Martin O’Neill raised eyebrows with his post match comments in regards to whether he could extend his stay as Celtic manager, and it’s safe to say it will split opinion among Celtic supporters…
The Irishman refused to rule out taking the job on a permanent basis saying he would be meeting Celtic ‘owner’ Dermot Desmond in the next week, and even stated that he owed the Celtic powerbroker for bringing him back for another spell in the Celtic Park hot seat. The Irish billionaire for the record is NOT the Celtic ‘owner’, his is the largest single shareholder but does NOT own a majority stake in the football club.
For me, I fully believe that Martin would be better standing down on a major high, and in doing so preserving his legacy as a winner, but if he is indeed offered the position, then like everyone else I would give him my full unequivocal backing.
Let’s look at the cons firstly.
Martin, at 74 is clearly no spring chicken, and despite being as sharp as a tack, and in very good health, the pressures of managing Celtic could very much take its toll on the Irishman, the last thing he needs at this stage of his life.
He’d also been out of the game for a while before his sensational return to Celtic Park, and some would suggest his approach to the game is ‘outdated’ as we seen in some of our games last term, and maybe we would be better served bringing in a more ‘fresh’ and ‘modern’ approach in the dugout.
Now for a quick look at the pros in offering Martin O’Neill the Celtic job for next season.
Martin’s excellent man management skills, and his proven track record of winning trophies at the club he knows inside would be invaluable. Also, he would have great sway with those in charge, and has spoken out numerous times about the need for change at the club on the recruitment side of things.
If he was able to persuade them to break the status quo, then it would make all the difference, especially if he was able to recruit the players he wanted.
He did win us a double with a very average side, so if Martin is allowed to mould his own squad, we will be all that stronger for the challenges ahead.
Martin would also improve us on the European stage, with his results under the Irishman last season proving just that. He certainly knows how to set up in tough away games, as victories at Feyenoord and Stuttgart, as well as a credible draw at Bologna more than proves.
By appointing Martin on a one-year deal the coaching team that has done the heavy-lifting in training and tactics and is well known to the players who will remain from this season, will already be in place. That includes Shaun Maloney and Mark Fotheringham who are both highly regarded by the Celtic squad.
Will Martin be offered the job on a permanent basis? I guess we will find out in the coming days or weeks ahead. What is crucial is that the decision on who is going to be the new Celtic manager is taken quickly and the new boss is in place to conduct the summer transfer business.
Just an Ordinary Bhoy
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2 Comments
Give Martin one more season. He still has it.
I don’t agree with the concept of managers being old fashioned. We tried something new this year (albeit an extreme example) and despite most fans excitement about the appointment, it was a complete disaster.
MON hasn’t just brought stability to the team, he’s proven thatt he (along with Saun and Fozzy)make cut throat footballing decisions about who plays, who doesn’t play, and what positions they play in. Sounds elementary, but that approach kept getting results. And with new additions required, it’s vital that the approach is bang on.
It’s true that somebody else could come in and get the same results from the same players, but MON is a known quantity, and in some capacity I hope he stays and retains that magic touch.