O'Neill returns to lead Celtic to title after chaotic season

On a grim Sunday at Tannadice in March, Celtic lost 2-0 to Jim Goodwin's Dundee United. The defeat left them five points behind Hearts and two behind Rangers.

Martin O'Neill, a mix of dejection and defiance, did not mince his words about the loss. He said Celtic would need to win seven out of seven on the run-in.

"We disappointed an awful lot of people today," he said. "It's been difficult since I've set foot in the place. This is a blow but we're not finished yet."

O'Neill asked for seven wins in a row. Up until Saturday's final game in Glasgow, he had six. The run was tense and often a grind, but it delivered 18 points from a possible 18 while chasing the leaders.

Celtic then completed the sequence with a seventh win, taking 21 points from 21. They overtook Hearts, who had done little wrong all season, and claimed the title.

After walking into a shambles, leaving, and returning to an even bigger one, O'Neill won 19 of his 23 Premiership games and suffered just two losses. The team is not an impressive winner, but it is a worthy one. It prevailed on spirit rather than class.

Celtic won the league with 82 points, 10 fewer than last season and 17 fewer than two seasons ago. They scored 73 goals, their lowest total in 19 years. They conceded 41, their highest in 33 years.

The board should examine why standards have slipped rather than simply celebrate another title, the text said. The club needs some brutal honesty about recruitment and performance.

O'Neill's return came after Brendan Rodgers resigned in October following heavy defeats to Dundee and Hearts. Major shareholder Dermot Desmond issued a statement that called Rodgers divisive, misleading and self-serving. He said Rodgers had fuelled hostility toward the board and executive team.

O'Neill, who had been on radio earlier that day tipping Hearts to win the league, was appointed interim manager. He won his first five league games before Wilfried Nancy took over.

Nancy's spell was brief and unsuccessful. Celtic lost 2-1 to Hearts and 2-1 to Dundee United in his first two league games and also lost the League Cup final to St Mirren. Fan unrest grew, and O'Neill was brought back for a second spell.

From third place and eight points behind Hearts in early March, Celtic won seven of their last 10 games. Five of the final seven wins came by a single goal, three of them late. The most contentious call came at Fir Park when referee John Beaton awarded a penalty that split opinion.

O'Neill steadied the club through months of division between fans and the board. He restored order, lifted a team that had looked beaten, and delivered the title 20 years after his first departure from Parkhead.