When Martin O'Neill replaced Brendan Rodgers in October, the Celtic ship was listing.
When he returned for a second interim spell after Wilfried Nancy's tumultuous and brief reign, the ship was taking on water at an alarming rate.
Celtic have needed a safe pair of hands and a figurehead to unite a fanbase in revolt twice this season. On both occasions they have turned to O'Neill to save them.
He has lost just once in 14 matches across all competitions, a 3-1 reverse against an impressive Midtjylland outfit.
O'Neill has facilitated Celtic clawing their way back into the Scottish Premiership title race and Thursday's win over Utrecht keeps their European campaign going, with a knockout play-off tie against either Stuttgart or Ferencvaros to come after Friday's draw (12:00 GMT).
