{"id":27465,"date":"2026-05-01T19:29:23","date_gmt":"2026-05-01T19:29:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo76e71539\/2026\/05\/01\/martin-oneill-makes-a-big-claim-regarding-rangers-against-hearts-can-celtic-actually-win-the-title\/"},"modified":"2026-05-01T19:29:23","modified_gmt":"2026-05-01T19:29:23","slug":"martin-oneill-makes-a-big-claim-regarding-rangers-against-hearts-can-celtic-actually-win-the-title","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo76e71539\/2026\/05\/01\/martin-oneill-makes-a-big-claim-regarding-rangers-against-hearts-can-celtic-actually-win-the-title\/","title":{"rendered":"Martin O\u2019Neill Makes A Big Claim Regarding Rangers Against Hearts: Can Celtic Actually Win The Title?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Celtic are moving into one of the most telling fortnights in years, and Martin O\u2019Neill isn\u2019t hiding where he\u2019ll be looking this Monday night. Speaking before Celtic<\/a>\u2019s game at Easter Road against Hibs, O\u2019Neill told reporters he\u2019ll be watching Hearts host Rangers<\/a> at Tynecastle on Monday with a very close eye.<\/p>\n

Celtic\u2019s title fate rests on results they cannot control<\/strong><\/h3>\n

He didn\u2019t mince words, saying he has no time for managers who act like these games don\u2019t matter. With his usual bluntness, he admitted he\u2019s not sure which result he actually wants, since Celtic<\/a>\u2018s own performance comes first and changes the whole outlook.<\/p>\n

He joked that he wouldn\u2019t go as far as cheering for a Rangers goal, but he certainly didn\u2019t deny he\u2019d be glued to the TV. O\u2019Neill\u2019s point was simple, and that Celtic need to focus on winning their own matches, and the rest will take care of itself.<\/p>\n

Right now, Hearts are top of the Premiership by three points over second-placed Celtic, with Rangers just one point further back in third, meaning all three teams are still in the hunt with four games left. Meanwhile, Celtic secured a spot in the Scottish Cup final after thumping St Mirren 6-2, keeping the dream of a domestic double alive, which is something that seemed almost impossible only a few months ago.<\/p>\n

He said: (TCW)<\/a>, \u201cYeah, yeah. I know that some managers say, oh well, don\u2019t bother, they\u2019ll go for a walk or do something. No, I\u2019m glued to it.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t you worry, I\u2019ll be there. If you\u2019re asking who I\u2019m cheering on, I have no idea. Don\u2019t even ask, I have no idea.<\/p>\n

\u201cDepending on how we do, I might, if we don\u2019t win the game or lose the match, that becomes a different thought process, but at the end of it all, yeah, of course I\u2019ll be watching because we have to play those teams.<\/p>\n

\u201cI might not go that far (cheering Rangers on for a goal)!\u201d<\/p>\n

Can Celtic actually win this title without beating Hearts or Rangers all season?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\"Celtic\"
GLASGOW, SCOTLAND \u2013 MARCH 14: Celtic manager Martin O\u2019Neil arrives prior to the William Hill Premiership match between Celtic and Motherwell at Celtic Park on March 14, 2026 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Ian MacNicol\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The straightforward answer is: likely not, though the league has seen weirder things happen. Celtic have lost both games against Hearts in the league this season and haven\u2019t beaten Rangers in the league either. Chris Sutton<\/a>, a Celtic legend himself, admitted he\u2019s sceptical that O\u2019Neill\u2019s men can win their last four games and even wondered if they\u2019d get past Hibs.<\/p>\n

Those are tough words to hear, especially coming from a former player who wants to see the club do well. The title-winning experience O\u2019Neill has, along with the grit Callum McGregor<\/a> talks about, is huge in a race this close. Still, the fact that Celtic haven\u2019t beaten either side above them all year is a massive flaw that momentum alone can\u2019t fix.<\/p>\n

Rangers come to Celtic Park on May 10, and Hearts arrive for the final day on May 16. This means Celtic have to beat the two teams they have struggled with all season, one after the other, to win the league. It\u2019s a massive task, and Celtic fans deserve the truth about how difficult those odds really are.<\/p>\n

Celtic still carry a genuine belief into the final phase, which they did not expect to reach<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The table shows Celtic are behind, but the vibe in the dressing room says something else. McGregor believes that getting through a season of three different managers, fan protests, and constant injuries while still being in contention shows what the squad is made of. O\u2019Neill settled things down just when they were needed. Celtic finish the season at home, and Parkhead is still their biggest edge going into the final two weeks that will decide their season.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Celtic are moving into one of the most telling fortnights in years, and Martin O\u2019Neill isn\u2019t hiding where he\u2019ll be looking this Monday night. Speaking before Celtic\u2019s game at Easter Road against Hibs, O\u2019Neill told reporters he\u2019ll be watching Hearts host Rangers at Tynecastle on Monday with a very close eye. Celtic\u2019s title fate rests […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13963,"featured_media":27466,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27465","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo76e71539\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27465","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo76e71539\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo76e71539\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo76e71539\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13963"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo76e71539\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27465"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo76e71539\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27465\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo76e71539\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27466"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo76e71539\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27465"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo76e71539\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27465"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo76e71539\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27465"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}