Martin O’Neill spoke to Track Radio for around ten minutes yesterday afternoon after Celtic confirmed that the double winning manager would be remaining at the club for another season with a option for both parties to extend for a further year…
Martin’s Save Our Season Mission
Martin discussed the transfer window, talked about the intensity of the past few months in Scotland, talked about picking things up after Wilfried Nancy’s sacking in early January and gave his own memories of playing for Northern Ireland in the 1982 World Cup in Spain, pointing out that he had a goal ruled out against France despite being well onside and noted that if only VAR had been around in this days. Perhaps that remark was meant for Tynecastle ears.
Martin also said that he’s NOT had a holiday yet so that is likely to happen sooner rather than later as he is well aware, judging from this interview, that the Champions League qualifiers will be upon us before we know it and Celtic has to be ready.
The Beatles, The Stones and the Kinks
Here’s Martin explaining his contract situation before going on to talk about The Beatles, The Stones and the Kinks.
Speaking to Track Radio, O’Neill was asked if he was up to the challenge. He said: “Only time will tell, but I must admit I’m in a better headspace, if there is such a thing in this life as being in a better headspace.
“It’s another year of your life. Options, in general, don’t really mean a great deal. It means that all parties have to agree to it.
“For instance, if things went really well and I was asking for another year, which is very, very unlikely, I must admit, if I took this length of time to think about this year, you can imagine what another year of your life will do.
“That’s up to the football club”
“But if, for instance, I thought everything was going fine and wanted another year, then that’s up to the football club to make that decision. If they disagree, then it doesn’t really matter.
“And vice versa; if things were going well and the club wanted you to stay on but you didn’t feel up to it, then it doesn’t really mean a great deal in those terms.
“I just think I can only deal with the immediacy of things as much as anything else, and what’s just around the corner.”
Nothing said about backroom staff
There’s nothing at all about his backroom staff in this interview as we await news on whether Shaun Maloney and Mark Fotheringham will be offered acceptable deals after the lowballing efforts of Chris McKay and Michael Nicholson earlier this week.
Listen below to Martin’s first media interview since being confirmed as the permanent Celtic manager for the second time. The first time was back in early June 2000. Anyone remember how he got on back then?
No sooner than he been announced as Celtic’s new permanent manager, Martin O’Neill sat down with @wearetrackradio to discuss the news and give us his thoughts on the World Cup! #Celtic #Football #Sport #WorldCup pic.twitter.com/wrlhEoeVKm
— Track Radio (@wearetrackradio) June 11, 2026
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1 Comment
Personally wouldn’t be reading to much into the backroom staff, as the situation would have been part of the initial discussions when offering the job to MoN imo?
As that working relationship last season, had it’s benefits, I would be very surprised if MoN was even open to changing the likes for himself, but not impossible either, especially with Scott Brown lurking imo?
Still remain surprised that MoN was even prepared to take the managerial role on,with the amount of huge decisions that will await within a squad rebuilding process?
But he has, and not for the first time within his managerial career, he has had to face a squad rebuilding process either?
Things might have changed during the 20 years since his last involvement, with a more data driven system in operation these days in general? But still think that MoN with his old school approach in wanting players who really want to play for ourselves, will also be valuable to himself, within his decision making process imo?
You would imagine that maloney will again be trusted by MoN in that regards, in helping upon the decision making for MoN, but hopefully it returns better results than what January produced all the same imo?
MoN may well still be playing catch up, upon the current day methods of the footballing world, but still a place for his older school judgement within the process involved also imo?
It remains unclear still upon what type of players, he will be looking for, to suit whatever team set up, he intends upon taking, especially within a squad rebuilding process at present?
But as a total guess, still think that we could be looking at
3 keepers
8 defenders
6 midfielders
8 attacking options
Within the forming of a 25man European squad, with the slack being bought up by a few more of our youngsters such as Donovan imo?
Even now, there’s a fair number of blank positions that will have to be filled, especially as MoN should have a fairly good indication already, about where the blanks are going to get filled within the squad building process?
Of course that doesn’t cover the unexpected or unwanted bids that could be forthcoming coming, during a summer period, especially with a world cup in operation? But would be surprised if MoN would entertain matters even more so, that he already is facing within the decision making process currently imo?