Celtic are already weighing up who will become their next permanent manager after Martin O’Neill concludes his second spell as interim, and they’ll be very eager to avoid another Wilfried Nancy-style disaster.
The Hoops are locked in a gripping title race from now until May, but at the moment they are the side doing the chasing.
Hearts sit five points clear at the summit of the Scottish Premiership, closing in on their first championship in 66 years and what would be the first non-Old Firm title since Alex Ferguson’s Aberdeen back in 1985.
For Celtic, that is a situation that requires a strong finish to the season.
Drop more points, and the Jambos could be celebrating at Tynecastle.
It has been a turbulent campaign at Parkhead. Wilfried Nancy was quickly shown the exit after he was selected as the man to permanently replace Brendan Rodgers, with club legend O’Neill stepping in as interim boss once again to steady the ship.
And to his huge credit, O’Neill has done exactly that.
This past weekend he guided Celtic to a Scottish Cup triumph over Rangers at Ibrox on penalties — the second time this season he has eliminated them from cup competition.
It took 120 minutes and a shootout to decide it, with Tavernier and Gassama both missing from the spot to send Celtic through to a Hampden semi-final against St Mirren.
O’Neill will remain in charge until the final whistle of the season, but Celtic’s board are already giving serious thought to what comes next.
Whoever takes the role permanently this summer will inherit a club with genuine appeal — a Scottish Cup final potentially on the horizon, a fanbase that travels in massive numbers, and the attraction of possible Champions League football if they can close that five-point gap and edge Hearts to the title.
That is still a compelling package, and it should attract high-profile names.
Several have already been mentioned, with Motherwell boss Jens Berthel Askou believed to be among the Celtic managerial candidates.
Other names have drifted in and out of the discussion. The job carries enormous prestige, and a manager who delivers silverware here can shape their career.
Celtic could rival Man United for Portugal boss Roberto Martinez
Which brings us to the name that raised eyebrows this week.
Speaking to talkSPORT Bet Casino, Rangers legend Ally McCoist revealed who he has been hearing linked with the Parkhead hotseat — and Portugal boss Roberto Martinez could be a real name to keep an eye on.
“I can see it being Roberto Martinez,” McCoist said.
“There’s an obvious connection there with Roberto — his wife is from the west of Scotland. I know that doesn’t say a lot, other than they’ve been up there before and know the area.
“But no, the one I heard was Martinez.”
It is an intriguing suggestion.
The 52-year-old Spaniard is currently managing Portugal but has been widely tipped to move on from that role.
He previously managed Belgium for six years and guided them to a World Cup third-place finish in 2018. Club football has been absent from his CV since leaving Everton in 2016 — and Celtic could be the perfect route back.
Martinez won an FA Cup with Wigan Athletic in 2013 after a shock 1-0 victory over Man City at Wembley, with the tactician also guiding Portugal to a 24/25 UEFA Nations League title.
Shaun Maloney’s continued presence behind the scenes at Celtic only adds to the intrigue.
What makes things even more interesting is that, according to reliable journalist Ben Jacobs, Martinez is also on the managerial shortlist at Man United.
For now though, the priority is simple — hunt down Hearts and ensure there is still a title to fight for in the closing weeks of the season.