Martin O'Neill could quit Celtic after fans outburst - 'They weren't expecting this'

Martin O'Neill could walk away from his position as Celtic manager after the way the fans reacted to their defeat against Rangers.

Celtic suffered a 1-0 defeat at home against their Old Firm rivals on 20 September, which sparked chants against the manager from the supporters at Parkhead.

This comes following a miserable week for the Hoops, having lost 3-0 to Rangers the week before, alongside a midweek 3-1 defeat to Ferencvaros in the Europa League.

Former Man United chief scout Mick Brown told Football Insider that O'Neill and Celtic were not prepared for the situation to turn sour so early into the new season.

Since taking charge on an interim basis last season, the manager has done a good job at Parkhead, and led his side to Scottish Premiership and Scottish Cup success.

However, his team have not performed in their biggest games this season, leading to increasing frustration which could push O'Neill to walk away from his position.

Could Celtic move to sack Martin O'Neill?

Brown told Football Insider on 20 September, following the 1-0 defeat to Rangers, that O'Neill is now facing serious questions about his future as Cetlic manager.

Concerns about the manager's role have ramped up despite the general good will towards what he achieved last season, with a decision now likely to be made.

O'Neill took the permanent job at Celtic on the basis that it could be an easy ride as it was last season, but with pressure now piling on, he could decide to walk away.

"It's all gone very sour at Celtic, there's a real bad feeling around the club," Brown told Football Insider.

"They weren't expecting this, they thought it would be an easy ride like they had last season, Rangers were struggling, and Celtic were clearly the dominant team in Scotland.

"In the last week, that has flipped on its head, and the results against Rangers and in Europe mean there is now intense pressure on O'Neill.

"I think the reason he took the job in the first place was because of the good feeling towards him after everything he did last season, so with that now gone, he won't be happy.

"There is a real chance he could walk away from his position there if he feels he can't do right by the club and they would benefit from him no longer being in charge.

"That's certainly the sentiment from the fans, they made it very clear that they are not happy with O'Neill after what's happened this season.

"So don't be surprised at all if he decides he doesn't want to continue, and Celtic could be looking for a new manager sooner than anybody had expected."

Why are Celtic fans unhappy with O'Neill?

O'Neill's future as the manager at Parkhead will largely depend on the fans' feelings towards him, and those have turned sour after a disastrous week in Glasgow.

They 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.

Brown warned Football Insider following the 3-0 defeat to Rangers that Celtic fans are primed to turn on O'Neill if their miserable run continues, and that has now been evidenced.

Failure to secure results in the biggest games, notably including two Old Firm derbies, have left fans raging and calling for a decision to be made.

Whether it is Celtic who pull the trigger or O'Neill who decides to walk away, major changes could be set to take place during the international break.