Spiky Martin O'Neill responds to Rangers radio slapdown as Celtic boss sets record straight

The interim Hoops boss will look to steer his side to the Hampden showpiece with victory on derby day

Celtic interim boss Martin O’Neill moved to clarify scathing comments about rivals Rangers ahead of facing them on Sunday.

The Irishman said “Rangers are no threat whatsoever” and that “they are so far adrift, it’s untrue” in the context of the Premiership title race in his role as talkSPORT pundit.

And just 24 hours after making those comments he was appointed as Parkhead caretaker gaffer following the shock exit of Brendan Rodgers.

Rangers are five points behind the Hoops in the league table and a whopping 11 behind leaders Hearts - and O’Neill insists that’s the point he was making.

Speaking back in August, after Rangers drew 1-1 with St Mirren in Paisley, O’Neill also said: “The Rangers side I was up against then would beat this Rangers side 12-0."

Now the 73-year-old is up against the Light Blues in the Premier Sports Cup semi final and was asked at his pre-match press conference if, given his view on them, that it would be a big shock if he doesn’t lead Celtic to victory.

But O’Neill took umbrage and said: “So far adrift in the league, I was talking about. I know I've been used to having my words tangled around here for 20-odd years ago, so yeah, don't try that young man.

“Far adrift in terms of, when you say this here, Hearts were eight points clear of us, and then a number of points clear then. That's a deficit. I didn't say about a deficit catching up with us at the time. So let me make that clear. Absolutely.”

O’Neill also talked up new Rangers boss Danny Rohl and said: “Well, I've heard a lot of good things, and I think I said this even before I got this job, a lot of good things about the manager.

“A lot of the players at Sheffield Wednesday were very complimentary about him. So he will have gone in there now, that was a big win for them there at Easter Road, a really big win. So they'll be going to the game with plenty of confidence themselves.”

Kieran Tierney sat out Celtic’s midweek win over Falkirk with Marcelo Sarrachi starting instead - but the Uruguayan missed training, although O’Neill expects both to be okay while Daizen Maeda will be assessed after he returned to action in midweek off the bench.

O’Neill said of Sarrachi: “I think he will be okay. He'll be okay. I thought he did really, really well for us. He did really well.”

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