Peter Grant believes that Martin O’Neill will not allow any players to leave Celtic this summer, before adequate replacements are brought in…
The Irishman recently returned to the club he has now managed on three separate occasions, making this his fourth spell in the Parkhead dugout.
Grant, a club legend and part-time Celtic TV commentator and pundit for the Go Radio Football Show, reckons O’Neill won’t be letting anyone walk out the door unless they are adequately prepared for such a scenario on the playing staff beforehand.
Sell before you buy isn’t cautious, it’s reckless
Celtic have had a terrible habit for some time now, of letting players leave without having sought out and signed their successors, leaving us in considerable trouble at various points. Who was that Japanese fella who used to bag a few goals for us? It’s been that long….
The two year wait to replace Kyogo Furuhashi
That ugly truth reared its head once again under Brendan Rodgers, when his top attacking talents were all pawned, with the club acting like a desperate gambler seeking quick cash for the family silver. Kyogo Furuhashi (that’s his name!) was sold two January’s ago, whilst Nicolas Kühn departed for Como in a £16 million deal early in the summer window and Adam Idah was flogged to Swansea City too, leaving the manager hamstrung and the PLC bank account overflowing.
Last summer’s fiasco proved too much for Brendan Rodgers
That fiasco proved too much for O’Neill’s fellow countryman, and it precipitated his untimely departure and the principal shareholder’s ridiculous public tantrum at his ex-manager.
The club’s internal politics and behaviours marred the campaign once again, and the supporters felt they had no option but to try and mobilise against the scandal they had been unfortunate enough to witness.
Guarantees
Speaking on the Go Radio Football Show, Grant said: “I don’t think Martin would have taken it unless they were guarantees.
“Martin is a wise old fox. He knows he won’t get everything he is looking for, but I’m sure he will get 90 per cent of the things he is looking for.
“I don’t think Martin would have stood in that dugout one more time if he didn’t feel that, because he knows that the team is well short of the levels he is expecting from Celtic, and he knows there is going to be a lot of changes.”
The 60-year-old former Hoops midfielder, is certain the wise old fox won’t be duped like his predecessor was on many occasions too, citing: “You are talking about guys going? I don’t think Martin will allow what Brendan allowed last year. I don’t think Martin would allow the sales, before other guys coming in. I don’t think that will happen.”
Hope you are correct on this one Peter…
Watch below:
Paul Gillespie
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2 Comments
I’m sure Martin O’Neill won’t be surprised when he finds out the board don’t give a damn what he wants or what “should” happen.
The managed decline will continue next season. I fully expect the squad to be full of loans and European second division level players. I am afraid we ain’t seen nothing yet!
How does anyone know what MoN is thinking at this stage?
First time I’ve ever heard of anyone taking on a managerial role, without even knowing what his coaching set up is going to be?
Admittedly, I also thought it was going to be straightforward, in keeping what was in place last season, for next season?
With Strachan already moving on, that was never the case whatsoever, by the looks of things?
Even maloney was credited with the involvement in the January window, which wasn’t the most successful, despite it being a tricky window, especially in a world cup season?
So could understand if maloney didn’t fancy being in the thick of a rebuilding process with ourselves, especially as far easier money and career opportunity could be earned elsewhere imo?
Fozzy has no commitment to our club, so Fozzy is going to do, what suits Fozzy the best within the footballing world, just the same as everyone else within it?
So yes, we would all like to know, why MoN was even prepared to take our job, with such a potential situation in place beforehand?
Didn’t seem too be the case with Keane, if the rumours involving him were actually true, especially surrounding his backroom team?
As for MoN being able to force players to stay, that might not even be possible, depending upon there contract situation?
At a total guess, who’s to say Engels and Hatate were hoping to move in January, with hoping to make a late bid, for a world cup squad place for themselves?
No chance of it happening while with ourselves at the time?
Yet the results in the potential decision taken, were completely different taken by the player? Did Rodgers have a similar situation a year ago?
The growing reality seems to be, that trying to attract the quality of player we are hoping for, is becoming a far harder sell, especially the SPFL as a league?
Therefore, it’s looking like the player involved, will be looking for an easier out for himself, within a contract situation, than allowing himself to be trapped into a contract, where he is only using our club in order to further there own careers?
They may well do financially, but most don’t gain much success elsewhere, especially within winning trophies?
Hence the higher turn around in players upon a season on season basis, which is starting to get shorter than the 2 year turnaround nowadays?
Without that stability within our squad, will continue with a hit and miss approach taken within European football as a result imo?
No different than the approach taken within the whole of the SPFL, resulting in the coefficient dropping like a brick within European football for the SPFL?
Personally don’t believe that a simple solution is readily available for ourselves, especially as we are nowhere near a CL team at present imo?
Our track record of developing players is fairly appalling, which isn’t helped by no development programme in operation for ourselves, within Scottish football whatsoever?
Keeping hold of players is becoming a harder challenge for ourselves, which will continue, all the while Scottish football dominance remains intact?
Even moreso, when players who can shine within it, can tend to go unnoticed when they leave ourselves?
So yes, I don’t understand why MoN is prepared to put himself in such a position with ourselves at present, especially with the amount of decision making involved within the current situation within our club at present?
This after coming back to ourselves, after being away from the game for 20 years?
Dealing with todays players, would hardly be the same as the approach involved 20 years ago either, with players tending to get signed on a more data analysis above anything else these days imo?
Still maybe the more old school approach from MoN might mean something with a bigger commitment and desire in joining ourselves, than looking at players, using ourselves in order to further there careers in a financial sense moreso, than a successful trophy winning career?