Martin O’Neill has urged Celtic’s board to seriously consider keeping members of his backroom team involved next season after praising the impact they made during the club’s dramatic domestic double success.
O’Neill twice returned to rescue Celtic during one of the most chaotic campaigns in recent memory and has repeatedly credited those around him for helping steady the club during the run-in.
Shaun Maloney, Mark Fotheringham, Stephen McManus, Gavin Strachan and Craig Dunbar all formed part of the interim coaching setup that somehow guided Celtic from apparent collapse to league and Scottish Cup glory.
And speaking after the Hampden triumph over Dunfermline, O’Neill admitted he hopes the board think carefully before completely dismantling that structure this summer.
He said:
“I would hope that whatever happens, they would consider the coaching staff that I’ve had because they have been brilliant,” he said to the Herald. “Shaun, Fozzy, Big Mick, Gavin and Craig, they’ve all been great helps to me.
“A new manager may want to bring his own people, but maybe that’s something they could think about. But I don’t know what’s in the minds of the board at the moment. I’ll find out.
“The board might even think about that, they may do, because Shaun and Fozzy have been terrific. Fozzy is just something else, really he is. When we were travelling back and forward together, he kept saying, ‘Yes, we’re going to finish third!’ No he didn’t! He kept saying, ‘We can do it!’
“I don’t know, maybe I’m talking out of turn here at this minute. But I’m sure now at this minute they might think about it or they might ask my opinion on the thing. They’re hugely capable. The players like them. I’m not so sure they like me, but that’s beside the point.”
With uncertainty still surrounding whether O’Neill himself will remain in charge, his public backing of the coaching group could prove significant as Celtic prepare for another major summer rebuild ahead of Champions League qualifiers.
Celtic do like to have that ‘continuity coach’. For a while, it was John Kennedy, but in recent times, it’s been Gavin Strachan, who was there under Postecoglou, Rodgers and Nancy. He’s stayed on with Martin O’Neill too.
Big decisions have to be made in the dugout over the coming days and weeks.
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yes they made a huge impact in restoring the confidence in our players and made them relise the are top players and not to bother with whats going on wih a section of the support that was giving them no support im the next manager will know how much these people are so close to turning our squad round