The interim boss has been forced to take charge of the January shopping with eye-opening admission of Hoops failings
Paul Tisdale(Image: SNS Group)
Martin O’Neill has revealed he has been the one left orchestrating Celtic’s transfer business as he admits the champions are playing catch-up to Hearts and Rangers.
The Irishman revealed the Hoops are closing on targets including Lorient striker Mohamed Bamba but he understands fans are getting nervous at the lack of arrivals with rivals Rangers and Hearts already tooling up for the run in.
O’Neill has been forced to take charge of signings – with help from assistants Shaun Maloney and Mark Fotheringham – as he laid bare the mess left behind by binned recruitment chief Paul Tisdale.
Celtic are gearing up for a huge fortnight and O’Neill said: “I agree, it is vital, I’m well aware I’m not going to minimise it. I promise I am not sitting on my backside, I’m trying my best. I’d be very hopeful of bringing a few in. I am in the process of looking at these.
“Away back in my first spell as manager, I had time to do that before I was bringing people in. I had that all prepared. Unfortunately, it’s me, and haven’t got this prepared now at this minute. Because I had Christmas at home, not expecting this.
“Yes, things have been put to me and I’m trying to do as much as I can. “Eventually, I may just have to rely on someone else’s judgement, like Shaun’s or Fozzy or someone else, and then go for it. I’m not saying something here now, so that three months down the line I’m doing an interview saying ‘well, it was their fault.’ No, it’ll be down to me.
“It’s a difficult one. If Rangers and Hearts have had a head start then, at this minute, I can’t do much about that.
Celtic boss Martin O’Neill(Image: SNS Group)
“You’re just dealing with one at a time. Honestly, we’ll get some people in. “It’s just that when you mention about Rangers and Hearts and I go out of here, oh, good Lord. You don’t make me feel great!”
O’Neill has been left to source and sign players – while also keeping Celtic on track in the title race.
The boss said: “Well, we’re sharing it, but eventually it’ll be done. But there’s only so many calls I can make in a day. But we are actually furiously working. It doesn’t sound as if it’s me having some tea and relaxing here and things.
“Once you leave here, I’ll be back up on the phone again. The games have become so important for us. The margin of error is so small now as we can’t catch up those matches we’ve lost. So the games become a real focus.”
O’Neill won’t flinch if the right permanent deal is available but he’s mainly shopping in the loan market.
And he’d love a blockbuster move like the swoop for Wales superstar Craig Bellamy during his first spell at the club.
O’Neil said: “Craig was relatively decent in that he had a fall-out with the manager of Newcastle at the time (Graeme Souness). He wanted to come to us so it was pretty straightforward. And as it turned out, he was great for us during those few months.
“But listen, it’s a changing world, isn’t it? I’ve naturally been searching around for it. There’s a couple of players that I like and I’ve spoken to the clubs and seen the possibility.
“But they are also needing to get people in. But then there’s only so many days you can hang on to something that might not materialise. I don’t want to be kind of stuck on that last day, if that’s the case.
“There are loads of players out there, and a lot of the players you’d want as you believe they’d definitely improve things, you have to do some work for it. Now some other teams may be ploughing on.
“But clubs like Rangers must have known about the players they’re signing. Their manager, during a period of time, have known about them. And I didn’t know. Don’t get me wrong, I am getting help in the background here which I need, obviously.
“But if it’s not people for a long-term process for us – and it’s players who can help and see us over the line for the next few months – then that’s something we’d be doing.”
O’Neill is also braced for bids for his own players with Daizen Maeda, Callum McGregor and Reo Hatate all linked with moves
But he said: “I’ll see what happens. I’m not desperate to let anyone go. But if something comes in that I think suits the club and I have a replacement then it’s not a problem. I’d like to get players in before we think about players going out.”