O'Neill Prepares for Crucial Old Firm Clash

Martin O'Neill insists this Old Firm showdown is not a title-defining "must-win" – but he knows exactly what is at stake.

Celtic head into the derby under a cloud of back-to-back defeats, their early-season swagger checked just as Rangers scent a rare piece of history. Victory for O'Neill’s side would open up an eight-point gap at the top. Defeat would mean three losses on the spin and a psychological bruise that even he admits would be hard to ignore.

"It's too early in the season to say," O'Neill told the media when asked if this was a game Celtic simply could not afford to lose. "It would be great if we could win because we could go eight points clear, and we've won the previous six league games.

"The game is big. It's a big game whether it's played in September or March. It's a really big game. We need to be up for the game. Do we need to win the game? It would be nice to win; it wouldn't be great if we lost. That would be three on the trot, and of course, psychologically, it would be a blow."

O'Neill under the microscope

The timing of this derby has sharpened the focus on O'Neill. Supporters have started to question his tactical approach, irritated by what they see as an overly cautious tone in recent post-match interviews after those defeats.

The Celtic manager did not dodge the criticism. He accepted it, bristled at it, and then owned it.

"That's the nature of the game. I can get a bit tetchy now and again," he admitted. "Sometimes I have to apologise for that. What I did say was that we don't seem to be questioned when we win football matches. But everybody has a right to ask. At the end of it all, I'm responsible for team selection, I'm responsible for the tactics, and of course I should be questioned."

It was a reminder that, for all his success, O'Neill knows the job description in Glasgow never changes: you win, you’re adored; you falter, you’re examined from every angle.

Rangers chasing a slice of history

Across the city, the mood is very different. Rangers stand on the brink of something they have managed only twice before: back-to-back victories over Celtic in the space of a single week, a feat last achieved in 1960 and 1998.

Derek McInnes, still new to the Old Firm furnace, has the chance to etch his name alongside Graeme Souness by winning his first two derbies in charge. It is the kind of milestone that can define an era and a manager’s reputation in one sweep.

He is not dressing it up with whiteboards and buzzwords.

"I think sometimes tactics can get a wee bit overplayed," McInnes said. "I think you normally win games through the individual moments and the performances of players being really high and really strong.

"You don't win at Celtic Park unless everybody plays well. So, we've got to try and bring something similar and look for those improvements again."

Rangers have already shown they can hurt Celtic. Now they return to Celtic Park knowing that another win would not only carve their names into club folklore, but deepen the questions hanging over O'Neill and his team.

One week, two derbies, and a rivalry that rarely does half measures.