Celtic: Martin O’Neill insists the club needs January signings

O’Neill expressed his sympathy for Nancy, whose departure after just 33 days means he is the shortest permanent manager at Celtic.

The Frenchman, who was heavily criticized for his commitment to the 3-4-3 system, lost six of his eight matches after O’Neill won seven of eight as caretaker coach.

The Northern Irishman, who first coached Celtic from 2000-05, said he felt like a “supply teacher” during his first spell in charge, and admitted he would face the same pressure as Nancy if he too failed to deliver results.

However, O’Neill insists he “will have no excuses” as he aims to lead Celtic to a successful end to the season.

“It’s Celtic and you have to fight through adversity.” He says. “I was assuming you wanted to try to bridge the gap.

“Rangers have closed down on our side. We have a battle on our hands. It’s a tough job for us. We still have 18 players left.” [league] Remaining matches.

“Whatever system we decide to leave, let’s have no excuses. Let’s try and win.”