Finally, 16 days after he was announced as the permanent manager of the club Martin O’Neill has been interviewed by Celtic TV.
Not many fans would say that it was worth the wait.
Over 14 minutes Gerry McCulloch asked 11 of the most pointless questions imaginable. All that was missing was to ask O’Neill’s his favourite colour and if he had tried drinking Irn-Bru.
Nothing was learned from the interview.
If that is Michael Nicholson’s idea of fan engagement the season ahead is going to be a similar vacuum to the shambles just finished.
The entire focus of the interview was to bask in the success of last season.
You wouldn’t know that McCulloch and O’Neill were discussing a club with an interim Chairman, no Head of Football Operations, no Professional Pathway Manager and a variety of unfilled scouting roles. After six seasons at Celtic Gavin Strachan has left the coaching team. Only Stevie Woods remains from the coaching staff of a year ago. With a strike force of Osmand, Yamada and Kenny.
Just past the minute mark O’Neill admitted that a couple of signings were needed to augment the players already at the club.
Celtic are just over five weeks away from their opening SPFL match. Seven away from a Champions League Play Off.
Players currently at the World Cup are entitled to four weeks off. They will start pre-season training around the time that Celtic play AC Milan in their final friendly match.
TIME IS ALREADY RUNNING AGAINST CELTIC
Three of the eight involved in the World Cup are probably high up in Nicholson’s FOR SALE list. Arne Engels will be on there as well.
Celtic need four first team starters signed today and in training on Monday. They need another four fit and ready for the SPFL opener on August 3.
No one at the club seems aware of that.
Five weeks have been wasted since the Scottish Cup Final.
In season 24/25 Brendan Rodgers laid the benchmark with 12 Champions League points and a Last 16 Play Off against Bayern Munich.
Kasper Schmeichel, Greg Taylor/Jeffrey Shlupp, Adam Idah, Nicolas Kuhn and Kyogo Furuhashi have been sold from that squad. Only Kieran Tierney is an upgrade on the players sold.
O’Neill pulled off a miracle last season to win the domestic double.
Miracles are much rarer in the Champions League.
Right now the Celtic squad would be eaten alive by the well prepared sides in the Champions League.
O’Neill’s interview will tick a box for Fan Engagement. Expecting a repeat of last season’s heroics from a squad weakened by Nicholson over the coming weeks will test O’Neill’s magic to the max.
https://youtu.be/lmKnOFdlMbU
MCCULLOCH’S MAGNIFICENT 11 TO O’NEILL
How does it feel to be here for at least another year?
How motivated are you to go again?
It sounds like you have a plan?
Did it all sink in (the end of season dramas), did you get a chance for it all to sink in. How did it feel when it all sunk in?
History will show that Celtic won the double last season. How important is it that history remembers that campaign for the success that it ultimately was?
I’m sure that if you had the choice for the season ahead you’d prefer a bit more casual end to the season, where it is wrapped up a lot quicker?
How pleased are you to have the same group of guys (coaches) behind you again?
With a massive Champions League qualifier in the early part of the season (August 19/19 & 25/26), how crucial is pre-season and in particular the four pre-season games that you have to gradually build the team up to that match level?
How firmly do you believe that Celtic belong at that (Champions League) top level of European football?
Do the same things motivate you now that motivated you at the start of your managerial career?
Can you give us a schedule for the players coming back for pre-season training?
That really was an utterly appalling interview. No questions about delay in appointment, delay in appointing backroom team, replacement for Strachan, replacements for 5 players who have left, other imminent departures, plans for scouting and recruitment. Nothing.
— themadmonk (@themadmonk14) June 27, 2026
Another choreographed puff piece from oor Gerry at North Korea TV
— The Hogganfield Goat (@goatcrimes) June 27, 2026
Completely pointless interview that exists to claim communication.
Nothing of substance answered…
Disappointed in O’Neil allowing this tbh.
— JinkyCostanza (@JinkyCostanza) June 27, 2026
Not a single question about signings ??????? joke of a club
— M (@mpf992) June 27, 2026
Absolute joke of an interview. Them type of interviews should be done in front of fans so they can ask real questions not pre planned questions. World class.
— larry hagman (@larryhagman12) June 27, 2026
Where are the Kyogo, Kühn, …. replacements?
— 2 Celts and a Pint (@gerrelarry) June 27, 2026
What’s the point in Gerry mculloch doing his interviews written by the Celtic board ? Fans gain nothing.
— Moray Skinner (@skinner_moray) June 27, 2026
If MON thinks we only need a couple of players then he is as deluded as the useless clowns on the board.
Didn’t get to Question 12.
How come you are so good?
[ © Jim White ]
The bit about last season, FFS! DD all over it. I’ve read the last 2 emails from Celtic Fans Collective and I’m totally underwhelmed as they’re now trying (or intending to) change structure when we’re screaming out for radical supporter action. Without this NOTHING will change. They should currently be terrified of our next move and it’s clear they’re not even interested in what we think and/or how we feel. The CFC appears to be toothless when we need tigers, little men when we need giants. An ineffectual leadership is much worse than no leadership at all. FFS, CFC, prove me wrong. You’ve got the backing, lead from the front and for starters HUNT THE BOARD. Otherwise you’re pointless and I won’t be donating another penny until you EARN it.
Your aim seems a little off.
Well, that really helped, did it take you a long time to come up with that? How about explaining what you mean, 66.
Oh, sorry, I forgot, you only come on here to criticise whilst offering NOTHING. Byeee, won’t be missed.
” Try and get a couple of players in to augment the squad and try and get going ”
With what’s needing done and the time left to do it
That is f*cking terrifying to hear him say that
An interview written by Lucan…
But because he’s Lucan he canny fu**in do it !
McCulloch is the biggest board puppet in there he is just following orders hes handed a list of questions to ask I’m certain he’s dying to ask t questions we want answered but is not allowed to or he will get sacked
All that was missing there from the compendium of banal interview questions was ‘Can you tell us about a time when you have had to make a difficult decision and what did you take into consideration when doing so?’.
If McInnes and co manage to get off to a decent start (no laughing at the back!), we could struggle given we are a team with insufficient firepower, we still lack a holding midfielder, our best back four contains two injury-prone players, the wide players we have are either long-term injured, close to pension age or not of the required standard and the avarice of the board means not only would offers for Engels, Nygren, Johnston & Maeda be warmly welcomed, their agents have probably been told to go and find buyers for them….. I’m sure I’m not alone in looking at the season ahead with some trepidation at the moment.
Guess who will have a greater bank balance when the window shuts? I will give you a clue, it won’t be the full fats or the the lites
MON- Desmonds right hand man, Martin even calls him the boss, this transfer window will be even worse than those in the past few seasons, we’re f**ked before the league even begins.
The reason I never even watched it,Celtic Media guff,the seasons not even started and the signs are already there,unrest,banned fans media and banned fans from Celtic Park incoming again,CELTIC STATE TV
AS BAD AS THE BBC