O'Neill a 'no-brainer' – now major rebuild awaits

Image source, SNSImage caption, Martin O'Neill is poised to continue as Celtic manager on a one-year contract Celtic appointing Martin O'Neill on a permanent basis is a "no-brainer", according to the club's former captain Paul Lambert. O'Neill is set to continue at Parkhead on a one-year contract after two interim spells culminated in a league and cup double last season. Celtic have not yet confirmed the appointment officially but they have decided continuity is king as they try to avoid the difficulties that plagued parts of last season. "It's a no-brainer," Lambert told BBC Scotland. "He knows the club, he knows what it is to win there. "Celtic is not a development club. It's a club that has to win and there's nobody better to do that." It is difficult to express just how impressive O'Neill's success was last term, but Celtic must navigate another testing summer transfer window if they are to continue in a similar vein next season. O'Neill set to continue as Celtic boss - but other issues still to be resolved Published2 days agoTruth stranger than fiction as O'Neill leads Celtic from hostility to happiness Published16 MayHow many key players will leave?It is not unfeasible that Celtic have more than 10 first-team players leave this summer. It is perhaps the biggest rebuild since Ange Postecoglou took charge in 2021. We already know goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel has retired because of a serious shoulder injury and there are likely to be several more exits. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Kelechi Iheanacho are both out of contract and loan players Marcelo Saracchi, Julian Araujo, Tomas Cvancara, Benjamin Arthur, Junior Adamu and Joel Mvuka all return to their parent clubs. Saracchi impressed as an able deputy to Kieran Tierney at left-back but it remains to be seen if Celtic can negotiate a deal to keep the Uruguayan. Japan forward Daizen Maeda - the driving force of Celtic's late surge to the title under O'Neill - is entering the final year of his contract and craves a fresh challenge after having a move blocked last summer. O'Neill has admitted the Scottish Cup final win over Dunfermline was likely Maeda's last appearance for the club. Reo Hatate has also been linked with an exit while Celtic rejected £25m for midfielder Arne Engels in January and their resolve might well be tested again. Benjamin Nygren will likely attract interest after a superb first season in Scotland and even influential captain Callum McGregor's future is in some doubt after he spoke about how the club must match his ambition moving forwards. "I want to be here. I just want to make sure that the club continue to push and want to be successful," McGregor said at the end of the season. "We know the league's getting more competitive and teams are spending more money. We have to match that and try to push on as well. If you want to be successful, you have to keep pushing." The former Scotland midfielder has previously been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia to link up with former boss Brendan Rodgers. Tasked with a rebuild of such scale, it is crucial Celtic do not repeat the mistakes of last season. Incomings were left until the end of the summer window, by which time they were already out of Champions League qualifying. Michel-Ange Balikwisha was brought in for a significant fee after weeks of talks and failed to have any impact. Celtic were left with an imbalanced squad that lacked depth, particularly in forward areas, and supporters expressed anger at the board at both the lack of investment and urgency. The Champions League play-off round - the stage at which they were beaten by Kairat Almaty - is looming large on 18/19 August this year. It was not just in the summer where Celtic's business flattered to deceive. When O'Neill returned for his second interim spell after Wilfried Nancy's sacking, he spoke frequently of the need to supplement his squad in the January window. And yet none of the players signed on loan in January featured after the split. Some were injured, others evidently not rated or trusted by O'Neill. That trend simply cannot continue this summer and Lambert believes O'Neill will play a big part in reshaping the squad. "Hopefully he gets the players he wants to carry the club forward," Lambert said. "It's a big summer for Celtic. I think what happened last year has given them a fright. What he did was galvanise things and I'm pretty sure he will have the last say on which players come in." Again, forward areas will likely be the priority, especially if Maeda does leave. Celtic still have not effectively replaced Kyogo Furuhashi - who left two years ago - as their main striker, while Jota's quality in wide areas is unable to be harnessed because of long-term injury. Celtic's attacking output has clearly regressed. In the 2024-25 title-winning campaign under Rodgers, they scored 112 league goals. Last term, they managed just 73. Still, O'Neill can look back to the summer of 2000 - his first

O'Neill a 'no-brainer' – now major rebuild awaits

Key takeaways

More in sports