It was little over a month ago that Celtic swept aside LASK in the first leg of that Champions League playoff tie, the Scottish champions having made a rampant start to the new season.

The drop-off since that night has been quite remarkable, however, with the Bhoys' shortcomings having been exposed so brutally away in Linz, a defeat that has plunged this group of players into something nearing a crisis.

It was the same old story in Europe against Ferencvaros, while Martin O'Neill's men looked bereft of his ideas and confidence in both derby meetings, heading into the international break on such a sour note.

The pressure has cranked up on O'Neill as a result, with it clear that all is not well at Parkhead. Perhaps it's time for the Glasgow giants to be ruthless, even despite the 74-year-old's legendary status.

Will Celtic sack O'Neill over the international break?

For all the recent turmoil, it still feels unlikely that this Celtic board will have it in them to wield the axe so brutally and so swiftly into the new season, with there an argument that O'Neill's prior achievements should earn him a stay of execution.

Indeed, chief executive Michael Nicholson has given his public backing to the veteran coach in recent days, suggesting that it is time to "come together and support Martin and the players".

The fact Nicholson feels the need to give his support to O'Neill perhaps should have alarm bells ringing, however, with receiving the dreaded 'vote of confidence' so often marking the beginning of the end for managers.

O'Neill, an undoubted hero at Parkhead, is a different case, but the club did act decisively last season when it was clear that things had gone awry under Wilfried Nancy, the speed of that sacking, and the swift return of the Irishman, helping to stem the bleeding.

There's also the question too as to whether O'Neill himself may simply just walk away, having cut a noticeably frustrated figure in recent media outings across the past week or so.

He did admit post-match on Sunday that he will "reflect" on whether it might be time to "wrap it up", with there still a nagging feeling that he should have ended things on a high over the summer.

In any case, if there is to be a change in the dugout, Celtic have to ensure the next appointment is the right one.

Celtic already lined up the perfect managerial hire

It's all starting to feel a little too familiar to last term, with Brendan Rodgers handing in his resignation in late October, following a 3-1 defeat to Hearts, the ex-Liverpool boss seemingly feeling let down in a summer that had seen the club crash out of Champions League qualifying.

It looks to be a similar story for O'Neill right now, with Football FanCast exclusively reporting that he has already been in dispute with the board over the handling of summer signing, Oliver Sorensen, the Dane left out of last weekend's matchday squad.

The suggestion is that, like Rodgers, he may well call it quits as a result, ensuring Celtic may soon need to avoid a repeat of the car-crash, mid-season hire of Nancy.

Quite who the club do turn to next is another matter, with leading target, Kieran McKenna, having his eyes fixed on a top-six job in the Premier League by all accounts.

That might also be the case for a certain Eddie Howe, although with the Englishman having previously come close to taking on the role, would it be worth making contact again in the present day?

It was the summer of 2021 when Howe was engaged in negotiations with the Hoops as Celtic sought a permanent successor to Neil Lennon, having ceded the title to Rangers the previous season.

After a protracted saga, the ex-Bournemouth boss ultimately walked away from the deal, with Celtic instead turning to a relative unknown in the form of Ange Postecoglou.

That sliding-doors moment no doubt worked out for all parties at the time, with Postecoglou proving a roaring success in Glasgow, while Howe went on to flourish at Newcastle United, ending the Magpies' lengthy trophy drought following Carabao Cup glory in 2025.

That's not to say the 48-year-old wouldn't still be an option to consider in the present day, if he can be tempted to make a different decision this time around, with time of the essence to pounce before the Premier League's big boys come sniffing around.

Howe is a fine manager after all, hailed by Jamie Carragher last year as the "best English coach by a million miles", amid previous links to the Three Lions job.

Not only did he bring the glory days back to Tyneside, but he also twice led Newcastle into the Champions League, making St James' Park a real fortress again after so much turbulence before him.

He'd notably walked in the door mid-season with the club in a relegation fight, yet swiftly turned things around, even while aided by the financial backing of the Saudi PIF.

It's fair to say that things fell apart last term, following a chaotic 2025 summer transfer window, but Howe had seemingly just reached a natural conclusion with the Magpies, after almost five years in charge.

He instilled such an aggressive, front-foot approach on Tyneside, with his Newcastle team having been a match for anyone in the Premier League at their pomp.

Even if he only proves a short-term fix at Parkhead, turning to Howe again could be just what is needed to revive Celtic's fortunes this season and beyond.