Former Celtic striker Gary Hooper believes Martin O'Neill's calmness could be vital amid the Hoops' ongoing struggles. Celtic went into the international break on the back of three straight defeats, which included back-to-back derby defeats.
That run also followed a four-goal collapse in the Champions League qualifiers a few weeks before, and there is now a feeling that this Hoops side is soft and lacking in character.
Those are things you cannot live with if you want to win titles, even with Celtic's competitive advantages in the Premiership, but for now, the panic has died down, and the international break has certainly helped.
Meanwhile, it looks like Martin O'Neill will stay on despite some hints he could walk away, and Celtic must now look to get back to their best form. According to Hooper, O'Neill's calm demeanour will help to settle things down in the building.
“I watched the Old Firm game the other week and I’ve kept my eye on them," Hooper said to the Scottish Sun after competing in the Tennent's Sixes with Celtic.
“It’s just different playing in Glasgow. You have to take the highs but then also deal with the lows. The recent results will have hurt, but the great thing in this city is there’s always the next one.
“It’s good they have Martin O’Neill in there at times like these. He seems like he is very calm. We had the experience of Neil Lennon — but I wouldn’t say he was calm after defeats!
“But these guys know what it is all about. I’d think Martin won’t have had to say too much to them, but it’ll be about how they bounce back.”
O'Neill sounded worried about his side before the break, and he is going to need to find some answers from the get-go after this break. Celtic face Motherwell this weekend, and things then get tough again, facing Benfica, Hearts and Celta Vigo in a tough run of fixtures that could instil more panic if things don't go right.
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