Celtic make 'surprise' Martin O'Neill sack decision after Rangers loss - 'He already knows...'

Martin O'Neill is set to face serious questions about his position as Celtic manager after back-to-back defeats against Rangers.

It has been a nightmare week for the 74-year-old following last weekend's 3-0 loss at Ibrox, a midweek defeat against Hungarian outfit Ferencvaros, and another 1-0 Old Firm loss at home.

Celtic remain top of the league as things stand, and have won six of their seven Scottish Premiership clashes, but have failed to get results when it has counted this season.

Former Man United chief scout Mick Brown warned Football Insider that O'Neill could face serious threats of being sacked by Celtic, despite that having previously been unthinkable.

The experienced manager took the helm at Parkhead during a difficult spell last season and led his side to the Scottish Premiership title and Scottish Cup success.

However, two defeats from two against Rangers this season and miserable results in Europe have led to concerns, and the fans could now turn on O'Neill.

Could Martin O'Neill be sacked by Celtic?

Brown warned Football Insider last week that Celtic must "bury" Rangers to ease the pressure on O'Neill, with doubts growing after their heavy defeat at Ibrox.

While the boss has retained a lot of backing, with plenty of blame being placed on the club for putting him in this position, recent results may be deemed unacceptable.

The full-time whistle following the defeat to Rangers was met with loud boos from the stands, and there are now concerns O'Neill could face serious pressure on his position.

"Martin O'Neill is going to face serious question marks at Celtic now," Brown told Football Insider.

"I have to say, it would be a surprise to see him sacked and I don't think Celtic will pull the trigger just yet, but these results haven't been good enough when it has mattered.

"They lost in Europe, they lost last week against Rangers, and now they've lost this game as well which they really needed to win to ease the concerns.

"He already knows what it means to the fans when they lose games like this, they're the most important games of the season so failing to get results is unacceptable.

"So for O'Neill, it would definitely be harsh if he was sacked when you consider what he did last season, stepping in when nobody else was taking the job on.

"There's got to be some anger towards the club as well for the decisions they've made, so they are not blameless, but ultimately it falls at the feet of the manager."

How do the fans feel about O'Neill's future?

Much of whether O'Neill will keep his job at Celtic could depend on the fans and how they react to recent results, with sections of the Parkhead crowd beginning to turn.

After loud boos were heard upon the full-time whistle at Parkhead, and Rangers closed the gap at the top of the table, the boss could now face pressure from the stands.

Brown warned Football Insider on 15 September that Celtic fans could turn on O'Neill as a result of their lack of quality and poor results in the biggest games this season.

The boss has impressed and won a lot of plaudits for his work since making the surprise return to Glasgow last season, but must be aware he is not immune from criticism.

Much of the anger also has to be aimed towards the board for their short-term thinking, while O'Neill deserves praise for his work since taking over, but concerns are growing.