15 Aug 2026 06:57:07
Looking at the paper talk, twitter etc it’s fair to say we are looking at brining in a utility man (we know O’Neill loves them) and a box to box midfielder, left back is close, keeper is close. I think we would need to go back to O’neills first 2 seasons where we signed players and you could see the jigsaw take shape, strachan possibly as well, but since then it’s been square pegs in round holes. I think all supporters would agree we need to sell some players at their financial selling peak, however it must be with a plan to replace. Engels going is huge but not negative and if we get the replacements in the fans will back it.
I just hope Maloney is watching how O’Neill gets what he wants and uses the same method if he takes over as manager, also I firmly believe O’neill was subtlety leaking to someone to leak to the press in order to pressure the board.
Thoughts on all of above.
15 Aug 2026 12:47:39
Good points made in your post Hogh9.
I was in the 'keep Engels' camp and attempt to build a team around him, now he's away, like many, I hope we can recruit at his level or better, in order to progress and move forward.
In MON we have a coach who has, as a player, club manager, international team manager and crucially, man manager, seen and done it all.
He also happens to be a very intelligent individual who can operate as comfortably at board level as he does in the dressing room.
Now, whether the purse strings being opened and the level of player we're signing in this window is solely down to MON, I can't say.
I have no doubt that young Master Maloney will be getting an education as a by product of MON being back in charge at Celtic and working with him, day in day out.
If SM were to replace MON, he would have the benefit of not only his previous experience, pre Celtic (good and bad) , as well as everything he learned last season alone, which was insane on any level.
Could MON be kept on in some capacity as a link between the team and board going forward should SM get the gig - who knows?
We have a player signing model in place which has largely been successful over several years now, our DNA as a football club has been in place since the very begining with Jock Stein setting the standard during his trophy laden tenure as manager, he set the bar in the modern era.
As several other clubs across Europe e. g. Bodo Glimt, have demonstrated, by having the correct footballing infrastructure in place to include;-
* youth developnent
* coaching
* player signing model
* the specific type of player signed
* style of play
it shouldn't matter the name of the coach who's in place at the club as he should fit the system, NOT the other way around.
Nancy was the best or worst example of how not to do this and that appointment should be a constant reminder just how quickly it can go wrong.
We have the start of those building blocks, we need the board to support the methodology and once this 'green print' is fully in place, in theory it should run like the proverbial well oiled machine.
Time will tell.
HH.
15 Aug 2026 16:21:41
Well said pedro, I do think the pressure to win every game stiffles us for bringing in season on season lennoxtown honed talent.
There’s a massive gap between being good enough for us in do or die matches and being an u23 player in England, or even being bled into a first team in the premiership as rotation is very much the norm from 7th to relegation.
I think we may see something of a leap from Celtic in terms of results as the quality of our first 11 has considerabley improved / forecasted to improve with the additions being saught. Time will tell, but hopefully it puts all the moaners and panty wetters back in their box.