Martin O’Neill has given a transfer update on both Reo Hatate and Michel-Ange Balikwisha as he gets set to lead Celtic into the treacherous territory of summertime Champions League playoff football, that hasn’t got any easier than the first time that he was in charge of the club over two decades ago…
The Japanese playmaker is keen to move on from Celtic, with his stated ambition to get a move to a top five league. So far that’s not happened and with Reo out of form and with something of a petted lip, it looks increasingly unlikely to happen this summer.
Yet he could still play a major role at Celtic IF he can re-discover his form and perhaps improve his attitude. And that could get him the move he’s after maybe in the January transfer window or next summer.
Given the sale of Arne Engels, Paulo Bernardo going out on loan and the club being surprised to discover that Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is carrying the baggage of a three match European suspension, Reo could be just the man to draft into the midfield alongside Callum McGregor and Benjamin Nygren for the two playoff matches against Austrian Champions LASK.
Martin O’Neill gave an update on Hatate and one or two other matters when speaking to the mainstream media.
“There are a number of tentative enquiries,” the Celtic manager, as reported by Scottish Sun revealed, adding: “Nothing has come up that is beneficial to him or the football club.
“That might change. If it did not change I would be happy. Reo is a fine footballer. He has dropped down the pecking order at this moment.
“But if he could recapture the form he showed two seasons ago he would still be an asset. Any player who feels as if they are being squeezed and they feel they are not going to play, then playing is the most important thing.”
Martin continued: “Paulo Bernardo has gone on loan because he did not want to be sitting in the stands for games. And while no one pushed him out the door, he thought we might try to get another couple of players in, so he has gone on loan – certainly until January.”
Michel-Ange Balikwisha, looks set to leave Celtic this summer, having failed to make any sort of impact since his £5m move from Royal Antwerp last summer, after a significant period where the club tracked him. What they saw in the player remains a complete mystery to the entire Celtic support.
There has reportedly been loan enquires from AC Monza and Basel for the DR Congo winger but nothing has come of either enquiry so far at least.
O’Neill explained: “There has been interest, but nothing that Balikwisha will be wanting to do at this moment. Again, I am hoping that at some stage or another, if nothing materialises, he would get opportunities.
“But I cannot promise that. I said to him in my first spell that the next manager coming in might want him. And then he was disappointed when the next manager was me!”
After taking care of Dundee United with an emphatic 4-0 win at Tannadice in the Premier Sports Cup, the Celtic boss could turn his full attention towards the Champions League double header, which will be the next two games after Celtic decided to postpone this weekend’s Scottish Premiership fixture at McDiarmid Park to concentrate on the big prize of reaching the Champions League proper.
“I honestly couldn’t think about it until Saturday evening or Sunday morning. It was always there though,” Martin O’Neill admitted. “The reports have come in that LASK are pretty strong. They won the Austrian double last season after coming from behind. They have a couple of decent players and there were easier ties out there. It is a big week with the qualifier on the back of the game on Saturday.
With Camilo Duran and Kasper Hogh both settling in very well at Celtic, O’Neill knows that his side has the firepower with players with established goalscoring records at Champions League level in his starting XI. That could be what makes the difference in what is going to be a tough challenge for Celtic.
Martin O’Neill has been round the block in these Champions League playoffs and has experienced both the highs and lows.
“But the play-off is stressful enough. You talk about alleviating the stress but that’s never been the case with me. I have experienced these games the first time around. Ajax was a real high and then there was the real low of Basel.
“I saw Chris Sutton with his chance in the last minute and to me it was in – but it wasn’t. Basel were a very fine side, as they proved in the subsequent years, knocking Manchester United out and so on. They could play and I have the same concerns about LASK. Of course it’s good to have that firepower.
“We also have Haissem Hassan coming in and you’d probably want to play him wide right, where he can beat players and go outside.
“It’s about looking at systems we want to play. We’ve been pretty rigid in 4-3-3 but we should be able to change.
“Duran is a fine player and I don’t see why he couldn’t play just off the centre forward. Therefore we have to look at different ways of playing. It shouldn’t be that difficult, in terms of shifting players a few yards, but it’s just a case of working on it.”
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3 Comments
Who is going to partner calmac in the central midfield role, remains the biggest question heading into tomorrow night imo?
A case can be made for both Baur and Hatate, even if I would regard Baur as favourite?
This despite Hatate, of having any intentions of trying to get 5 top league football? He would have to shine in these CL qualification games, in order to attract further interest in him?
We know that he has the ability to do so? But personally don’t believe MoN can trust him enough now to deliver imo?
He certainly has the experience factor over Baur, especially within these higher profile matches with our club, along with working alongside calmac on a more regular basis than Baur?
Will that be enough for MoN to consider actually starting him now?
Only 2 seasons ago we wouldn’t have wanted to go into such a big game, without Hatate available?
Maybe not the case any longer, with the trust factor within him now as a player?
Shame that has developed, as Hatate has provided many magical moments and displays while with our club?
Still believe Hatate will leave, along with balikwisha, monty and Kenny before this window shuts imo?
So 5 places still available, with Engels gone, to fill for our European league phase campaign at present?
We already know that a place will be for AJ upon his return. A new incoming keeper. Still say Taylor will replace monty, in order to fill our homegrown quota, even if it’s not possible at this moment imo?
Which still leaves the potential replacement for Engels/Hatate to be added?
Which still leaves the question as to whether a squad place is going to be left open for a returning jota or not? For the European league phase?
Might be only available for 4 games within the league phase, but we know that he once had that quality factor, required for a European campaign, but don’t know if it still applies?
If those 5 positions are eventually filled sufficiently, then the January window becomes irrelevant, unless unfortunate injuries should occur?
And hopefully next summer, we are only looking at a handful of potential replacements within our squad, especially with getting the stability factor increased within our squad building process this summer hopefully?
Much rather having the time delays in order to gain the stability factor that’s required for a European campaign imo?
Haven’t achieved that heading into this CL qualification games against Lask just yet?
But still nothing in place to suggest that we can’t overcome Lask either imo?
Mate, you might not want to be putting links to that rag in your articles, it gets them clicks and generates them Revenue.. This isn’t a thesis and even if it was, that red top rag wouldn’t count as a credible reference. They are utter scum. If, as i suspect is the case, you are using AI, maybe ask AI to leave out links to websites that are no friends to Celtic
No AI. Simple fact is that we have to credit the source. We currently can’t be the source ourselves as the Celtic fan media is banned by the club without any explanation.