Martin O’Neill has made it clear Celtic will not be taking their time as preparations continue for the new season and another important Champions League qualifier.
The Celtic manager knows the first big European test will arrive quickly, with only a couple of domestic matches before the qualifier comes around.
That puts extra pressure on the club to get their transfer business done, and O’Neill believes new players are still needed before the season gets fully under way.
Speaking to the Daily Record, O’Neill said: “I honestly don’t think I’ve ever paced myself. Unfortunately, football doesn’t give you the chance to pace yourself. So I’ve never done that. It’s just going full throttle now.
“I think the recruitment is very, very important, to try and get some more players in if we can do. And I think the Champions League game is nearly within a couple of matches of the season starting. It’s upon you.”
Celtic know only too well how damaging an early European setback can be.
Last season, the team went into the qualifier believing they had a real chance of making it through, only to fall short and drop into the Europa League.
O’Neill feels that defeat stayed with the players for some time, even though European football continued.
He added: “That’s obviously a big game. If you don’t win that, you drop into the Europa League. But even so, that’s a game that the side this time last year looked as if they could win, and they didn’t do.
“That was a major disappointment. I think it took quite some time to get over it as well, regardless of playing in the Europa League. So yes, there are big games coming thick and fast now, so quickly.”
The manager’s message is clear. Celtic cannot afford to let the summer drift while one of the biggest matches of the campaign gets closer.
O’Neill will have time to work with the current squad during pre-season, but he plainly wants more options before the serious football begins.
Reaching the Champions League would bring a major financial reward and give Celtic the chance to face some of Europe’s best sides.
O’Neill has already seen how much that kind of defeat can affect a squad, and he will want Celtic to be in a much stronger position this time around.
With the league season and European qualifiers coming so close together, there is little margin for error.
Celtic’s work in the transfer market over the coming weeks could play a major part in deciding how ready they are when the first defining game of the campaign arrives.
