Former Celtic star Paul Lambert has issued his thoughts on the possibility of Martin O'Neill leaving the club, believing it would be wrong for the club to sack the veteran boss.
O'Neill has come under real pressure after overseeing three straight defeats, which have included back-to-back Old Firm defeats either side of a defeat to Ferncvaros in their Europa League opener.
Celtic have developed a real habit of bottling big games this season, and it doesn't look as though anyone has a clear idea of how to fix it, which is very concerning.
But according to Lambert, O'Neill has enough credit in the bank to avoid being sacked, even if it would not be a surprise if the 74-year-old called it a day of his own accord.
“It wouldn’t surprise me if he left," Lambert told BBC Sport Scotland. "I don’t think he needs it. I’d be shocked and disappointed if Celtic sacked him. I think they give him the option, if that’s what’s on his mind, if he did want to walk away.
“He’s got enough credit in the bank. It wasn’t that long ago people were shouting for a statue for him, so I don’t think you can go from one extreme to the other. If he wants to go, then he goes himself.”
Highlighting the achievements from last season, when O'Neill came in and hauled Celtic to a league and cup double, which people are quick to forget in a time of apparent crisis, Lambert added: "They were hanging on by a thread and he turned that around. There was only one person who could rescue Celtic last season and he did that.
“I’d bet any money that he hasn’t changed anything from how he was then.”
What has changed is the personnel, and even with a couple of better signings, few could truly make a case that Celtic are stronger now than they were last season, given the departures of Arne Engels and Daizen Maeda.
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