'It might be time to wrap it up' - O'Neill ponders Celtic future after defeat

He delivered a double few thought possible last season when the Scottish Premiership and Scottish Cup were salvaged from the potential wreckage of one of Celtic's most tumultuous seasons. He very nearly lifted the Uefa Cup in 2003 against a Jose Mourinho-inspired Porto who, the following season, won the Champions League. His status as one of the club's all-time great managers is surely secure. Which is perhaps why, so soon after returning to the club as its unlikely saviour, manager Martin O'Neill wondered out loud whether now, at the age of 74, it's finally time "to wrap it up". The Northern Irishman's words came in the post-match news conference following a second defeat in a week against arch-rivals Rangers. The fact he also joked about being "110 years old in two years' time" ought not to deflect from the fact O'Neill might now be seriously considering whether he's still the right man to be in charge of Celtic. Celtic suffer second derby defeat by Rangers in week Watch: Scott Brown & Andy Halliday discuss Old Firm game on YouTube Rangers look like they know where they want to go - Celtic just look lost After such a damaging week, with a home European defeat to Ferencvaros in-between the two losses to Rangers, might O'Neill decide to protect his fine legacy at the club by walking away while the side is still top of the Premiership? "I genuinely will reflect and see," he said. "It's a matter of whether I can help the team. The manager is supposed to be able to do that. I will look at that this week. "I think every single time something crops up and things don't go so well, age plays a part. And, do you know what, they might be right. I'll be 110 in two years' time so it might be time to wrap it up. "I will reflect on the games and speak to the board. You never know, they may well want to speak to me. I'll try to get a couple of days away and see how it goes. " Lending credence to the notion that O'Neill is about to embark on a period of proper soul-searching, he referenced last season's dramatic last-day decider in which Celtic won the title in the last few minutes of the final league game. "The game against Hearts was probably one of the great moments of my managerial time. And I've had some really good moments," he added. "While that was good and I was delighted to get that opportunity, all the time I was still thinking about whether you can still have the energy and the desire - the things that I say to the boys every Friday - so I'll have a look at that and we'll see." How has it gone so wrong so quickly? It's worth remembering that half an hour into the second leg of their Champions League play-off in August, Celtic were 4-0 up on aggregate against LASK in Linz and seemingly cruising to the league phase of European football's elite competition. The collapse within that game - and the humiliating exit from the competition - seems to have left an indelible scar on the players and management team alike. The four Premiership wins that followed were largely unimpressive; three of them single-goal victories against Falkirk, St Mirren and St Johnstone. When the pressure was on against Rangers - twice - and Ferencvaros, Celtic simply folded. Questions have been asked by a section of the club's support about the quality, breadth and timing of the recent summer recruitment. Former Scotland international James McFadden remains unconvinced. "They haven't actually added to the squad in terms of numbers or real quality," he said on Sky Sports. "They've just replaced what left." O'Neill has tried to find a way to accommodate big-money signings Camilo Duran and Kasper Hogh into the side, without much success. He has tried a series of different midfielders to try to reinvigorate the heart of his team. O'Neill even tried dropping his wingers entirely in Sunday's league derby, fielding five defenders and pushing full-back Kieran Tierney further forward. All to no avail. [BBC] Chris Sutton, who played under O'Neill during the manager's first spell at the club, was deeply unimpressed by what he saw. "It wasn't a close game," he said on Sky Sports. "There was a massive gulf. I can't remember a Celtic team getting such a doing from a Rangers team at Celtic Park. "Rangers were a team and Celtic weren't. They knew their next pass and Celtic didn't. Rangers were better in every department. They were smashed and that's the concern. "They have big problems, some self-inflicted. They've lacked legs and physicality in the middle of the park. This has been a big issue all season. Callum McGregor's another year older, can't get about the pitch like he used to. "Martin will have to come up with something. I loved him as a manager when I was at the club. He is getting on a bit but, as a guy, I still think he has the fight for it." That sentiment is shared by Sutton's former team-mate, Neil Lennon, who knows O'Neill better than most and who also knows how heavily the mantle of Celtic manager can weigh. "He's hurting, he's smarting about it," Lennon said on Sky Sports. "He'd want to find the answers. The break's come at a good time for him - recuperate, get some sun and re-think about the whole thing. He still feels he's got the energy to do it." "When you get a week like this - not only defeats but the manner of the defeats - he knows himself more than anyone there's going to be a lot of scrutiny, criticism and introspection." What are the fans saying? Lee: This is it for MON - his starting XI looked weak in midfield and proved to be. What he and the coaching staff have done to our big summer signings after bright starts is a worry. And the general fitness is telling, too. Alec: What game was MON watching, to say it was a close game? Wow. It's quite obvious MON and coaches don't know best 11 or also a formation for them. How Ox can't get in that team and they can't see our midfield getting overrun every game is beyond me. Kev: You can see O'Neill throwing the towel in here soon. I don't blame him. There's something smouldering at the club . This international break has come at the right time for Celtic. Dermot [Desmond] will be phoning his mate Pep for a hand at this rate. Wayne: Let's be honest, getting beat is part of the game, as a fan you can accept that. What as fans you cannot accept is not giving it all, and that's the problem Celtic have at the moment, getting beat by average teams three games in a week. Shocking performances. Danny: The board will keep O'Neill on as they think the fans won't turn but another loss today and it will become very toxic and all the good O'Neill has done will be forgotten.