PAISLEY, SCOTLAND - AUGUST 25: Celtic CEO Michael Nicholson during a William Hill Premiership match between St Mirren and Celtic at the SMiSA Stadium, on August 25, 2024, in Paisley, Scotland. (Photo by Craig Williamson/SNS Group via Getty Images)
On January 6 Martin O’Neill was full of hope, determination and ambition.
On Wednesday, previewing the Europa League tie with Utrecht he looked weary as he deflected away from the multiple failings of the club.
The broken Recruitment system was repeatedly highlighted by Brendan Rodgers.
Eventually it broke him. When he was told the January recruitment plans he resigned.
O’NEILL GOES DOWN THE RODGERS ROUTE
Paul Tisdale had already hindered his ambitions of making Celtic a competent club on the European stage.
Being handed another job lot of signings similar to Shin Yamada and Michel-Ange Balikwisha was too much to bear.
Rodgers resigned, Wilfried Nancy lasted 33 days and eight matches.
O’Neill agreed to return, again. Fans assumed that he was given guarantees over strengthening the squad, 24 days later just one striker, on loan has been brought in.
Following his second return to the club O’Neill was very clear on the need to bring in new signings.
Sky Sports reported the veteran boss saying:
We definitely need to supplement the squad, absolutely no question about that.
Shaun has been working in the background in certain things, I think he would get to know some players.
It’s up to me as quickly as possible, because eventually, I would like to be sitting here in front of you and saying ‘listen, all these players are my choice’, that’s what I really like to do.
I don’t have a great deal of time. I will rely on Shaun, Martin and Steve and their opinion on players, but eventually, it’ll be down to me as much as anything else.
If they don’t do well, I’ll blame Shaun, and if they do brilliantly, I shall take all the credit!
I’ll reiterate, we need the players in, and as quickly as possible.
If the board were to listen to me, then we would have about 56 players.
I will try and narrow it, we definitely know what positions that we need to strengthen in and that’s what we’re going to try and do.
Time has almost run out. Five SPFL points have been dropped to direct title rivals.
O’Neill has a squad of 14 trusted players. He is getting the absolute maximum out of them but only a fool would trust them to go through the next four months without injury.
All sorts of excuses and theories are being put forward for Celtic’s recruitment failings.
After two Celtic TV interviews backing Wilfried Nancy it seems that Michael Nicholson has resumed his vow of silence, hiding under the desk in big Peter’s office.
Nicholson was last seen wandering the streets of Bologna with a more vacant look than usual on his face.
This is the fifth January transfer window that he has been in charge of.
January 2022 demonstrated what can be done with Daizen Maeda, Reo Hatate, Yosuke Ideguchi and Matt O’Riley were signed. A 75% success rate, serial winners and players at ease playing in the Champions League.
Without Ange Postecoglou and Frank Trimboli the limitations of Nicholson have been cruelly exposed- to Celtic’s cost.
What’s fckn new. To many times now foks . Time to wisen up.
Regardless of the final outcome of the window .There needs to be a total review of the recruitment department at the club .It is ridiculous the way it’s being run and something has to change to rectify it and that has to be first on the agenda .
Worst is, what manager worth their salt will take this job in the summer? This is why we end up with Nancy in the first place. Nobody will touch this.
Look at the picture of The utter Scummy B*stard…
His teeth and his nose are as bent as himself !
Whatever happens now, the January window has been yet another shambles.
At best, we might get a signing at 10.45pm on Monday
– a 2026 version of the infamous ‘Willo Flood window’ of January 2009?
The focus should be this summer’s window.
We just can’t have the same incompetents doing the same sh!t.
It sounds like other clubs / agents are steering clear of doing business with our club too?
Hence, we need fresh faces, fresh ideas, etc.