Martin O’Neill has revealed his satisfaction with the club’s transfer dealings in the conclusion of the summer transfer window but also has some nagging frustrations…
Six of Celtic’s 10 summer signings arrived in the final 48 hours of the window, with Joel van den Berg, Jordan Lotomba, Sam Johnstone, Oliver Sorensen, and 18-year-old Chelsea pair Shim Mheuka and Landon Emenalo, joining Camilo Duran, Kasper Hogh, Mika Baur, and Haissem Hassan as the Irishman bolstered his squad for the long campaign ahead.
The Chelsea players and Van den Berg did not make Celtic’s Europa League squad because of limited spaces.
“I’m delighted to get players,” Martin said. “Genuinely pleased. The difficulty is that you only have to look at the UEFA list. Some young lads will be disappointed not being able to make that particular UEFA squad. So there’s only so many places that we could fill.
“If we can avoid serious injury to the players here, people not being out for endless lengths of time, then I’m happy with it.”
As per usual, Celtic left their business late, with several areas of the squad still in desperate need of attention, in particular the left back position which is in a rather fragile state, particularly with the current injury status of Kieran Tierney.
When asked what lessons could be learned about the timing, Martin seemed slightly miffed as he said: “How many times are you going to ask me that each week? We started this in July time. So I’m pleased with the players that we’ve got in.
“We’ve got them in and I genuinely want to get on with it now. So, ideally, it would be great to have got players in earlier to get them bedded in. It doesn’t matter. Happy, really happy to have the players that we have.”
When asked if he was disappointed not to land Torino midfielder Gvidas Gineitis, the 74-year-old said to the broadcast media (that’s the media conference the club release on YouTube and have banned the fan media from): “No, I’m really pleased with what we have now at this minute. So, honestly, not a problem.”
However the veteran Celtic boss had more to say on the Gvidas Gineitis situation to written press, who he meets separately after he has spoken at his (broadcast) media conference.
“We had more than an interest in him at the time but it’s all very well having an interest and people feeling that they might want to come, you still have to negotiate with the club.
“That was a major thing at the end of the day, when clubs become adamant about a certain price for a player.
“We aren’t in the market for overpriced players like in England – you have to deal with it as best as you can. You feel there is a price for a player, sure you can negotiate, but if there is not really any phenomenal negotiations, then you need to do other things.
“We had an interest in another young lad who I think will be a brilliant player. I loved him and I thought we could do it, but the club sent him elsewhere.”
The Celtic manager also made an ‘interesting point’ in regard to the reliance on loan signings which he has a concern about. As well as the four loan players coming in, Lotomba has only signed until the end of the season, and Martin spoke about his mixed emotions when it came to temporary signings.
“I sometimes concern myself about loan players coming in and maybe not seeing the club that they’re going to as the club that they really want to play for,” said at his broadcast media conference.
I think it’s fair to say that while essentially towing the party line with regard to the overall transfer window, the Celtic manager has his concerns and his worries about how it panned out and possibly a nagging feeling that it could easily have been much better, as discussed in my previous article.
Just an Ordinary Bhoy
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2 Comments
MoN hasn’t a problem, and is happy with the squad of players, he has to work with this season now?
But your not, along with many it seems like within our support?
Strange really, when desperately looking for excuses within what MoN says?
Why is that?
Trying to promote the anti board agenda, yet again?
And what actual good did that achieve last season?
Apart from making our match day experience, a toxic environment on so many occasions, until common sense, won out eventually at the back end of the season?
Already 24 players under contract, plus a few out on loan, along with options upon a couple of our loan signings?
So already plenty enough for any new incoming manager to work with, even with the prospect of a CL campaign in store next season?
A far stronger stability factor should be formed also, despite ourselves in a transitional period this summer, especially regarding European football imo?
So we are in a healthy position squad wise, for this season imo?
What actually unfolds, will determine just how healthy and strong we are going to be, especially with CL in mind for next season?
So at present, looking far more towards the enjoyment that our football can bring to ourselves this season?
Moreso than the chore of watching so many games last season, which weren’t to enjoyable whatsoever?
So if the miserable moaners within our support, want to stay in there misery, then let them off?
Will never understand so called supporters, claiming to be supporters, if our club brings that much misery to themselves?
Think the squad is in ok shape: disappointed that 5 of the players signed are on loan, would rather see us invest in the future by buying players and would rather us develop our own young players as opposed to developing other clubs talents. We are kicking the can down the road yet again instead of fully building for the future. If true that the manager wanted Gineitis then that is shameful – the cash was there to fully back the manager – he might have been more than ‘content’ with things if so. The recurring ‘performative failure’ of the board to get a deal done, ‘working hard’ to get a deal done when all they had to do was offer nearer the valuation of his club (how dare Torino ask for top dollar for their player btw! Haha). I hope Sorenson turns out to be the midfielder we need but can’t help think this is another window where we didn’t do enough and what we did do we did it too late.