Martin O’Neill has dismissed any talk of a perfect ending to the season as Celtic prepare for their Scottish Cup semi-final against St Mirren. The focus, from his point of view, is much narrower than the wider narrative around Hampden this weekend.
There has been discussion about what a final appearance could mean, especially with the timing in the season and what it would represent. But O’Neill is not looking beyond the immediate task.
The challenge in front of Celtic is clear. St Mirren arrive with recent results to lean on, including a win over Celtic and a cup success against them earlier in the campaign. That changes the feel of the tie.
Celtic have already seen how this opponent can make games difficult. The last meeting at Parkhead was tight, and there were spells where control slipped. That kind of game suits St Mirren if it becomes stretched or scrappy.
Asked ‘just the story of your last ever game being the Scottish Cup final and potentially lifting the trophy?’
O’Neill said: (TCW), “Genuinely, I have not done, honestly. I don’t think we are good enough to dream that far down the line.
“Oh, that would be lovely if we could do it, yeah. But I think St Mirren won’t be…
“They’ll obviously take great confidence from the fact that they won recently, played very well last week against us.
“And two, the last time they played each other at Hampden, they won the cup.”
O’Neill’s point about not looking too far ahead reflects where the team are right now. Celtic have not always controlled games the way they would want, and that leaves little room for thinking beyond the next match.
St Mirren’s approach will likely mirror what worked before. They close space quickly and look to turn the game into a contest rather than a passing exercise. That puts pressure on Celtic’s midfield to move the ball faster and avoid getting dragged into a battle.
That’s the part O’Neill is focused on. Not the final, not the occasion. Just the next 90 minutes.
