Martin O'Neill's Impact at Celtic: A Temporary Resurgence

Martin O'Neill believes there is a "strong possibility" he will remain in charge of Celtic when they host Dundee on Wednesday.

Following that match, Celtic will face faltering Scottish Premiership leaders Hearts on Sunday, followed by a Europa League clash with Roma. The League Cup final against St Mirren is scheduled for two weeks later.

As the extended process to appoint Wilfried Nancy as the full-time successor to Brendan Rodgers continues, some may question whether Celtic would benefit from keeping the 73-year-old Northern Irishman at the helm a bit longer.

After Sunday's victory over Hibernian, O'Neill has achieved six wins in his seven matches. The Celtic players appear revitalized, and fans are chanting his name.

While he enjoys being back in the game, O'Neill believes he may only have one more "final" match before returning to retirement.

What has changed during his 35 days in charge? What is causing the delay with Nancy's appointment? And could O'Neill potentially extend his stay?

What Impact Has O'Neill Made?

The statistics speak for themselves: out of seven matches, Celtic has won six, scoring 18 goals while conceding just six.

These figures become even more impressive considering that only two of those games were played at home, with a previously struggling team netting eight goals against Falkirk and Kilmarnock.

O'Neill has also led the team through a League Cup semi-final at Hampden against Rangers and two challenging European away fixtures, including a historic win at Feyenoord.

Additionally, he secured vital away victories against St Mirren and Hibernian.

With a flawless domestic record in his five games as interim manager, O'Neill is expected to achieve six out of six when struggling Dundee visits midweek.

When O'Neill took charge, Hearts were eight points ahead, having defeated Celtic in Rodgers' final match. The gap has since narrowed to two points, with Hearts having played one more game.

What Has Changed?

Under Rodgers, Celtic's performance had stagnated, highlighted by a poor 2-0 defeat at Dens Park and a dismal 3-1 loss at Tynecastle.

This prompted major shareholder Dermot Desmond and the board to make a change.

Since O'Neill's return to the club, where he was previously revered from 2000 to 2005, the transformation has been remarkable.

Where Celtic struggled for goals and creativity during the latter stages of Rodgers' tenure, they have flourished under the former Republic of Ireland manager.

Players like Auston Trusty, Callum Osmand, and Johnny Kenny, who had limited opportunities before, have been given chances, while Daizen Maeda and Reo Hatate, who were shadows of their former selves earlier in the season, have shown renewed vigor.

This Celtic side resembles the dominant team from a year ago, when Rodgers had them performing at their peak, easily overcoming domestic opponents and looking formidable in the Champions League.

While league leaders Hearts admit to losing their "swagger" in recent weeks, Celtic has regained theirs.

"There’s been a response," O'Neill told Sky Sports after the win over Hibernian. "Some of the players can really, really play this game. They just lost a bit of confidence."

He added, "Half the team wouldn’t have known who I was. They’re thinking, this gentleman has arrived, quite old, grey hair. Who is he? And has Father Christmas come early? But it’s reinvigorated me, being around young people."

O'Neill also noted, "If you can praise the players well, they’ll accept a little bit of criticism, even in this day and age."

What’s the Hold-Up with Nancy?

O'Neill effectively confirmed on Sunday that Nancy is the preferred candidate for Celtic, but "paperwork" is delaying the deal.

The Frenchman requires a work permit, as do his backroom staff, and these issues cannot be resolved until the terms of their employment are finalized.

Thus, until all contractual details are signed, O'Neill will continue managing the team, with Nancy's earliest potential appearance being next Sunday against Hearts.

"I genuinely thought this was going to be the last game," O'Neill explained at Easter Road. "Then I received a call saying there’s a bit more paperwork to be done. It must be quite a lot of paperwork... It looks as if I’ll see it through to Wednesday night."

While the details are being finalized, former Scotland international James McFadden believes Celtic is in good hands with O'Neill.

"He’s come in and probably exceeded expectations," McFadden stated on Sky Sports. "His job was to stabilize the club and put them in a better place, and that’s exactly what he’s done. He’s won games, and the performances have been great. You can see a team working and fighting for each other. The fans love him; he’s a legend and clearly enjoying himself."

Could Celtic Keep O'Neill On?

In the long term? No. That opportunity has passed.

In the short term? Likely not, although O'Neill humorously suggested he had "hidden" the paperwork to extend his role, mentioning that continuing until the League Cup final would be "lovely."

Feedback from Celtic fans who contacted BBC Sport Scotland indicates a desire to keep O'Neill in charge for at least the next few weeks.

One fan posed the question of whether it might be better for Nancy to take over a team that has just won a trophy rather than risk losing a final so early in his tenure.

Given Nancy's limited coaching experience outside North America, another possibility could be O'Neill remaining in an advisory role.

When asked about this, he expressed openness to the idea but emphasized that it would depend on the new manager's preferences, though he deemed it unlikely.

"I don’t think that’s going to happen," he told BBC Sport Scotland. "The new manager has to establish his own identity and prepare for January to enhance the squad."

Should he return to football punditry, O'Neill will leave Celtic with his status as a club legend further solidified. However, he appears unconcerned about his legacy.

"Honestly, I’ve never worried about a legacy," he said. "My concern was failure. And we certainly haven’t done that. I remember my father saying to me as a player: 'If Celtic come for you, you go there.' The second-best thing is managing the team. And they’ve come for me twice."

What Are the Fans Saying?

Stuart: "It’s a real shame O'Neill isn’t being given the opportunity to remain in charge until the end of the season to see if he could win the cup and the league."

Martin O'Neill's Impact at Celtic: A Temporary Resurgence

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