Martin O’Neill has dismissed whatever is left of Celtic’s Recruitment operation.
Over the last two transfer windows Michael Nicholson and Paul Tisdale have drastically reduced the quality of the Starting XI and first team squad.
Effectively the goals-corers have been sold without being replaced.
O’NEILL INHERITS THE ‘GREAT’ CELTIC SELL OFF
Last season the goals flew in from all angles largely through Kyogo Furujashi, Nicolas Kuhn and Adam Idah.
Tisdale’s idea of replacements was either no-one, Shin Yamada, Sebastian Tounekti and Michel-Ange Balikwisha.
Only Tounekti has made any sort of impression. After the summer window closed Brendan Rodgers paved the way for the signing of Kelechi Iheanacho but injuries have prevented the former Leicester striker from any meaningful impact.
O’Neill walked into all of that on January 5 with Celtic losing six of their previous eight matches.
The caretaker boss has yet to make any additions to the squad.
Celtic face a critical match away to Hearts on January 25, a date that fans have noted for some time.
Deadline day arrivals capture headlines but they won’t be any use when O’Neill takes his side to Tynecastle.
Asked about the urgency and importance of the current period O’Neill told the Daily Record:
I agree, it is vital, I’m well aware I’m not going to minimise it. I promise I am not sitting on my backside, I’m trying my best.
I’d be very hopeful of bringing a few in. I am in the process of looking at these.
Away back in my first spell as manager, I had time to do that before I was bringing people in. I had that all prepared. Unfortunately, it’s me, and haven’t got this prepared now at this minute. Because I had Christmas at home, not expecting this.
Yes, things have been put to me and I’m trying to do as much as I can. Eventually, I may just have to rely on someone else’s judgement, like Shaun’s or Fozzy or someone else, and then go for it. I’m not saying something here now, so that three months down the line I’m doing an interview saying ‘well, it was their fault.’ No, it’ll be down to me.
It’s a difficult one. If Rangers and Hearts have had a head start then, at this minute, I can’t do much about that.
O’Neill was put out the loop by Nicholson’s decision to appoint Wilfried Nancy, the outstanding candidate according to the Celtic CEO.
PICKING UP THE PIECES
As well as six lost matches it seems that a month or more of recruitment preparations were lost.
While Tisdale has left Celtic Nicholson continues to drain £17,000 a week for nothing in particular.
Nicholson twice went on Celtic TV to explain his exciting plans to back Nancy.
Unfortunately the Celtic CEO doesn’t seem to share the same enthusiasm to back Nancy’s successor. The man charged, for the second, time to rescue Celtic from the catastrophic season managed by Nicholson.
A Parcel of Rogues is still an accurate description of the Celtic board.
Liars, swindlers and thieves.
Every time I see that photo of the fraud that is Nicholson, I am reminded of Gollum and My Preciousssss!
I find it hard to believe the incompetence we are witnessing at the club has never been spotted long before now
It makes me wonder if anyone is really asleep at the wheel ,or are they just in the lane they want to be in .
Its not personal it’s just business .
It’s deliberate
Nicholson is way , way out his depth. He should have been sacked along with the Dr of football and his head coach. Nicholson taking Celtic F.C back to the 90s.
If DD loves the club as he said he does WHY has he let it get in this state. He is making decisions for the club like calling Martin to take over which was a fantastic move but why not let him stay instead of listening to Dr football, we would be at the top of the league and have a trophy. DD needs to act now and have a major clear out, if he won’t things are going to get worse and he will need to go as well they all need to take accountability for the way they are running our club.
So, the new plan and plc structure is MON does everything and wee Shaun helps him.
We can see the old plan and structure more clearly too.
Old plan: Do what DD tells you but he’s hardly ever there. Look busy when he is.
Structure: Dom McKay gets booted for doing a good job and IB resigns as chairman. No problem, PL comes back and does a bit of chairman and his old CEO job as well. But he’s hardly ever there. No problem, MN does a bit club secretarying, a bit of kid-on CEO, and mibbaes a bit of chairman too but ends up doing nothing at all. CMcK sits in the back office counting the beans and laughing at fans on matchdays. Dr Doolittle comes in from time to time, does his own thing, has a good kip on matchdays and goes on holiday.
Could be a good comedy and I’d probably laugh if it wasn’t us providing the gags.
The new Sevco CEO is on Wallow Wallow bragging how he’s gonna engage with the Sevco Hun fans as he ‘gets it’ what they are ‘all about’
Tragic that Jim Gillespie wasn’t born a Celtic supporter so it is !
If anyone tells me that a club of Celtic’s size and standing cannot find 3 or 4 footballers of the required standard to sign up for around £15,000 – £20,000 a week (probably less) then I’m gonna say you’re talking shit. Martin is already trying to take the heat out of this situation because he knows how this is likely to play out. Ever the diplomat.
The avuncular Martin is a genuine person and likeable man. Thanks for speaking to us Martin.