GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - MAY 16: Celtic manager Martin O'Neill (centre) at full time during a William Hill Premiership match between Celtic and Heart of Midlothian at Celtic Park, on May 16, 2026, in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Craig Williamson/SNS Group via Getty Images)
Last Friday Stephen McGowan delivered the news that Martin O’Neill was about to be announced as Celtic’s permanent manager.
Six days later supporters are still waiting on the announcement, confirmation of the O’Neill appointment.
There has been nothing out of Celtic. No supporters update, no direction on the permanent replacement for Wilfried Nancy.
Nineteen days ago Celtic lifted the Scottish Cup, beating Dunfermline at Hampden.
The World Cup Finals start today with no word on the appointment of a Celtic manager.
Providing an update on the story, in The Celtic Way McGowan reports:
Celtic have yet to reach an agreement with key members of Martin O’Neill’s backroom team.
The interim boss agreed to become the permanent manager on a one-year deal, with the option for another year, following talks with controlling shareholder Dermot Desmond last week.
An announcement confirming the 74-year-old’s return was expected this week. As yet, however, the Parkhead club have yet to reach a contractual agreement with coaches Shaun Maloney or Mark Fotheringham. And the two sides are understood to remain a distance apart.
With fans expecting a massive turnover of players this summer the issues listed by McGowan seem ominous.
Securing deals for the coaches that worked most closely with O’Neill should be among the easiest deals to be completed this summer.
Maloney and Fotheringham have both managed in the English Championship.
O’NEILL WAITS FOR HIS CELTIC DEAL TO GO THROUGH
They are experienced, connected and know their worth. Both have an affinity with Celtic but not to the extent of accepting deals below their market value.
When Brendan Rodgers resigned at the end of October Celtic turned to Maloney and O’Neill.
Maloney was already at the club as Player Pathway Manager while O’Neill was based in London, semi-retired and on the media circuit.
It was Maloney that took first team training the morning after Rodgers left. Assisted by Fotheringham who had come in from the cold.
Gavin Strachan and Stephen McManus were also involved as O’Neill took Celtic through choppy waters.
Fotheringham dropped out when Wilfried Nancy too charge- 33 days later he was back when O’Neill returned for the second time.
There has been very little coming directly out of Celtic since the Scottish Cup Final.
There has been low key announcements over the departures of Luis Palma and Stephen Welsh.
No new signings have been announced although contract extensions have been signed by James Forrest, Luke McCowan, Liam Scales and Yang Hyun-jun.
If MON has any sense he will walk away.
If the suits can’t even get backroom staff wages sorted how is he gonna get players out of them?
Then again, maybe the suits want to piss him off since they didn’t get Keane?
There’s a lot of egos and narcissists upstairs and they know they aren’t welcome.
Narcissists don’t take criticism very well, and will burn everything rather than the thought of losing to anyone.
Length of their contract, perhaps if Martin is only guaranteed for a year
Desmond Megalomaniac and all round nasty billionaire what with corporate greed and austerity it shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone, it is almost as if he’s Megalomaniac billionaire who couldn’t care less STOP giving them your money or you are complicit
He’s given an ultimatum 50% cut or go so it’s looks like they’ll Go and who could blame them.
C*nts who are getting paid a million pound a year for doing nothing now lowballing the coaching staff who’ve just helped us win a double
They are starting as they mean to go on for another season
Top players sold , replaced with projects , supporters and fan media banned , no communication
Nothing will change
Yes seems Dermond won’t pay wages that can be picked up in the English 3rd division
They have been told to take a large cut from Dermond himself like half of the wages.
another year another post i suppose I could just copy & paste then just change the dates year on year this is asset stripping without a doubt every year these clowns arent idiots theyre building the bank for a sale a mega sale, cant you see it all the assets player wise get sold then top the balance up makes everything look rosy in the accts !!!
Been saying it for a couple of years myself. Why do you think Haughey and Low and partners are hovering with all these appeals to supporters. I went to the Celtic Trust meeting (For the record I’m not a trust member) with Low and Co to hear what they had to say. Their behaviour was amateur and petty, seemed like settling old scores. I wouldn’t want that bunch anywhere near Celtic after that performance. Celtic are in trouble with DD in charge until he gets the cash reserve he needs before sale. Hopefully he goes soon but still need to be careful what we wish for.
It’s alright for the board to get pay rises and bonuses, but when it comes to key staff they want them to take a pay cut. Martin and the background staff should walk away now with their heads held high. I can’t see the situation getting better anytime soon.
We are the MUGS! They take the piss at every opportunity.
It is time to part company with them. This is NOT Celtic.
Every season the fans go through the same disappointment with the miserable rats that run ? our club.
If only we could convince all our fans to join together and hit the Board where it hurts, their pockets.
Try not buying any European tickets, not that we will be in for long if DD has anything to do with it .
It was always going to be the same circus after season book renewal and so it continues. Until we find away to get rid of the leeches then expect it to become worse because going by the silence so far the it’s ominous.
I would imagine it’s all about the length of contract. There is no security in a one year deal and little to fall back on if you get bumped after the year is up. The coaches and their agents will rightly be looking for a bit of padding to fall back on, allowing them time to set themselves up when the year is done. If I was them I’d get MON to represent them. The board will be low balling as usual and endangering next season. They can see no further than the bank balance, they need to go.
If proof was ever needed about our club, Celtic plc being run by a major shareholder against all proper plc governance, then that proof is now available as opposed to conjecture.
DD is Celtic enemy number 1.
Publish his addresses beginning with Dublin and also publish ALL of the addresses of the other board members. We have a global support who can demonstrate just about anywhere and we really need to ‘take the gloves off’.
Nothing else to date is working and that includes NAP.
I, for one, would be willing to participate in picketing outside, e.g. Nicholson’s home and also happy to help gridlock it. There is no feasible alternative that springs to mind but I’d happily join in anything that looks to be the answer. Doing nothing is not an option and I’ve been ‘on board’ with NAP since last summer when I contacted family members in that regard. NAP came a bit later and whilst it’s SOMETHING it’s clearly not enough.