Celtic eventually got round to confirming the week-old news that Martin O’Neill would indeed be the new manager of Celtic…
This comes after his successful interim spells last season that drove Celtic to an unlikely Scottish Premiership and Scottish Cup double that broke both Hearts and the Rangers…
The delay appears to be related to the Celtic board attempting to lowball both Shaun Maloney and Mark Fotheringham, who both took charge of the coaching duties during O’Neill two interim stints last season. The two former Celtic players have according to Stephen McGowan at The Herald, being offered 50% of the salaries they were on last season and that’s on a take it or leave it basis.
These stories had been doing the rounds on the Celtic fan media since the weekend and were openly talked about yesterday before the mainstream media picked up on it this morning.
That seems to have forced Celtic’s hand with the announcement of Martin O’Neill’s appointment at lunchtime today. However there was notably no mention of the backroom staff in that rare communique from Celtic FC.
You wonder what Martin O’Neill makes of all this as you can’t see him attempting to do the job without his two main coaches.
There’s also speculation that Gavin Strachan could be for the off and that the backroom team pulled together by Robbie Keane – including Johnny Hayes and former Celtic captain Scott Brown – could be under consideration if Maloney and Fotheringham walk away from these lowball offers.
It appears to many supporters that those responsible for the shambolic appointment of Wilfried Nancy and his coaching staff are now looking to pay for it by saving that they hope to make from their replacements.
Why not just knock a quarter a million each of Nicholson and Chris McKay’s huge salaries to fund the Nancy related pay-offs?
The Celtic CEO Michael Nicholson seldom opens his mouth in public but he did put his name to these quotes on the official Celtic communique today, via the official club website.
“We are really pleased to keep Martin as manager. His knowledge and experience proved vital to us last season, and we know his leadership will be hugely important to us going forward,” Michael Nicholson said.
The Celtic CEO continued: “He is someone who continues to deliver, who knows how to win, and a manager we have absolute confidence in to once again drive the team through the next period. We have important challenges ahead, and the immediate priority of everyone at the club is to ensure we are ready to tackle these with confidence and deliver success again for our supporters.”
Meanwhile the interim Celtic Chairman Brian Wilson added his own tuppence worth. The old politician is well verse on the dark arts of his trade so take anything quoted below with a hefty pitch of salt, especially the last sentence.
“I warmly welcome Martin’s re-appointment and look forward to more of the same leadership, inspiration, and success he has delivered for the club,” Brian Wilson said. “The achievements which he and the team secured in the season just gone have created a great platform for the one that lies ahead.
“This is the start of a busy summer, and we will ensure that we are in the best possible position to compete, with Martin back at the helm.”
Will there be a mainstream media conference?
Meanwhile there’s no news of a media conference being held to welcome the new permanent manager to the club. Wilfried Nancy did his first media conference alone over at Lennoxtown without the Celtic CEO sitting alongside him to back his appointment.
Celtic instead sat Martin down to show him some footage which is being used to drive supporters towards the club’s app.
🎶 Martin O'Neill, Martin O'Neill… 🎶 💚 https://t.co/JqekbYhZE1 pic.twitter.com/pGv3W7WHFl
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) June 11, 2026
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2 Comments
Would still say MoN had an involvement within scales, McCowan and Yang getting offered improved contracts already imo?
So potentially working behind the scenes, all the time, may well have been the case?
Not overly interested in the speculation that goes on behind the scenes, and would be amazed if the maloney and fozzy situation doesn’t get resolved also?
Gave up years ago, upon how the powers to be, work behind the scenes, and only interested in the final results of the decisions taken?
Even within that, there is no end to the speculation involved, within our club especially imo?
All the while the suits play there cards so closely to there chest, as supporters we are left with nothing but speculation, especially when the full details of the decision making process, won’t be revealed whatsoever?
Should we be operating in a far more open manner, with NDA in place?
Don’t even know if it is even possible, especially in this age imo?
Telling supporters of clubs, only what they need to know, doesn’t seem to be unique in how many clubs will operate behind the scenes.
This, despite communication could be hugely improved upon all the same, especially with the speculation involved that social media brings with it, these days imo?
Johnno, I think you’ve hit the nail firmly on the head!
If you allow yourself to be sucked in by all the speculation in social media, especially these anti-board sites who all set themselves up with a mission, you blame the board for everything!
Yet here we are after still another double winning season that despite the blatantly obvious FACTS that the board were clearly very much involved in bringing Martin and his team in, TWICE, these columns continue to condemn the successes through social media!
In my opinion, the problem for the division does not lie at the feet of the board as much as it does of those who keep trying to divide the club.
HAIL HAIL
YNWA