With the last international break of 2025 underway, it remains to be seen whether or not Martin O’Neill will be in charge of Celtic for their next competitive match.
Football Insider recently reported that the experienced manager could see his interim time in the dugout end if the club are able to land a new boss during the break.
The Northern Irish head coach, in his second stint at the club, has enjoyed an impressive time as the caretaker manager, winning three of his four matches in all competitions.
Celtic have won both of their Scottish Premiership games by a 4-0 scoreline since he came in after Brendan Rodgers tendered his resignation, beating Kilmarnock 4-0 on Sunday in what could be his last match.
O’Neill has been a breath of fresh air for the Scottish giants after the end of Rodgers’ tenure, as evidenced by the two league results, and he has worked wonders for a few players.
Johnny Kenny, for example, has stepped up under the experienced manager and shown that he can be relied on as a regular starter for the Hoops, if required.
The Celtic players who have improved under Martin O'Neill
The Ireland international is the most obvious player who has improved since O’Neill came in as a caretaker manager, as he has scored four goals in four matches, per Sofascore.
Kenny had scored two goals in 17 first-team matches for Celtic in all competitions before this run of four goals in four games under O’Neill, per Transfermarkt, which perfectly illustrates his recent improvement.
The 22-year-old marksman, who has stepped up in the absence of Kelechi Iheanacho, is not the only Hoops player who has taken their game up a gear under the interim boss, though, as Arne Engels has done the same.
Celtic’s Belgian midfield maestro did not provide a single goal or assist in eight appearances in the Premiership under Rodgers, in what was a dismal start to the campaign for the £11m signing from Augsburg.
Since O’Neil came in, though, the central midfielder has scored his first goal of the season and delivered two assists in all competitions, including a goal and an assist in the 4-0 win over Kilmarnock.
Minutes
90
90
Sofascore rating
7.5
8.4
Tackle success rate
100%
100%
Clearances
5
7
Ground duels won
1/2
3/3
Aerial duels won
6/11
6/8
Dribbled past
0x
0x
As you can see in the table above, Auston Trusty has excelled under O’Neill at the heart of the defence in his two league matches in the dugout, after the USA international did not start a single league match for Rodgers this season.
With O’Neill’s future in the dugout in doubt, the Scottish giants are reportedly looking at another manager who could make Kenny unplayable for the rest of the season and beyond.
3-4-2-1 emerges as contender for Celtic job
According to Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph, Columbus Crew head coach Wilfried Nancy has “emerged” as a contender to replace Rodgers and O’Neil at Parkhead.
The reporter claims that he is one of a number of names on the club’s shortlist as they look for a long-term successor to Rodgers, who won the Premiership title in both of his full seasons back in Glasgow.
Manager Focus
Who are the greatest coaches in the land? Football FanCast’s Manager Focus series aims to reveal all.
Joseph adds that the Hoops have now drawn up their full shortlist of options and that Nancy is a “serious” contender to land the job before the end of the international break.
The 48-year-old tactician, who typically deploys a 3-4-2-1 formation, is not the only manager on that list, of course, as Ipswich Town’s Kieran McKenna and Bodo/Glimt’s Kjetil Knutsen are also in the frame.
Why Wilfried Nancy could make Johnny Kenny unplayable
If Celtic decide to go through with a move for the French head coach, the Columbus Crew boss could help to make Kenny completely unplayable by carrying on O’Neill’s good work.
Nancy, who won the MLS Cup in the 2022/23 campaign, has won 81 of his 169 matches as a manager in the MLS, per Transfermarkt, and has won two trophies, one with Columbus Crew and one with Montreal, where he coached Alistair Johnston.
In his time with Columbus Crew, the French manager has shown that he can set up a team to consistently create chances for a striker like Kenny, as Diego Rossi has thrived under his management.
Like Kenny, the Uruguayan is a lean and diminutive forward who looks to score goals through clever movement and sharp finishing, as shown in his goal in the clip below.
Neither Rossi nor the Celtic striker are going to offer a towering presence in the number nine position and bully central defenders with their physical prowess; that is not a part of their game, but Nancy has shown that he can set a team up to create chances for their profile of forward.
Rossi has played through the middle as a striker on his own in a 3-4-2-1, as one of the two 10s behind a striker, and as part of a strike pairing in a 4-4-2 or a 3-5-2 during his time under the Celtic manager target, and he has been a prolific scorer in those roles.
Appearances
48
37
Shots
112
123
xG
13.14
15.54
Goals
21
19
xA
5.60
6.46
Big chances created
14
11
Assists
7
5
As you can see in the table above, the Columbus Crew forward has scored 40 goals for Nancy since the start of the 2024 campaign, whilst also providing 12 assists for his side in that time.
These statistics suggest that Kenny, who is a similar profile of player to Rossi, could thrive under the Frenchman if Celtic decide to appoint him as their successor to Rodgers.
The Ireland international could thrive as the lone striker in a 3-4-2-1 on his own or alongside Iheanacho, when fit, in a 4-4-2, with his recent goal spurt showing that he can score goals on a regular basis at Premiership level.
Dream Knutsen alternative: Celtic want to interview "incredible" manager
Celtic want to interview a manager who would be a dream alternative to Kjetil Knutsen.
ByDan Emery Nov 11, 2025
However, it now remains to be seen whether or not the Hoops will decide to make Nancy their number one option, or if they will go with another manager on their shortlist.