With a Scottish Cup semi-final looming, interim Celtic manager Martin O'Neill has delivered a sobering assessment of his team's capabilities, admitting they're "not good enough" to dream of lifting the trophy.
As Celtic prepare to face St Mirren at Hampden Park this Sunday, the 74-year-old veteran manager dismissed any romantic notions of a fairytale ending to his temporary tenure.
"I don't think we are good enough to dream that far," O'Neill stated bluntly when asked about potentially capping his interim spell with silverware. "It's a great competition with a lot of history and I'd like to be a part of that."
The comments come with particular resonance given O'Neill's history with the competition, having won the Scottish Cup three times during his previous, highly successful stint as Celtic manager.
Sunday's match represents a chance for redemption against the same St Mirren side that defeated Celtic in December's League Cup final. That defeat came during a chaotic period at Celtic Park that saw O'Neill briefly take charge after Brendan Rodgers' departure, oversee a dramatic extra-time semi-final victory over Rangers, then step aside for Wilfried Nancy before returning after Nancy's short-lived reign.
"It's gone now, they've lost a cup final," O'Neill said of that December disappointment. "So there's this chance now to try and do something about it. It would be lovely if we could do it, but St Mirren will take great confidence from the fact that they won the last time at Hampden, and did very well last week."
The semi-final arrives at a critical juncture in Celtic's season. The champions sit third in the Premiership table, three points behind leaders Hearts and two behind Rangers with five matches remaining after the league split.
O'Neill acknowledged the psychological importance of Sunday's result: "If we could win the game, it definitely would have a positive effect. No question about that. Quite the opposite I suppose really, it [defeat] could have a poor effect on us. But we're going all out to try and win the game."
Team selection presents challenges for the interim boss. With Liam Scales suspended, O'Neill must choose between Dane Murray or Benjamin Arthur to partner Auston Trusty in central defense. Anthony Ralston will continue at right-back, with both Colby Donovan unavailable and Alistair Johnston still working his way back from a long-term hamstring injury.
Despite the pragmatic tone, a league and cup double remains mathematically possible for Celtic in what has been a turbulent season. Last weekend's 1-0 league victory over St Mirren—their third such result against the Paisley side this season—offers some encouragement, but O'Neill's comments suggest he's focused on immediate challenges rather than distant dreams.