Martin O’Neill is feeling the heat at Celtic right now following the defeat to Falkirk in the Premiership over the weekend.

While everything was rosy in the garden for O’Neill last season, when he filled in twice, including replacing Wilfried Nancy, things have proven to be a lot tougher right now at Celtic.

Martin Keown defends Martin O’Neill after Celtic’s loss to Falkirk

Nancy’s reign was a car crash last season, and if it wasn’t for O’Neill, then Celtic wouldn’t have won the domestic double.

But in recent times, nobody is going to deny, both in Europe and in the Premiership, life has proven to be difficult for O’Neill.

However, Keown wanted to remind those being critical of O’Neill that quite a number of Celtic’s losses have come in Europe.

Nonetheless, Keown accused Leckie of trying to fire up the noise around O’Neill to try and ‘keep a three-horse race’ in Scotland, regarding the Premiership title.

Martin Keown: “I want to pull Bill (Leckie) up as well on what he said at the start. Saying that ‘Martin O’Neill’s defeats are very similar to the previous manager.’ It’s a total load of nonsense. He has lost two games in the league.”

Bill Leckie: “He has lost six of his last ten games.”

Keown: “The games he is losing are in Europe, so are they unexpected at the moment? Really, you are trying to make a fight for everyone else in Scotland to try and keep a two-horse race or a three-horse race.

“I don’t believe you are correct. I think you are being disrespectful to Martin O’Neill.”

Leckie: “Well, have you seen a lot of games up here?”

Keown: “No, I am just telling you. It’s my view. I am looking at statistics, and what you are saying, you aren’t really backing it up. This isn’t the last manager (Wilfried Nancy), is it? This isn’t a record similar to the previous manager of Celtic.”