During a pre-match exchange involving Celtic’s European fixture, Connie McLaughlin of TNT Sports pressed manager Martin O’Neill regarding the substitution of goalkeeper Sam Johnstone for Viljami Sinisalo. O’Neill responded with visible irritation, stating he would not explain the tactical reasoning and noting that Sinisalo was always intended to start.
The Celtic boss further indicated he preferred to communicate such decisions directly to supporters via Celtic TV rather than through the press. When McLaughlin attempted to redirect the conversation toward other team selections, O’Neill declined to elaborate, warning that discussing the matter further could be detrimental.
The exchange concluded as McLaughlin shifted focus to James Forrest, praising his impact as a substitute but expressing skepticism about his ability to complete the full match. O’Neill ended the interaction abruptly after acknowledging Forrest’s contributions.
Sinisalo was always meant to start? Then why didn’t he say that hours ago? Makes you wonder if the press was right to press.
I couldn’t believe his attitude! A reporter did their job, and he snapped like that. Surely there’s a more professional way?
O’Neill is clearly stressed. Protecting the squad by keeping tactics private is smart management, even if he was rude.