HOOPS FEEL THE MESSIAH IS BACK

Relief and hope reinstated after Nancy chaos - Stubbs

- BY MICHAEL GANNON

CHASING GERS Stubbs helped Celtic claw back the deficit

MARTIN O'NEILL first walked into Celtic Park in 2000 to take charge of a team that had finished a whopping 21 points behind in the title race a few months earlier.

The man Hoops fans call the Messiah romped to the Treble with room to spare 12 months later and Alan Stubbs is convinced his old gaffer won't flinch at the challenge at reeling in Hearts and Rangers this time around.

This week, Celtic chief Dermot Desmond sent out the O'Neill SOS again after calling time on Wilfried Nancy's disastrous 33 days in charge.

And right away the entire title dynamic has shifted.

A few days ago, Stubbs feared the campaign was dead and buried. Now it's alive and kicking.

Stubbs said: “Were Celtic in a title race four days ago? The answer has got to be no - because it looked like it had gone too far.

“The board realised that they've made a mistake and, to be fair, you've got to give them credit, they've acted on it.

“They brought Martin back and potentially have just resurrected the season.

“Martin will deflect the pressure away from the board.

“It will still be there, but the main focus now is now on Martin and with the fans, there's a sense of calmness now.

“They'll think, oh, we've got Martin back - the Messiah.

“There's a relief, a sense of normality back to it.