Martin O’Neill has told Michael Beale that it’s “too bad” he finds Chris Sutton irritating after insisting his former Celtic strike star and hard-hitting pundit won’t change his media style for anyone.
Record Sport columnist Sutton has become embroiled in a war of words with the Rangers boss in the build-up to Sunday’s Viaplay Cup final which O’Neill reckons Beale MUST win to land a blow on their bitter rivals who are currently nine points clear in the Scottish Premiership and chasing a domestic treble.
Beale described Sutton as the “worst ever player” for his boyhood heroes Chelsea and O’Neill, who rescued him from his flop spell at Stamford Bridge in a £6million Parkhead move, said on talkSPORT about the tit for tat: “Michael said something about Chris being a failure at Chelsea - which he was - but he was absolutely fantastic for me at Celtic. He changed his whole game and sometimes I don’t give him the credit he deserves because he was a major signing for is and his partnership with Henrik Larsson was absolutely amazing, not just in the Scottish scene but the European scene as well.
“It’s funny about Chris because as a player he said one thing you’ll never find him doing is being a pundit once his career was over but in actual fact Chris is everywhere just now and I checked up Radio Mars and I think I heard him on there. Chris is getting up a few people’s noses. I suppose for Beale he’ll find him irritating but too bad, it’s the way it is and Chris isn’t going to change for anyone.”
Asked whether Beale needs to land a blow by winning on Sunday, O’Neill said: “I think so. Since he’s gone up there the results have been fine. Rangers haven’t closed the gap but they’ve kept it there because both teams have been winning their football matches but this is big, really, really big for Rangers - they’re trying to win a trophy
“They’re trying to end Celtic’s control off Scottish football the minute. Ange Postecoglou has done fantastically well. How could you not miss this? The Old Firm games are simply are in another planet and Celtic Park on a European night is a different stratosphere.”
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