13 November 2014; Republic of Ireland manager Martin O'Neill, left and Robbie Keane speaking to the press ahead of their UEFA EURO 2016 Championship Qualifer Group D game against Scotland on Friday. Republic of Ireland Press Conference, Celtic Park, Glasgow, Scotland. Picture credit: David Maher / SPORTSFILE (Photo by Sportsfile/Corbis/Sportsfile via Getty Images)
Stephen McGowan has confirmed that Martin O’Neill has agreed a deal to become permanent Celtic manager.
According to the Herald reporter a one year deal with a 12 month option was agreed on Thursday night.
Only the Stock Market announcement is awaited/ Monday morning would seem the logical time for that announcement.
At 5pm on the Herald website McGowan reported:
Martin O’Neill has agreed to become the new permanent manager of Celtic.
The Interim boss led the Parkhead side to a league and Scottish Cup double. And he has now secured an agreement for a one-year contract with the option of another 12 months after meeting controlling shareholder Dermot Desmond in London on Thursday night.
O’Neill’s appointment will be confirmed to the Stock Exchange and follows a ferocious backlash from supporters to the prospect of Irish icon Robbie Keane landing the job after talks earlier this week. Wales manager Craig Bellamy was another candidate in the frame.
If confirmed, as seems very likely it will be the third O’Neill managerial announcement inside 12 months.
On October 28 he came in as Interim manager before making way for Wilfried Nancy.
On January 5 he returned again to replace the Frenchman after 33 disastrous days in charge.
O’NEILL WINS THE BATTLE OVER KEANE
It seemed to be a straight choice between O’Neill and Robbie Keane to become permanent manager.
When Keane flew out to South Korea for a Liverpool legend it looked like he had dropped out of contention.
O’Neill faces a massive task rebuilding the Celtic squad.
Recruitment in January was an overwhelming failure with all of those loan signings returning to their clubs.
The new SPFL season starts on the weekend of August 1/2.
More telling than that is the Champions League Play Offs on August 19 and 26.
Last season Celtic lost out to Kairat Almaty at that stage, quickly followed by the sale of Adam Idah and the formation of the Celtic Fans Collective.
O’Neill faces a massive task in putting together a squad capable of reaching the Champions League and putting in a credible performance in that competition.
In season 24/25 Celtic won 12 points from eight matches before losing out to Bayern Munich in the Round of 16 Play Off.
Nine months after that highpoint Rodgers resigned triggering a run of incredible developments around Celtic.
Now the club will be hoping for a period of stability but that will be driven by results.
With the season ending with nine successive victories O’Neill’s legendary status has been underlined.
This is a good day for celtic fc and a good day for true celtic fans of conscience, with this news anything is possible for celtic with Martin O’Neil a true club legend at the helm who has the respect and admiration spread all over the football World. Hail Hail
Well said that man!
HAIL HAIL
Yes players played here heart out for him backroom staff always comfertable with him especailly moloney and with the world cup taking the interest in business players and agents if we hold onto oir players with the ones coming back from injuries we have a good squad midfielder winger centre forward first one the league do well in europe but the league main thing board come out and tell the country that no matter where players or managers play there career or born are always welcome at Celtic a club for all nobody likes it go now
Will they back him
We’ll soon see
All eyes on the board
Whilst not exactly impressed with the non-existent ‘search’ for the next permanent manager,
the obvious question is: why wasn’t this announced immediately after the SC Final?
They had 5 months to talk and agree a contract in principle.
Let’s see some quality players arrive ASAP…
First should be Devlin and Braga fae the bottlers.
We don’t need or want bottlers.
How could you talk to a manager about a contract in the middle of trying to win the league under such extreme pressure? Cop on!
Well the Board managed to appoint Lennon as permanent manager
immediately after a SC Final – in the showers at Hampden.
That was AFTER the league was finished, NOT in the middle of it, which was Phil’s point.
The Board was obviously sounding out Lennon to become permanent manager whilst he was under pressure to complete a Treble – which was MY point.
It was becoming clear, post SC final, that RK was readying his speech, had the uproar from many 100s if not 1000s of fans not happened we would now be stuck with RK.
Welcome home MON, now get started with Hogh from Bodo Glimt, would like Devlin from Satan’s 2nd XI, Just from Murderwell and one or two shit shithoose sized centre halves.
Im extremely confident Addidas had more to do with this decision than any of us !!!
Welcome ‘again’ St.Martin !!!
Just hope they don’t shit on ya this summer the way they did in January…
Slainte and good health in a job that can break one’s bloody health !
It still remains to be seen if their is some changes to be made upstairs, DD should quickly make two changes, M Nicholson & CMcKay , should go & be replaced with two people with the quality to make us better along with the coaching staff, & better communication with the fans as they are the ? Heartbeat of the club , I’m starting to feel better now ?
Despot Desmond does it again. Where is Nicholson in all this?