Martin O'Neill deserves credit for attending a heated Q and A session Celtic put on with Greenock Supporters' Club. O'Neill joined club chiefs Michael Nicholson and Brian Wilson at the event, and sat through 150 minutes of grilling questions from the fans in attendance.
Fans are at tipping point with the board over their management of the club, which has included a second successive abject transfer window. Not only did Celtic fail to invest significantly, but they failed to put together any sort of productive strategy to land the new signings O'Neill was clear about needing after last season.
The result is Celtic being overwhelmed in European games, and while they are top of the Premiership, there have been some concerning signs, such as the weekend's defeat to Falkirk and the defeat to Rangers.
Results on the pitch have only heightened concerns among fans, and they were likely voiced in the meeting, although the minutes have not, and will not, be released.
O'Neill attended the meeting, and he said on the back of it: "I asked to attend the meeting because I want to meet supporters as much as I possibly can.
“We have had a few difficult weeks in recent times and I understand our supporters’ frustrations. But my resolve and the commitment of the players is as strong as ever to continue to bring success and progress to the club as we have done before.”
O'Neill deserves credit for that. He hasn't had it easy this season, and we all know he was just as frustrated as Celtic fans during the summer's botched recruitment drive.
But given the criticism and the pressure building on him, you could understand if he didn't want part of this situation. He is not responsible for the criticism that is being levelled at the club, and for that reason, he wouldn't be expected to sit there for 150 minutes why fans made their voices heard.
But he has taken time out of his schedule, which is already very busy for a 75-year-old to travel and listen in just to understand where the fans are coming from.
It's that sort of dedication that fans want to see from majority shareholder Dermot Desmond, but it is unlikely to come. As for O'Neill, this will only win him support, and it should. Few managers would have been there, especially when they are only under contract until the end of the season.
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