Scottish title race goes crazy as Martin O'Neill answers Celtic-Rangers final day scenario question

Not that they’ll be welcoming visitors from the west with open arms. It’s just that a few of them won’t be entirely unhappy if Hibs lose against their Glasgow counterparts.

A defeat for the greater good, they may argue. The fear among Hibbies is real. With four games to go, Hearts are top of the Premiership by three points and Celtic are their nearest challengers.

The unpalatable notion of the league trophy being bedecked in maroon and white ribbons is too much to bear. Hibs captain Joe Newell admitted earlier in the week that some of their clan have told him they would prefer not to win this weekend. Save yourselves for next week’s clash at the Falkirk Stadium, they say.

This is what tribalism does to football fans. It’s only natural. Especially after Hearts stormed Easter Road last weekend to win 2-1. They face Rangers on Monday. A victory there and their will be little sunshine on Leith.

As you’d expect, Newell and Hibs head coach David Gray want to win. Being a player is different. Their answer to questions on “lying down” were professionally batted away. Look after our own business is the party line. Control what we can control.

Six points behind Motherwell, Hibs still have a chance of taking fourth place. A season of what ifs is in danger of petering out. Although some supporters would happily not win again this season if it resulted in Hearts not finishing top of the pile.

It all makes for an intriguing backdrop as Celtic arrive for high noon showdown. Their manager Martin O’Neill, however, is not having any of it.

“I would imagine when the game starts, if you're a proper Hibs fan you'll want the team to win - and want to beat Celtic,” he said. “If I was a Hibs fan going to the game, I'd be wanting to win.”

Hibs defeated Celtic last month in Glasgow. It was a damaging result for O’Neill’s title aspirations. “I know the young manager at the Hibs, he'd be wanting to beat us again,” O’Neill said. “Absolutely, beat us before. But he'd be thinking, no reason not to.

“That won't cross over to their team selection, to the coaching staff, absolutely not, and to the players. In fact, I think they would be more invigorated by the news of that there, so if I could call upon some Hibs fans to refrain from that, that would help!

“Seriously, it wouldn't enter the players' heads.”

Celtic might have their own ‘issue’

The same situation could arise for Celtic on the final day of the season. Should they bow out of the three-horse race for the title, their match against Hearts at Parkhead could be inconsequential for them. It would lead to many home fans wanting Hearts to prevail so that Rangers are denied the title.

The same sentiment would not be felt in the home dugout, though. “Let's say we were out of it by the final game and Rangers are really in it, we'd still want to beat Hearts,” said O’Neill.

Ah, the drama of a title race. We’ve not had it this good for decades. For Celtic, the immediate concern is drawing level with Hearts by beating Hibs so that O’Neill can put pressure on his rivals.

Rangers head coach Danny Rohl claims not to watch the other teams when they are on the TV. O’Neill is the opposite. “Yeah, yeah,” he smiled. I” know that some managers say, oh well don't bother, they'll go for a walk or do something. No, I'm glued to it. Don't you worry, I'll be there. If you're asking who I'm cheering on, I have no idea. Don't even ask, I have no idea.”

Could he bring himself to cheer a Rangers goal? “I might not go that far!” he exclaimed.

This title race is doing crazy things to sane people. Don’t rule out O’Neill changing his tune before the season is out ...

Nevertheless, he takes heart from the position Celtic find themselves in. The club is more united after the efforts of the Northern Irishman and interim chairman Brian Wilson. Against Falkirk last weekend, the crowd stayed with them through difficult times.

“The only thing they can try and do is win the games,” he said of a group of players who have at times been criticised “Sometimes we've won unconvincingly, other times we've done fine. For instance, the cup semi-final against St Mirren, if we'd held on and just won 2-1, I felt it would have been another game when you go 'oh well, we got a few early goals but we were hanging on at the end'. But the extra time in the game and the manner that we scored the goals has given everybody a real boost. I genuinely think that. And I think that carried on to the Falkirk game.

"But each of the teams going for the title will have bad moments. Can you withstand the 10-15 minute period when you are going to be under pressure? I just think just part of it all. Are we using people saying we are not a good side/ It's not something we're doing.

"I don't know if the players read about themselves. I suppose most players are going to read about themselves. I used to do it myself - the reviews were always bad. So then I stopped reading them, and then I had a manager who didn't think I was any good. But I don't know what they do. It's not mentioned here. We want to win. Some of the players are playing with really good confidence.”

Their hopes might be swelled by more green-and-white support than usual this weekend. We do live in interesting times.