Martin O’Neill has come under fire for his ‘patronising’ and ‘condescending’ response to a female TV reporter after he refused to explain his team selection following Celtic‘s 3-1 loss in the Europa League on Thursday.
The Scottish giants were soundly beaten by Hungarian outfit Ferencvaros in a dismal start to their Europa League campaign, with O’Neill making four changes to the side that lost 3-0 to Old Firm rivals Rangers on Sunday.
Goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo was recalled to the starting XI in place of Sam Johnstone, while Oliver Sorensen, Haissem Hassan and James Forrest were also brought in by O’Neill.
When questioned about his team selection by TNT Sports reporter Connie McLaughlin after the game, O’Neill shut down the journalist in a manner described as ‘patronising’ and ‘condescending’ by fans on social media.
‘No, I won’t talk to you about the thinking behind that there. Sinisalo was always going to play that game as well too,’ he told McLaughlin.
‘Believe it or not Connie, my job is not to explain every single situation to you, much as you are going to ask and I’m delighted you are.’
Martin O’Neill has come under fire for his ‘condescending’ interview with a female TV reporter
Fans were angry with O’Neill’s ‘patronising’ manner towards reporter Connie McLaughlin
Celtic were beaten 3-1 by Hungarian outfit Ferencvaros in the Europa League on Thursday
When McLaughlin then suggested that supporters would be asking the same question, O’Neill responded: ‘I’ll tell the fans through Celtic TV.’
O’Neill has since faced widespread criticism on social media, with many supporters accusing him of being ‘misogynistic’ as well as supercilious.
Much of the backlash appears to have stemmed from viewers mishearing him call McLaughlin ‘honey’ when he actually said ‘Connie’, and the reporter has since taken to Instagram herself in an attempt to set the record straight.
‘Glad I came back from Portugal,’ she joked sarcastically on her Instagram story after conducting the spiky interview, before clarifying: ‘Connie not honey’.
Droves of fans still hit out at O’Neill’s patronising manner on social media.
‘Very condescending – this type of attitude is what we need to get out the game,’ one fan posted to X.
A second added: ‘Horrible little condescending man.’
‘Embarrassing himself and his club here,’ wrote a third.
Another supporter furiously said: ‘What a horrible and odious man he’s shown himself to be. Not the first time he’s spoken to a female reporter like that either.’
True to his word, O’Neill later addressed his team selection on Celtic TV.
‘I think, in terms of balancing things, there are one or two players who deserve an opportunity,’ he said.
McLaughlin took to Instagram to clarify that O’Neill referred to her as ‘Connie’ and not ‘honey’
Fans hit out at O’Neill on social media, describing his attitude as ‘condescending’ and ‘odious’
‘For instance, James starts tonight. He has been an impact player for us and has been really terrific in that time. We have to give him a chance now to start a game.
‘Will he last out the match? We do not know. He is 35 years of age, or whatever the case may be, but he has been a great player.
‘There are a couple of things we have done tonight. Some players deserve to start in the side, James being one of them. Let us go and see how it goes.’
