There are some Celtic fans for whom the concept of satisfaction is as distant as the rings of Saturn. The years of servitude to Rangers have created such epic neuroses that talking to a couple last week - the week in which they were about to win the league title - the main things on their mind were:

(a) That St Mirren might win at Parkhead and that the result would cause Celtic to implode and hand the championship to Rangers.

(b) That Celtic would beat St Mirren, but would not do so in the swish style Celtic fans like to think is their natural right.

And (c) That Martin O'Neill, great fella that he is, might not actually be the saviour some say he is.

It makes you think.

It makes you think that these people have not a clue.

Celtic did beat St Mirren - a team with one point from a possible 48 away from home this season - of course they did. So (a) was rubbish.

But it was via a grubby goal from Tommy Johnson in a putrid game. So (b) might have a chance. Though hardly that of Red Marauder.

And (c)? Well, (c) is nonsense. That O'Neill is not the right man for Celtic is like saying that George Graham was not the right man for Arsenal or that Bill Shankly was not the right man for Liverpool.

O'Neill is clearly the right man for Celtic at the right time for Celtic.

In the space of nine months he has overhauled the club in terms of the way they play - Celtic now win matches and those who query the style would perhaps be better served by recalling that it is a winning style - and he has overhauled the way the neutral looks at the club.

Living in England, the attitude towards Scottish football has always been patronising. That is changing, at least in the aspect of Celtic.

That is because people in England are familiar with O'Neill, they know and respect his talent. But they also know his style, at least the style of his Leicester City.

It may be harsh to call it ugly, but it will not be remembered as pretty. Yet it was a winning style, and its aesthetic quality was a product of circumstance.

Leicester were small, poor and provincial. To punch above their weight, which they had to do to survive and prosper, they had to punch above their weight.

Matt Elliott and Gerry Taggart may not be Zinedine Zidane and Luis Figo, but they were effective. Leicester won trophies. Before O'Neill arrived the previous one was the 1964 League Cup.

Now Celtic have won trophies. Two under O'Neill and a third a serious possibility. The style has been effective rather than stylish.

That again, though, has been because of circumstance. When encountering a club wobbling like a Sauchiehall Street drunk, the first requirement is to get it to stand up straight.

Then you sober it up, then you talk about the direction of future travel. O'Neill has done the first two, and done them well.

In the league they have won 28, drawn four and lost once. They are unbeaten since he bought Neil Lennon.

That people will say they should be, being giants, ignores the rather salient fact that this is what Celtic have not been doing. Davie Provan called Celtic "a shambles of a club" prior to O'Neill.

Now the big Celtic issue is future direction. For club strategists such as Dermot Desmond, this involves Celtic getting out of Scotland and cashing in on their undoubted global support. For O'Neill it involves getting cash out of Celtic.

Amid the embarrassing "McCelebrations" on Saturday, Henrik Larsson made the point: "Now we have to attract the best players we can get. We have to build on this, this time." The last two words were verbally underlined.

O'Neill's presence not only ensures that this time the foundations will be built upon, it also makes the task of luring good players of the necessary age to Glasgow easier. Easier, but not easy.

And again we are back to money. Next season a club such as Leicester City can expect around £15£20 million sterling from television. For Manchester United it could be twice that.

So far, Leeds United's European success has netted them £24.6 million. Celtic, meanwhile, have received £2£3 million from television.

That's about 18 months' wages for a stylish player. It's not difficult to see where the power lies. Talk of a new share issue at Celtic aimed at generating £40 million makes sound economic sense.

O'Neill quoted Pat Jennings on Saturday, something about relishing triumphs as they happen. But O'Neill's greatest achievement at Celtic is that he has given the fans the chance to relish the future.