It is safe to say that things are not going smoothly for Celtic at the moment. The mood was lifted a bit following the 2-0 win over Motherwell at the weekend, which ended a three-game losing streak for Martin O'Neill's side.

This might prove to be brief though. Celtic have a tough game coming up. They will travel to Portugal to take on Benfica this week in the Europa League.

Celtic lost their Europa League opener at the hands of Ferencvaros at Parkhead, part of that three-game losing streak. On paper, that was the type of game that they were expected to win.

Of course, that increases the pressure on them to deliver in the upcoming matches. And things look far from ideal at Celtic Park right now, whether it be with the coaching staff, the players or the board.

According to the Daily Record, Chris Sutton said on Sky Sports: "I think he [O'Neill] was wrong to come out and say that he had doubts. I think that was a big mistake from Martin, but that's how he felt at that time.

"I've never heard him talk like that before in his whole managerial career, but I just think if I was Martin I'd just want an easy life. What has he got going for him at Celtic at this moment in time?

"He didn't get the players he wanted, in terms of trying to compete at the highest level in Europe, so he was let down there.

"Then, he was undermined by one of his players. Cameron Carter-Vickers, a lot of admiration for him as a player, but he shouldn't be coming out publicly and undermining the tactics.

"If he did that in the sanctuary of his own dressing room, I do not have a problem with that, but it just shows where the club is at the moment - it's like the wild west. There are shots fired in every direction.

"You have then got the situation with the Green Brigade saying they are not going to rock up at European games - that will affect the atmosphere."

So, Sutton has basically raised questions over whether there is any real incentive for O'Neill to continue on as Celtic manager under the current circumstances.

To be fair, it makes sense. O'Neill is 74 years of age and is believed to have dealt with some health issues in recent months.

On top of that, he was not really backed in the summer transfer window. Instead of attacking the situation, the club were once again passive and ended up costing themselves Champions League qualification.

Obviously, that becomes a cycle. As a result of missing out on Champions League football, the revenue drops and that in turn means that quality players cannot be signed.

Then there is the dressing room situation. Do the players still feel that O'Neill is the right man to lead the team forward? Carter-Vickers' comments about the team needing a script following the Glasgow Derby defeat have raised doubts about that.

At the end of the day, it is not just about managing a club at this point in his career for O'Neill. He has a legacy to protect as well.

If Celtic continue to struggle, it will have a negative impact on his legacy. Just look at how things turned out for Neil Lennon as a result of that failed 20/21 campaign.

So, if the results do not improve soon, O'Neill might just decide that he has had enough and choose to walk away. And if that happens, nobody can blame him. He has not been dealt the best hand.

At the same time, it will be very difficult to replace him in the middle of the season, as Celtic found out last year.

So, the best-case scenario would be for them to rediscover their form and start winning games on a consistent basis.