Celtic Manager Martin O’Neill spoke to the media alongside Sebastian Tounekti at Stadio Renato Dall’Ara in Bologna ahead of tomorrow evening’s Europa League match against Bologna FC 1909…
Q: Firstly, Tomas Cvancara, how close is that to happening?
Martin O’Neill: “I think it’s very close now. As we speak, he’s doing a medical. I think things are going pretty well.”
Q: Will he be available this weekend, then, in that case?
Martin O’Neill: “Well, he should be. He’s eligible, of course.”
Q: How difficult is the task of facing Bologna?
Martin O’Neill: “Oh, I think this is a difficult game for us, first of all, away from home. So, it’ll be a difficult task. We’ve left ourselves an uphill task here in terms of results, but it’s up to us, we still have a chance.”
Q: They’re not in a particularly good place, results-wise, just now. Is that something that you can take advantage of?
Martin O’Neill: “I’m not sure about that. I think the European results have been pretty good. So, that’s the competition that we’re in. From our viewpoint, we want to give it a go and that’s exactly what we’ll do. They have a very strong side themselves. And while I’d say that form might not be fantastic just in recent weeks, and we ourselves are trying to recover from that, but we have a chance. We must go on and try and take it if we can.”
Q: There’s obviously been a lot of focus on the Premiership. Just how important is the Europa League to you and the club this season going forward?
Martin O’Neill: “When I came here into the football club, I think that we’d had a bit of a struggle. But our focus was to try and get back onto the domestic front as much as anything else. We were well beaten in Midtjylland. It was a bit of a lesson, certainly physically. They were very, very strong, as I said, 17 times. What we’ve tried to learn from that, we came to Feyenoord, played really brilliantly during the course of the game, even coming from a goal behind. But we’ll need all of that there tomorrow night. All of that. And in terms of where we position it, we’re in the competition. We might as well see what if can get through.”
Q: There’s been so much talk about transfers over the last few weeks, and I think maybe some supporters have been getting agitated about it. How relieved are you now being at the point where a signing will get over the line?
Martin O’Neill: “Well, that would be nice. I think it’s fair to be able to say that the squad needs supplementing. We need some help. And that was nice, I must admit. We’ve got some time still left to try and get a few more players in, if it’s at all possible. I’m hoping that it will be.”
Q: Are you hopeful that there could be anyone else in the door before the game on Sunday?
Martin O’Neill: “Well, obviously this here takes, at this minute, immediate priority, of course. We can get back on Friday, and we’re working away. And that, I couldn’t really tell you at this minute.”
Q: Looking at Tomas Cvancara, he looks like quite a big physical profile of a striker. Is that maybe a bit of a throwback?
Martin O’Neill: “No, he’s not actually a target man, believe it or not. He’s quite quick. And he’s not really that, and that’s something I just want to say to you. He’s not the John Hartson type, or the, I suppose, Chris (Sutton) alongside Henrik Larsson or that kind of thing. But he is, he’s quick, he’s agile, and he wants to prove himself. But if you think he’s an immediate answer to any sort of problem we have. I’m not sure that I’d want to throw that sort of responsibility on him.”
Q: Can I just ask about Anthony Ralston? There were suggestions he may not have travelled. Is he OK? Is he with the team?
Martin O’Neill: “Yeah, he’s fine.”
Q: In terms of the rest of the squad, is there anything else?
Martin O’Neill: “The people who are eligible are fit.”
Q: Just in terms of, obviously, you’ve got that great performance in Rotterdam. Do you feel, having been in a few games, that the team’s capable of producing that sort of display? Did you sense that there was a bit of confidence to restore? Do you think you’re at that sort of place?
Martin O’Neill: “Well, I hope so. I mean, that’s obviously the game. We are well aware that we’ve got a big fight on our hands from a side that wants to try make it to the top. It’s a difficult task for us, but all we can do is really put absolutely all our heart and soul into it, and that’s what we can do.”
Q: Sorry to go back to transfers, but now you’ve got possibly one through the door. There has been talk, and speculation, that your own players are interesting other teams. Is it feasible that you would let any at this stage?
Martin O’Neill: “No, if some of our players are attracting a bit of attention, then that’s well done for them, if that’s the case. But, no, I would like to think that we could add to the squad, and then we’ll see what happens after that.
Q: You enjoyed a fantastic European campaign in the early 2000s. What do you think the club need to get back to winning in Europe at the highest level?
Martin O’Neill: “That’s a very good point. We need a very strong team and able to compete at the highest level. I think that’s the ambition again, obviously. This team has won the European Cup. I think it’s a standard that the club has attempted to get to, but we find it very, very difficult.
“Obviously, even since my time in 2003, the landscape of football has changed again. It is difficult. The big teams and the big leagues are awash with money. You’re talking about, for instance, players being bought for £60m or £70m who don’t even start in some teams. A £35m player is just run of the mill. It’s considered run of the mill.That’s the difficulty. That is a serious difficulty.
“When I came into the club we were able to acquire some really good players at the time. Now, what you’re talking about, as I said, is a totally different scenario. It’s difficult.
“The club itself, I think, hopefully Scotland in general, clubs in particular, will try and overcome some of the major obstacles that there are now, financial obstacles, to try and compete again. But that might take some time.”
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