Yesterday I wrote an article on Celtic Shorts regarding a debate amongst fans on whether Martin O’Neill could be a potential candidate as Sporting Director at Celtic if he isn’t offered the manager job on a permanent basis…
Personally I don’t think O’Neill would be the best possible candidate for the role, and as I stated in the article, getting the best person for the job is ultimately what we all want.
So where do I think Martin O’Neill would be best utilised in the future?
Personally I would like to see him get a position on the board. One of the main problems regarding our board is the fact that there is no one on it who has any football knowledge or connection with the fans. I think Martin would be one of the only people in the world who is highly trusted by both the fans and the board.
Martin doesn’t hide the fact he has a close relationship with Dermot Desmond. He has often praised him in the past and thanked him for bringing him back to the club this season.
He also understands the fans. He realises how important the fans are. He has often mentioned this season how when there is unity at the club it is unstoppable. The problem is, depending on how this summer works out, we could be back to square one with the fans and the board at each others throats.
Who better to bridge the divide then than Martin O’Neill?
It’s a win win situation for both sides. From the point of view of the board they will have a man who knows football inside out, someone they can consult with in regards to actual footballing matters, something the ‘suits’ at our club know very little about.
They will also have someone who has a connection with the fans and can explain some of the decisions made at the very top of the club.
Fans hate the fact this board fail to communicate
Fans hate the fact this board fail to communicate their reasonings on why certain decisions are made, and in the little instances that they actually do, they usually end up making a pigs ear of it and get the fans backs up even more.
From the point of view of the fans we will have someone on the board we can fully trust, someone we know has the best interests of the club at heart. We will have someone who will ask the questions we don’t get the chance to. It will make the board seem more open and transparent, something we have all been crying out for.
Martin O’Neill is far from a people pleaser. He tells it how it is and isn’t scared of upsetting the fans when he feels they have stepped out of line.
He has at times criticised the fans when he has felt their actions were wrong. One recent instance is when he was scathing towards the tennis ball protest at the start of the Stuttgart match back in February, going as far as saying “anybody who thinks that’s a good idea needs their heads examined”.
Martin O’Neill defended the Celtic support brilliantly after Hearts and MSM nonsense claims
On the other hand Martin O’Neill will back the fans to the hilt when he feels it necessary, such as after the pitch invasion on the final day of the season. He has vehemently defended the fans and also pointed out the hypocrisy of some of the people pointing fingers at our club.
These examples show that Martin wouldn’t be in anyone’s pocket. He will obviously want what’s best for the fans but at the same time won’t be afraid to challenge them if he thought what they were asking for was unreasonable.
The relationship between the board and the fans has gradually disintegrated over the past few years.
Currently the mood amongst fans regarding the board is at its lowest point since the 90’s, and I was genuinely worried how this would affect the club moving forward.
We all want change but the current board aren’t just going to up sticks and leave so this Martin O’Neill idea could be about the best result we could hope for in the short term.
Bridging the divide between the fans and this board may be an almost impossible task, but if there’s one man capable of making it happen, it’s surely Martin O’Neill.
Conall McGinty
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