Stubbs tips 'Messiah' O'Neill to salvage Celts

MARTIN O'Neill first walked into Celtic Park in 2000 to take charge of a team who had finished a whopping 21 points behind in the title race 11 days earlier.

- BY MICHAEL GANNON

DISASTROUS IN DUGOUT Nancy

The man Hoops fans call the Messiah romped to the Treble 12 months later and Alan Stubbs is convinced his old gaffer will not flinch at the challenge facing him to reel in Hearts and Rangers this time around.

Celtic chief Dermot Desmond sent out the O'Neill SOS again this week 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 again.

Stubbs, speaking exclusively to Record Sport on behalf of Netbet online casino, 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 they 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 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.

“I remember first time around we had the title win but the year before had lost the league by 20-odd points.

“That was a pretty hard moment but he came in and lifted the entire place. There was the famous statement about Rangers being the benchmark.

“He played it brilliantly and look what happened.