O’Neill in the dark about his future

Martin O’Neill has admitted that he would gladly step aside as Celtic manager.

Three weeks after Brendan Rodgers resigned there is no concrete signs that his successor is close to being appointed.

When Rodgers resigned Celtic also announced that O’Neill and Shaun Maloney had been appointed as the interim management team.

O’Neill was thrown into a whirlwind period of four matches in 10 days- six years after his last direct involvement in the game.

Celtic have made no comment or update on their search for a new manager. Leaving O’Neill in the media firing line before and after each match.

On Radio Ulster this morning O’Neill said:

I’m not party to anything that is happening with the board talking to prospective clients, nor do I want to be because that has never been a remit of mine since I left Celtic (in 2005). The gentlemen involved can very easily make up their own minds without me interfering.

I said I would do it until they found that replacement and that is possible before next week (against St Mirren) but I genuinely do not know.

My job was to come in and hold the fort. The minute someone is appointed, I will step aside and if it was tomorrow, I would gladly step aside.

It is now five days on from Celtic’s 4-0 win over Kilmarnock. A week until the AGM is held.

Increasingly it looks like O’Neill and Maloney will be in charge when the season resumes away to St Mirren on November 22.

Some clarity is required. The 73-year-old presumably had other commitments in place that he had put aside.

Before the January transfer window opens Celtic have 10 matches to get through. Seven SPFL matches, two Europa League ties and a League Cup Final.

So much work is required at the club that nailing down a manager is essential.

If O’Neill is in the dark about his future any media reports about interviews taking place are clearly highly speculative.