It was a dream return to the Celtic dugout for Martin O’Neill, who guided his side to a dominant 4–0 win over Falkirk in his first match back as interim manager, ending a run of back-to-back league defeats and setting up perfectly for Sunday’s League Cup semi-final against Rangers.
Celtic produced their best attacking display of the season, registering a league-high xG of 4.48, with goals from Johnny Kenny (2), Benjamin Nygren, and Sebastian Tounekti sealing a much-needed win and lifting the mood around Parkhead after a chaotic week.
But it wasn’t just the football that had fans smiling.
O’Neill provided one of the night’s funniest moments during his post-match press conference.
Asked about James Forrest’s performance, with the veteran winger making just his second league start of the campaign, O’Neill couldn’t resist a cheeky quip.
“I thought Forrest did brilliantly for us tonight,” he said with a grin on Celtic TV, “considering he’s the same age as me!”
The 73-year-old’s sharp humour drew laughter from reporters and perfectly captured the lighter tone surrounding Celtic after a turbulent few days off the pitch.
Forrest, who turns 35 next summer, rolled back the years with an energetic performance down the right flank, helping set the tempo in Celtic’s most fluent display in weeks.
A commanding win, a smiling manager and a bit of classic O’Neill humour. Celtic fans couldn’t have asked for much more on his first night back.
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