Having stepped back into action to interview the prospective candidates for the manager’s job at Celtic, which was vacated in late October by Brendan Rodgers and then again in early January by Wilfried Nancy, the club’s principal shareholder Dermot Desmond last week settled on his choice for the next Celtic boss…
There was only one man for the job and that was Martin O’Neill
And while the Robbie Keane interest was genuine – to the annoyance of many within the Celtic support – in truth there was only one man for the job and that was Martin O’Neill. After stepping in not once but twice to carrying out complicated but highly successful rescue missions, the Celtic job was always going to be his IF he wanted it.
The European ambition question was asked and answered
And before deciding that he did Martin O’Neill wanted to know what backing he will receive to take the club forward domestically and more crucially in European football. That was something that the Desmond family seemed to have given up on judging by their remarks at the Celtic PLC AGM at the end of last year.
Those remarks, read out by Dermot Desmond’s son Ross on his dad’s behalf were badly received by the Celtic Support and only made the divisions within the club worse.
Yet Martin O’Neill realised the significance of making progress in European football over the two spells in charge last season and will have wanted reassurances that he will get the necessary backing in the summer transfer window to give him a chance on all fronts – domestically and in European football – this coming season.
Necessary re-assurances from Dermot Desmond appear to have been given
We can only surmise that Martin did indeed get the necessary re-assurances from Dermot Desmond to convince him to put pen to paper on a one year contract with another year option included.
Yet that was put in doubt both by the six day delay in the club announcing that the deal had been done between Celtic and Martin O’Neill and also the news that the club’s CEO Michael Nicholson and CFO Chris McKay had presented lowball offers to O’Neill’s two coaches Shaun Maloney and Mark Fotheringham.
Those two, who did so much to ensure Celtic needed up wth the two main trophies, the Scottish Premiership and Scottish Cup, were reportedly asked to take a 50% pay-cut with the offer being presented as a take it or leave it basis.
That’s gratitude Celtic style right there.
So with all that in mind here’s what Dermot Desmond has had to say about the appointment of Martin O’Neill as the new Celtic manager.
“Time and time again Martin has shown his qualities and what he can bring to Celtic,” the Irish billionaire said via the official Celtic FC website.
“We know he is a winner, we know what the club means to him and he continues to be the outstanding candidate to give us the best opportunity to realise our objectives.”
Desmond added: “He knows the demands at Celtic and I know how determined he is again to bring success to the club and to our supporters.
“The club will support Martin fully again across the close season to make sure we are well prepared to achieve domestic success and compete on the European stage.”
That last sentence is crucial and it seems to be what Martin had asked for – full support to help Celtic achieve domestic success and to be able to compete on the European stage.
Actions talk louder than words
Yet actions talk louder than words and the feel good factor that should be sweeping through the Celtic Support is instead one of concern for the way Maloney and Fotheringham are being treated and what that means for the club going forward.
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3 Comments
Was expected for extra scrutiny, to be placed upon our European campaign, especially after keeping our scottish football dominance intact eventually last season?
But what actually would be regarded as a successful European campaign next season?
Failure to even qualify for the CL again?
This despite looking nowhere near a CL team last season. With the prospect of losing a few players, who are comfortable enough at CL, and expecting CL quality to be incoming, and having a CL quality team in operation, in just a couple of months?
Huge ask i would say, but that doesn’t mean CL qualification can’t be achieved either?
So even if we should make CL, we are possibly looking at a 12 point return, just to try and reach the knockout stages?
Another huge ask, especially when just scraping into the knockout phase, of the europa league, at a far lower level in quality we would be facing?
So an average europa league team last season, is hoping to become a decent CL team next season? So is there going to be enough improvement, within the players we had last season, or are our new incoming players expected to improve matters? Admittedly hoping to have AJ and CCV more readily available, should help matters, next season in a European campaign hopefully?
Even this 12 point target, within the revamped European competitions, is hardly a given at CL level, especially as our home record isn’t to impressive in recent times, and despite getting a couple of away victories eventually last season, the least said about our away European form in general the better?
As a possible 3/4 pot team, then, we are potentially hoping to gain maximum points, against the teams from the similar pot groups. That would be the four victories required, with 2 away victories involved?
Only problem is that the other 17 teams involved in them pots, will be thinking the exact same, if there looking to make inroads at CL level?
Admittedly, it should be regarded as a far more realistic target at europa league level, and would be far more disappointed if it wasn’t achieved, compared to CL level imo?
Of course the attraction of the money generated at CL is appealing, but not that interested in that, if we are going to be nothing more than cannon fodder next season at CL level imo?
Personally wouldn’t be overly disappointed if we never reached the CL next season?
As a huge ask, to expect an average europa league standard team, which we were last season, to become a decent level CL team, within such a time frame, with the amount of changes expected within our squad, for a European campaign imo?
Never been a huge fan of the CL competition as a whole, when it’s nothing more than a playground for the top leagues within European football imo? So getting to the last 16 of the competition, would possibly be the best we could hope for, and even at that, it would require winning a knockout match eventually, and a bit of luck upon the draw along the way?
Even at europa league level, there is a requirement that we can eventually win a knockout tie eventually?
But certainly more chance of that getting achieved at that level?
Of course this situation is going to be used as a weapon, against the board as expected?
But do think a bit more reality has to be applied to our aims and hopes within our support also imo?
Until we get back to having at least 16 players within our squad, capable of being classed as CL quality players within our squad, which we are somewhat short of at present? Then aiming to reach the CL knockout stages look some distance away at present, regardless of the amount of new incoming players, within our price bracket within the transfer market, with no real development on show within our club either imo?
Gaining better stability within a new stronger core group within our squad, has to be our more realistic aim, boosted by some decent winning results, and better consistency within our performance levels, would be more acceptable next season, than just trying to aim for unrealistic targets all the same imo?
Rather than reduce the salaries of the back room staff – Who buy the way earned their crust – maybe Mr Nicholsons salary should be used ti make up the shortfall, after all what did he do to help bring two trophies back to the club?
Man alive Johno. You’re comment is as long as the post! Ever thought of being a blogger?