If Martin O’Neill ever decides to add a new chapter to his memoirs, the whirlwind of events over the past few months would certainly make for captivating reading. As the adage goes, reality can sometimes be more unbelievable than fiction.

Last October, O’Neill responded to an urgent call from Dermot Desmond to temporarily lead Celtic after Brendan Rodgers’ departure.

During his brief tenure, O’Neill steered the team to victory in seven out of eight matches, before passing the leadership to Wilfried Nancy, leaving Celtic neck-and-neck with Hearts on December 3.

Once again answering an urgent call from Desmond this week, O’Neill returns, resuming his role as the seasoned strategist determined to secure the ultimate prize—the league title.

At 73, O’Neill found himself in Kilsyth on Monday night, engaging with Celtic fans at a pre-arranged Q&A session. Just hours after being reappointed as manager for the remainder of the season, he received a hero’s welcome.

O’Neill spoke to the press on Tuesday after making a quickfire return as caretaker boss

The 73-year-old will be back in the dugout when Celtic host Dundee United on Saturday

Celtic’s decision here is akin to a strategic reboot. Under Nancy, the team’s season was spiraling downward.

Desmond does not take kindly to being told what to do or being pressured into a decision. He is the king of the double-down.

The last thing he or the Celtic board would have wanted to do would be to give into the mob mentality after fans protested outside the stadium after the 3-1 defeat to Rangers.

However, there comes a point when enough is enough. When a club have to show enough self-awareness to acknowledge when a serious mistake has been made, and, crucially, rectify it quickly.

Celtic have done that. Even after absorbing blow after blow under Nancy and laying flat on the canvas, the return of O’Neill gives them a strong whiff of the smelling salts.

With the pulse fading steadily during the Frenchman’s run of six defeats in eight matches, this is the defibrillator intended to zap Celtic’s season back to life.

But this is different than when O’Neill returned first time around. Back then, it was only a short-term arrangement to steady the ship and keep the seat warm for the next manager.

Like an old general returning to the frontline for one last battle, he arrives at Celtic with one clear objective – to win the league.

Wilfried Nancy was the wrong man at the wrong time for Celtic after arriving from MLS

The Frenchman was sacked on Monday after a disastrous tenure in charge of the team

This is no nostalgic lap of honour. This is a man who knows the club inside out, has clearly got the taste for management once again, and will have total belief and conviction that he can deliver the title.

In the pantheon of Celtic’s all-time greatest managers, only Jock Stein stands above O’Neill. This a chance to further cement that legacy.

In many respects, it’s actually a free hit for him. Even if things don’t go well over these next few months and Celtic don’t win the league, nobody in their right mind will blame O’Neill.

That responsibility would lie squarely with the board for the manner in which they have allowed the squad to regress, the breakdown in relations with Rodgers to unfold, and the botched appointment of Nancy.

All of Celtic’s problems in this omnishambles of a season have been entirely self-inflicted by those in charge of running the club.

If O’Neill was to turn this around and win the title, he could march straight into the boardroom and tell them where he wants his statue to be built outside Celtic Park.

His return immediately makes Celtic favourites to win the league. For all the chaos around the club, and for all the squad needs strengthening, the fact O’Neill is now in charge changes everything.

Had Nancy been allowed to stumble on even for another two or three weeks until the end of January, the damage would have been irreparable.

O’Neill could yet lead Celtic to the title if Celtic give him the players he needs in January

That’s why Celtic were compelled to act. They had to save their season before it was too late – and bringing back O’Neill was pretty much the only thing that could do that.

He stops the bleeding. He restores confidence in the players. He galvanises the supporters and re-energises the whole club.

All of this was evident during his previous eight games in charge. It was evident at the event in Kilsyth on Monday night, and it was evident when he addressed the media at Lennoxtown yesterday.

O’Neill spoke on Tuesday afternoon about how Celtic will be going ‘all out’ to sign new players over the remainder of the January window.

He spoke about how the club will ‘definitely need to supplement the squad’. The recruitment structure is a mess, as was evident when Paul Tisdale, the head of football operations, was sacked along with Nancy.

But O’Neill is surely savvy enough to have one or two of his own players lined up. His contacts in the game are extensive and Celtic would be wise to allow him to use them.

He also explained that he will lean on Shaun Maloney and his other assistants in terms of recruitment and their opinion on players. Ultimately, though, it is O’Neill who will have the final say.

The Northern Irishman was asked to return to Parkhead by Dermot Desmond

He will simplify things and revert to a back four. Celtic need another centre-back and a proper centre-forward. Another wide player, preferably left-footed, would also fit the bill.

If they can sign players of good enough quality and arm O’Neill for an assault on the title, only a fool would bet against the old warhorse having one glorious last hurrah.

Hearts won’t buckle. Given that they have already beaten Celtic and Rangers home and away this season, nobody can dispute their credentials as genuine contenders.

They have already started making moves in January and, with Jamestown Analytics informing their recruitment, they should emerge even stronger.

Rangers are also now a different proposition under Danny Rohl. The impressive young German has dragged the club back into the title race despite having one of the poorest Ibrox squads in living memory at his disposal.

Whatever team can strengthen the most over these next few weeks will have a huge bearing on the outcome of the title race.

Sitting pretty at the top of the table, Hearts are still the team to catch. However, with the healing hands of O’Neill now at the helm, it’s Celtic who could be the team to beat.