Celtic's Martin O’Neill Prepares for Strange Old Firm Atmosphere
Celtic boss Martin O’Neill says the Old Firm will feel “strange” without away fans as his side head into a raw, one-sided Ibrox atmosphere for Sunday’s Scottish League Cup quarter-final against Rangers.
The decision to lock out away supporters from all Old Firm fixtures this season came after talks between both clubs and the SPFL, following a Scottish FA independent review into post-match crowd disorder in last season’s Scottish Cup clash. The same rule will stand next weekend when Rangers make the return trip to Celtic Park for the first league meeting of the campaign.
O’Neill: “It will be strange”
O’Neill knows exactly what his players are walking into: a knockout tie at Ibrox, under the lights, with the noise coming from one end only.
“I think that it will be strange in many aspects not to have any away fans in our area. I always felt that they gave us a crumb of comfort,” he said, underlining just how much he values even a small pocket of green and white in enemy territory.
“The crowd will obviously be right behind their team, and I would expect that to be reciprocated the following Sunday. We know we are up against a very fine side and a crowd who can make a difference.
“If we can get in front in the game, that will make the crowd anxious.”
That, in essence, is the plan: survive the early surge, land the first punch, and let the tension seep into the stands.
Rotation, risk and a star on the bench
O’Neill arrives at Ibrox on the back of a narrow but controlled 1-0 win over St Johnstone, a match in which he gambled by resting several key players. The biggest call was leaving star man Camilo Durán on the bench.
“He has been so brilliant for us,” O’Neill said. “I thought that we could rest him for the game, then I was not sure that we could. I'm not sure that we're good enough to rest people in that sense.
“Over the course of time we will have to make changes, particularly since we're playing European games.”
That line tells the story of Celtic’s season already: juggling domestic demands with European nights, trying to keep legs fresh without blunting their edge. Durán’s management will be central to that balancing act.
There was at least one boost. Midfielder Mika Baur is back in full training after a minor knock, restoring another option in the middle of the park for a tie where control of the ball will be priceless.
Goalkeeping call looms large
If the absence of away fans shapes the atmosphere, O’Neill’s goalkeeping decision could shape the result.
New signing Sam Johnstone has arrived to push Viljami Sinisalo hard, and the Celtic manager is openly embracing the selection headache before facing Rangers.
“I haven't made my mind up at all,” he admitted. “I thought Sam did very well, and we needed to get a look at what he could do. It's great to have the two of them. Sinisalo has done exceptionally well for us.”
No clues, no hints. Just genuine competition. In a tie that could be decided by one mistake or one save, the choice between Johnstone’s experience and Sinisalo’s form carries real weight.
Ready for the shootout
The League Cup quarter-final must produce a winner. If it goes the distance, penalties await in front of a full Ibrox.
O’Neill insists his side will not be caught cold in that moment.
“We cannot replicate the stadium and the crowd, but if you've not practiced, it can be a double whammy for you. You might as well have a few shots and that's what we do at the end of our training sessions.”
The message is simple: they can’t recreate the chaos, but they can at least harden the technique.
No away fans. One of the fiercest fixtures in world football stripped back to a single-colour crowd. Celtic walking into the noise, Rangers feeding off it, and a place in the semi-finals on the line.
In a season already shaped by off-pitch decisions, who handles the silence from the away end best might just define the first Old Firm chapter of the campaign.
