Celtic's Very Good Thing comes to end - but Martin O'Neill will always be welcome back

Celtic can take sole ownership on Sunday when they welcome title rivals Hearts in what is a titanic first assignment for new manager Wilfried Nancy, whose appointment was confirmed 50 minutes before kick-off here. Daizen Maeda went in where it hurt after 11 minutes to give Celtic a precious three points and maintain O’Neill’s 100 per cent domestic record.

Has the legendary manager been able to quell the insurrectionary vibes around Parkhead? Well, no, not exactly.

It’s going to take someone with more than some experience of studying law, something O’Neill has prior to becoming a professional footballer. A diplomatic relations qualification would be a start. “Sack the board!” rang out as soon as the game kicked-off.

Although it seems a long time ago, this was Celtic’s first home game since an eventful and quickly abandoned agm. With the Green Brigade’s ban from the front rows of their section extended, the noise came from elsewhere. As did the messages. “Parasites” read one banner in the corner of the Lisbon Lions Stand.

Not even the announcement of a new manager could bring any relief for the under-fire board members. A statement released in the countdown to kick off included some pointed sentences from principal shareholder Dermot Desmond. “I will always hold Martin in such high regard for what he has done for Celtic and for what he is as a man,” the Irish financer wrote. “A man of such professionalism and integrity and someone who will undoubtedly always have the interests of Celtic in his heart.”

Another shot towards Rodgers

If was hard not to read this as being another barb sent Brendan Rodgers’ way. One thing is for sure, whatever the supporters’ feelings are towards Rodgers, O’Neill will always be welcome back at Parkhead.

It hasn’t always been a straightforward shift back at the helm at a place where he revered. There was the uncertainty over how long he would be needed for starters. Unusually, the match programme for this game had no manager’s notes page. It just went straight into some observations from captain Callum McGregor. Clearly, it had been expected Nancy would be in place but the longer that process dragged on, the editor made the wise decision to drop the column rather than attribute it to A.N. Other.

It turned out O’Neill was needed of course. He made a typically low-key entrance, slipping out of the tunnel as both teams were lining up and taking his seat in the dugout as if he was entering school assembly late and trying to do so as unobtrusively as possible.

He did consent to a short interview in front of the fans at the end. In between times, he watched Celtic make heavy weather of seeing off Dundee, whose win against Celtic at Dens Park seemed to set in motion events leading to Rodgers’ departure. Here again Dundee proved troublesome despite Maeda giving Celtic a dream start on what was meant to be a night spent serenading O’Neill.

It looked likely that Dundee might be submerged in the emotion of the occasion. Instead, the hosts seemed to be most affected.

Things started brightly with that early Maeda opener. Reo Hatate’s pass was intelligent but Yang’s sublime touch made it and when Jon McCracken blocked the South Korean’s shot and when the ball looped up in the air, Meada outjumped the far loftier Luke Graham to nod Celtic into the lead. Both players required treatment, with Maeda forced off for eight or so minutes to get his head bandaged up.

Dundee endured their own injury misfortune. Skipper Clark Robertson pulled up after making a pass shortly before the break and was replaced by Ryan Astley. Although left-back Imari Samuels had to clear off the line, Celtic were certainly not overwhelming the visitors, who had their own glimmer of hope when Simon Murray’s shot crashed off the bar. An offside flag might have robbed him of the goal had it gone in but it looked tight.

Say what you like about Steven Pressley, but there’s evidence that he knows how to set up a team. Dundee hung on in the second half. A triple substitution, which included Murray’s exit, gave them the fresh legs they needed. A late header from Graham flashed past. Maeda scampered away at the other end and cracked a shot off the post. He’d already done enough.