Martin O'Neill is poised to take a hard look at his position as Celtic manager after the side fell 1-0 to Rangers at Parkhead. The defeat came on the heels of a dominant 3-0 League Cup victory over the same opponents at Ibrox, and a tightly contested Scottish Premiership clash in which Ryan Naderi's first‑half goal had taken Derek McInnes' Rangers within two points of the league leaders before the international break. This is O'Neill's second tenure as Celtic's permanent head coach, following two interim spells earlier in the season. The pressure on him intensified after Celtic suffered a 3-1 loss to Ferencvaros in the Europa Conference League on Thursday night, a result that left fans and pundits questioning his tactics and long‑term suitability for the role.

In the aftermath of the Rangers loss, the 74‑year‑old manager spoke candidly about entering a period of self‑reflection. "I genuinely will reflect and see," O'Neill said.

"It's a matter of whether I can help the team. The manager is supposed to be able to do that. I will look at that this week." He added that age was a factor, noting, "I think every single time something crops up and things don't go so well, age plays a part.

And, do you know what, they might be right. I'll be 110 in two years' time so it might be time to wrap it up." O'Neill said he would discuss his thoughts with the club's board and perhaps take a short break to gain perspective. "I will reflect on the games and speak to the board.

You never know, they may well want to speak to me. I'll try to get a couple of days away and see how it goes," he explained. When pressed about what he would do if his reflection concluded that he could no longer improve the squad, he replied, "By that time, I will promise you, I'll let you know.

I don't know. I'll have a look." Addressing the growing negativity among Celtic supporters, O'Neill acknowledged their frustration. "Well, I think they're absolutely entitled.

I mentioned this to you on Friday, absolutely entitled to, of course. And I'm not immune from criticism.

Far from it. Absolutely and utterly far from it. I think there's every reason to ask, 'can you turn this round? Can you change the whole thing?'" He reminded fans that Celtic still sat two points clear at the top, urging a broader view of the season ahead.

"We are, as I said, two points clear, so I have to kind of look at the bigger picture at this minute. But I knew that we were in a big, big fight anyway, with both ourselves, Rangers, and Hearts again, who are far from out of anything.

It's a long season ahead. It's not the first time I've been questioned about my managerial time.

So, yeah, I'll have a look at it. I will reflect and see." Former Celtic boss Neil Lennon offered his analysis on Sky Sports, noting O'Neill's attempts to tweak the formation and make four changes at halftime. "He's changed formation, he made four changes midweek.

He's trying to find a recipe to get some fluidity," Lennon said. He praised Rangers for their superior physicality and overall football, stating, "Rangers were the far superior team, not just in physical attributes and running power, but football. They played all the football.

Celtic were a lot better than they have been in the first half, without being brilliant. But second half, totally disjointed, totally outplayed.

Outworked, which is the worst thing you can label at a team. Really disjointed, battered, actually battered." Lennon concluded that Celtic have a lot to ponder and that the upcoming international break could serve as a reset after three poor performances in a week.

Sky Sports commentator Chris Sutton echoed similar concerns, saying, "Knowing Martin, he'll be greatly concerned. I don't like to disagree with him but it wasn't a close game. There was a massive gulf between the teams. I can't actually remember a Celtic team getting such a doing at Celtic Park from a Rangers team, which happened today.

It looked like Celtic were making it up as they went along. Rangers were better in every department. Celtic have got big problems. They were smashed by Rangers and that's a concern." The combination of a disappointing league result, a recent European loss, and mounting fan discontent has placed O'Neill at a crossroads.

While he remains committed to evaluating his own performance and discussing options with the board, the season's trajectory remains uncertain. Celtic supporters will be watching closely over the next few weeks to see whether O'Neill decides to stay the course, steps aside, or perhaps reshapes the team's approach in pursuit of the titles that have long defined the club's identity.