Celtic’s managerial situation looks ready to move quickly this week after fresh claims that talks are taking place with both Martin O’Neill and other candidates for the permanent job.
Herald Journalist Stephen McGowan reported that discussions are ongoing as the club moves closer toward a final decision after the dramatic end to the season.
That always felt inevitable once the Scottish Cup Final ended.
The domestic double completely changed the mood around Celtic over the last few weeks. O’Neill returned during a messy season, settled the dressing room and guided the team through a tense title race before wrapping things up with victory over Dunfermline at Hampden.
Still, the uncertainty has never fully gone away.
O’Neill himself has continued giving mixed signals publicly. In some interviews he has sounded excited by coaching again and spoken openly about pre-season plans and working further with the squad. In others he has hinted strongly that another full campaign at 74 may simply be too demanding physically.
That probably explains why Celtic are speaking to other names at the same time.
The club cannot afford another drawn-out process after the Wilfried Nancy disaster earlier this season. Champions League qualifiers arrive quickly in August and huge decisions around recruitment, player sales and pre-season preparation still need sorted.
Whoever takes the job permanently will also inherit recruitment work that has already been ongoing behind the scenes since January, with transfer targets identified ahead of a massive summer rebuild.
There is also a wider rebuild happening behind the scenes.
Shaun Maloney’s growing influence inside the club has already become a major talking point, while questions remain around how Celtic reshape football operations after the failed Paul Tisdale period. Whoever becomes manager will likely work closely within that new structure.
At the same time, O’Neill’s success has made the decision far more difficult emotionally.
Several players have already backed him publicly to remain in charge. Neil Lennon, Jackie McNamara and others around the club have also suggested O’Neill deserves the opportunity to continue if he wants it. Supporters reacted similarly throughout the title celebrations and again at Hampden.
That naturally increases pressure on the board.
Because this is no longer just about appointing the next manager. Celtic must now decide whether replacing somebody who has just delivered a domestic double is worth the gamble before a massive summer.
McGowan’s update probably confirms one thing more than anything else:
Celtic are preparing for both outcomes at once.
The club clearly wants an answer soon, but the final call may still come down to what O’Neill decides during talks over the next few days.
the new manager should have been identified and appointed as soon as we won the league. Even announced after Scottish cup final. Our board are a joke. Toulouse showed them how clubs should operate
You don’t get to pick the manager. Our board should be applauded for signing O’Neil. Credit were credits due.
This should be sorted by now. We won’t be ready for CL qualifier yet again. F#ck off suits
Stevie and John, you are both clearly sitting desperately ready to criticize something you don’t have a clue about!
The wording in your posts only proves you want to blame the board even before you know what’s going on.
You’re acting like a couple of kids!
How do you know what they have been doing? How do you know what they have been discussing with Martin?
On another note, it might have escaped your tiny blinkered mind that this board has once again just delivered us the league and cup double!
AGAINST ALL ODDS.
It’s time you little children grew up!
unlike yourself I am not a happy clapper willing to accept selling off all our assets everytime. who knocked us out of the CL this season? kairat who? MON saved the boards bacon not the other way around. We chased a great manager away by not backing him and replaced him with a fool. you support the suits all you want.
What do you mean the board delivered a double. They did not. It was in spite of the board thst we won both trophies. Get fucking real !!
Martin O’Neill worked wonders with the poorest Celtic squad in recent memory, and deserves all the credit he gets, along with the full coaching team.
The Board did their best during the season to lose us the league and cups, by their signing policies and general mismanagement, however the Fans came to the rescue and drove the team on to winning the double.
The success this season had very little to do with the Board, but more to Martin bringing the club together as one, so much so that the very least he deserves is a place on the Board ( DoF ) or to continue as manager.