Former Hibs and Wigan midfielder Fraser Fyvie has offered a useful insight into how Celtic are operating under Martin O’Neill, and where Shaun Maloney fits into that picture.
From the outside, much of the focus has been on O’Neill’s return and the lift it has given the squad. Fyvie’s comments suggest there is more going on behind the scenes.
O’Neill’s presence is clear on matchdays. The touchline, the presence, the way he manages moments in games. Players respond to that. They always have. It brings a level of belief, especially when matches turn or when the pressure builds late on.
But that alone does not shape how a team plays. Celtic’s recent performances have shown patterns. The pressing is more organised. The positioning higher up the pitch looks more deliberate. There is structure to how they recover the ball and go again.
That points toward the coaching work during the week. Maloney’s role appears clear. He is not the voice on the sideline, but he is involved in how the team is set up before a ball is kicked.
Fyvie said: (Open Goal), “It’s the Martin O’Neill effect, isn’t it?
“I think, genuinely, the effect it had the first time he came in and then, obviously, the second time had a similar effect, I just don’t know what it is, but it just seems to work.
“The track suit and all that as well, it makes me chuckle a bit, but I think Shaun Maloney’s got a big deal to do with it.
“I think, tactically, he’s superb.
“So obviously I’ve played with him, but going to work with Roberto Martínez in Belgium would have done him a world of good. I spoke to him when he was at Hibs and spoke about his coaching and, generally, a chat how he wants to present his teams, but he’s got a lot to do with it.”
That link to Roberto Martínez matters. Maloney has been exposed to a different level of detail in how teams build attacks and control space.
Martínez is now in charge of Portugal, with his contract due to run until after the World Cup this summer, and he has already been linked with the Celtic job. You can see hints of that influence in how Celtic move the ball through midfield and how wide players are used.
The balance between the two roles is what stands out. O’Neill sets the tone. Maloney shapes parts of the game plan. It is not one or the other.
As the season moves on, that mix could decide how far Celtic go. The energy from the manager keeps the group together. The detail from the coaching staff gives them a way to play.
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