-kick was correctly awarded for handball by Sam Nicholson. While he stood by the judgement, he suggested he was not shocked by the backlash that followed.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference, the 74-year-old said: “It’s obviously been magnified I think because of the occasion as much as anything else. Am I surprised? No, I’m not surprised because everybody wants Hearts to win. It’s really simple as that.”
He added: “Everybody outside Celtic and the Celtic diaspora wants Hearts to win.”
O’Neill is no stranger to turbulent periods, having already twice stepped in as interim manager during a season marked by chaos both on and off the pitch for the Scottish champions.
His latest run in charge follows the departure of Brendan Rodgers in October, which ended amid bitter circumstances. The split came after disagreements with the club’s board, particularly around concerns over insufficient investment in the squad.
