Martin O’Neill spoke to the written press in Rotterdam last night ahead of what will be his final match in European football this evening as Celtic take on Feyenoord in De Kuip looking to take some points back to Glasgow…
The legendary Celtic figure though looked beyond this game to consider the task that incoming Celtic manager Wilfried Nancy will face if he is to become a successful Celtic manager. And for O’Neill it critical that the new boss is backed in the transfer market and that his signings are shrewd.
“If you have recruited a manager, that is fine. But player recruitment is essential, it’s really important,” Martin O’Neill said, as reported by Scottish Sun.
“Last year in terms of Europe it was like a nice, shining light, as if you could push on. Then you step back again and it’s not so strong. In the next couple of years, Celtic will come again in European football. They might just have to step back for a while at this minute, but recruitment is really important.
“I know people always say about January being a difficult window, and it may well be. But if you’re talking about rebuilding the club to try to compete in Europe, and to be able to not have a big intake of breath when someone expects you to go to Feyenoord and win, then that is the point.
“Jock Stein said it, European football is where Celtic should be. But at this minute it’s a struggle for us.”
It’s hard to understand how Celtic could have gone from competing well in the Champions League last season and giving Bayern Munich their toughest match of the season at their own place to struggling to match our Champions League points tally in the more humble Europa League, but that’s exactly where Celtic has ended up. Brendan Rodgers lost his job – and was accused of self interest – for pointing this out.
Now Martin O’Neill is going down a similar track although he isn’t going to lose his job for pointing out the obvious as he’s leaving on Sunday anyway.
So what does Martin O’Neill have in the Celtic dressing room that he reckons Wilfried Nancy can work with? “Well, they have got a great captain in the side, a very good player who has pulled us out. He scored the goal against (the)Rangers that was really important in extra time, and scored the one last weekend, which was an even better goal, he struck it brilliantly.
“And there’s a number of boys here who have been winners. That’s good. I think the new fella will have to lean on those boys along the way,” O’Neill said.
“We’ve got a group of younger boys who haven’t really been doing that sort of winning, and who maybe don’t really know what the club’s all about. It’s a bit like boys signing for (the)Rangers at the same time, I don’t think they really know about the history.
“I’m not asking young players to be students of the game, I’m just telling them what they have to step up to.”
His advice for Wilfried Nancy is exactly the same as he’d give to any new manager arriving in Glasgow.
“He has to win, and he has to win right from the off. You’ve got to win. Celtic over the last 20 years have obviously been the dominating force in Scottish football. But honest to God, it would be the exact same message for the new manager going in at (the)Rangers.
“First of all, winning gives you a bit of respite, and then it gives you a chance to build a team in your manner, whatever that manner may be. It’s all of those things. Style will definitely come later. This idea that you impose a style, for instance, the young fella Ruben Amorim at Manchester United, they are saying he wants to impose a system, but you have to work with the players.
“That would be my only advice. You work with the players that you have, and if you win often enough, then either if you win and you think, ‘Well, winning that way was pretty good, so we’ll try and stick with that’ or you impose your own personality and your own style of play at the football club.”
Celtic take on Feyenoord at the Stadion Feijenoord this evening in the Europa League, kick-off is at 5.45pm CPT and the game is exclusively live on TNT Sports.
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We are some way from being regarded as a strong European team. Hardly helps with missing a few European quality players, which is only increasing the workload upon the likes at present.
More problems at present, is that we are currently lacking in numbers, to even form stability within a core group of players. Isn’t helping where development is practically none existent for ourselves
The core issues regarding players hasn’t been helped by players leaving, and unable to find the adequate replacements, which reduces our core group strength.
Would help if development with improvement was on show, but that’s been lacking badly with the consistency factor required for ourselves imo?
Thinking we are going to buy CL quality players, within the money market, we have to operate within, is nothing more than wishful thinking?
The SPFL is becoming a harder sell for agents and potential players alike, especially in the European market, hence the last minute approach imo?
And even if recruitment and development are successful, then players can outgrown our club, very quickly, especially with the opportunities available to themselves in bigger leagues, with the financial packages available to themselves?
Hence the whole cycle begins, all over again, during nearly every summer period, during a transfer window?
Personally believe that the development issue is our biggest factor, to improve upon imo?
Getting 8 homegrown players in place, that could be relied upon, on the European stage, is a massive ask. But have to start having 8 that can be depended upon, just within the SPFL would be a big start, and hopefully grow into players for the European encounters when required.
The transfer market, is going to remain at hit and miss levels, especially with the money factor we are trying to operate within.
Doesn’t place ourselves under financial pressure at present, with a strong player trading model. Yet that is going to reduce rapidly, if the development issues remain idle.
Clubs with lesser resources, can operate better than ourselves, with having a far better development program in operation for themselves imo?
We are currently using a rotational policy, due to a injury list so high at present, but does challenge the quality issues involved. Even moreso if a number of European quality players having there eyes upon the exit door, to go along with the injury list.
First time ever, with the restructure of European football, that I can’t decide upon whether it could be regarded as a hindrance?
The reason why, is that progressing in the europa league, will result in only allowing 3 changes to the squad already in place for ourselves?
Personally believe that we have far more than just 3 decisions to resolve, within our squad, especially within an SPFL title race imo?
Such decisions will be what Nancy is potentially looking at presently imo?
Even considering changing the team set up, and where players under contract, might fit into such plans?
8 homegrown quota players are going to have to fit in somehow regardless, and the right to be worthy of such a squad place for ourselves?
Hopefully the amount of players required each summer, regarding squad numbers can be reduced, as stability within the squad, won’t be achieved by turning around so many players every summer either.
Would be great to get to a stage, where players can be used moreso from within, than having to be so reliant upon a transfer window imo?
Expecting to replace 10/15M quality players, with a like for like is nonsense, and makes out every other club within the European market, haven’t a clue upon players transfer worth?
At present, we are still some distance away from even being considered as a decent CL team in the making imo?
The decline set in after Munich last season, and hasn’t been improved whatsoever.
And without getting any form of a development programme in operation for ourselves. Then European football will remain as nothing more than a hit and miss approach, upon a season after season basis.
So if that means winning ugly like last weekend, but can be beneficial to our development for the longer term, then can accept such a plan, put in place for the increasing challenges that European football currently brings ourselves imo?