Martin O'Neill's future might very well be in his own hands. From what we have heard over the last few days, it feels like Celtic have no real appetite to make a change already. 

Of course, if O'Neill wants to walk away, that might be a whole different conversation. And in that case, they would need to look for a replacement.

The best-case scenario would be O'Neill finding a way to get results after the international break, having gone into it on the back of three straight defeats, two of them coming in Glasgow derbies against the Rangers.

If the results do not improve though and Celtic's season continues on this downward trajectory, a decision might be required, whether it comes from the club or the Northern Irish manager himself.

Celtic will know how difficult it can be to replace a manager in the middle of the season. Just look at how things turned out for Wilfried Nancy.

A highly regarded manager in the MLS, Nancy looked completely out of his depth in the Celtic dugout.

He did not seem to fully grasp the expectations that are placed on the shoulders of Celtic managers, and the need to constantly win games, whether in style or not.

So, Celtic will need a proven winner this time around. Kieran McKenna is someone who has shown he can do that, getting Ipswich Town promoted to the Premier League twice, while having taken charge when they were in League One. He left the club this year.

There have been suggestions that Celtic would need to pay a £8 million compensation fee to Ipswich Town, if they want to bring in McKenna inside the next 12 months. 

But according to Football Insider, Celtic will not be deterred by McKenna’s £8 million compensation clause.

At the same time, would McKenna want the Celtic job at all? Keith Wyness said about the matter:

“Well to me, McKenna would have been a no-brainer, but again I'm hearing that despite the fact he's left Ipswich, there is still a clause that if he takes employment for a year, there would be an £8m compensation payment.

“Now £8m for Celtic is a lot to pay for a manager. They may be forced into paying it, and they've got the money to do it. But it does seem as though that's something that is a bit of a hurdle for them.

“To be honest, I'd be surprised if he would take it because I think he's got a chance of getting a Premier League slot at some stage. So it may not be him, but certainly experience rather than bringing somebody from the MLS, which they tried before with significant failure.”

McKenna has been linked with some high-profile jobs in recent times, including the Manchester United one, where he was a coach not too long ago.

So, it remains to be seen where he ends up next. Also, when it comes to Celtic, it is not just about replacing O'Neill immediately.

No matter how this season turns out, there is a very good chance that O'Neill won't continue in the role beyond this campaign. So, in the long run, the club will need to find a replacement regardless.