There’s been lowlights and drama aplenty but everything’s still to play for Martin O’Neill and his players
Ryan McDonald, Michael Gannon and Graeme Young Live Sports Editor
12:00, 07 Feb 2026
Martin O’Neill and Dermot Desmond
To call it a dramatic time would be underselling the bonkers nature of a Celtic season for the ages.
In a campaign when problems haven’t been hard to seek it’s still feasible the Premiership champions, winners of 13 of the past top-flight titles, could retain their crown, win the Scottish Cup and win their first knockout tie in Europe for 22 years.
But there’s been lowlights and drama aplenty with Brendan Rodgers dramatically exiting, Wilfried Nancy flopping and Martin O’Neill saving the day twice.
Then you throw into the mix the fan unrest aimed directly at the board over transfers and the direction of travel of the club under the guidance of principal shareholder Dermot Desmond and an under-fire board.
It’s a recipe for recriminations and festering anger on a weekend when the Celtic Fan Collective are urging the fans to boycott Saturday night’s Scottish Cup clash with Dundee.
But there are green shoots of recovery with O’Neill mustering spirited displays to keep Celtic alive on three fronts. Michael Gannon, Ryan McDonald and Graeme Young pore over the big talking points facing Scottish football’s dominant force during one of their most contentious campaigns in recent memory.
Will Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain be a difference maker at Celtic? Ryan: “It all depends on whether he manages to stay fit. He hasn’t played competitive football since May and his injury record is an obvious concern.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain training with Arsenal(Image: Getty Images)
But Celtic are crying out for fresh legs and quality in the middle of the park, and if the former England international can get back up to speed, he could prove a valuable asset between now and the end of the season. He’ll either be an Aaron Ramsey or an Aaron Mooy.”
Graeme: “Yes, if he proves his fitness then Celtic will be getting a player who seamlessly fits what they look for in a player. His injury record is an obvious concern but his transition from a free-spirited attacker to a tactically-aware midfielder under Jurgen Klopp was clear to see. Adding a player who can roll his sleeves up and crash into the box would be invaluable. Ryan rightly namechecks Aaron Mooy but the best versions of O’Neill’s original Celtic were made stronger by Stilyan Petrov’s all-action displays, O’Neill is craving something similar from his current midfield.
Michael: It depends on how quickly he can get up to speed. His experience and ability to carry the ball should give Celtic more control over games, and could be handy towards the end of tight matches if he comes off the bench. O’Neill wanted more experience and AOC has plenty of it.
Despite the festering recriminations – will this Celtic team go and win the league? Ryan: “They can – but they clearly can’t afford many more slip-ups. Martin O’Neill once led Celtic on a record-breaking 25-game winning streak back in 2003-04. With 14 cup finals remaining, it will take something close to another remarkable run to sprint clear of Hearts and Rangers and secure five-in-a-row. If that happens, O’Neill deserves a statue on The Celtic Way. He should have one anyway.”
Graeme: “They say fate laughs at probabilities, however, the strife surrounding this campaign has felt like it’s been a year when Celtic have often appeared doomed. But O’Neill’s stunning win rate laughs in the face of bad fortune and he will have March 1 circled on his calendar. Win, or even avoid defeat, against big-spending Rangers will see Celtic take on their biggest rivals and fellow title chasers Hearts at home after the split. That feels like a stroke of fortune they can take advantage of if their January signings make an impact.”
Michael: It’s still a long shot as there are too many questions over how the new Bhoys will fare. The recent performances against Hearts and Falkirk have been red flags and there’s still a vulnerability about the side. Celts have very little margin of error but it remains to be seem if they are capable of going a long unbeaten run and getting results against Rangers and Hearts.
It’s clear something is glaringly wrong in the way Celtic recruit players – how can it be fixed? Ryan: “What has failed recently was not due to our structure or model…” Those words will haunt Dermot Desmond. The reality is the club appears misaligned from top to bottom and is crying out for modernisation.
(Image: Getty Images)
The first move should be the appointment of a proven sporting director, followed by a serious overhaul of recruitment – even if that means raiding the scouting departments of clubs like Bodo/Glimt, Club Brugge and Midtjylland, who have consistently outperformed Celtic in Europe through smarter, sharper talent identification.
Graeme: “They have to identify a director of football capable of building a recruitment department fbeitting of a club of Celtic’s stature whose sole job is to put together a crystal clear signing plan which future-proofs any late transfer interest in their best players. Task the right person with building something akin to the first two transfer windows under Ange Postecoglou which landed 10 key contributors and instantly ended Rangers’ renaissance.”
Michael: It’s not going to be easy. Celtic could really do with an experienced director of football to sort out the entire department. Right now Celtic are struggling with talent identification and concluding deals. A huge rebuild is coming in the summer and appointing someone to lead the search for a manager and players is vital.
If O’Neill bids farewell in the summer, should Shaun Maloney be considered for the top job? Ryan: The question was put to Maloney last week and he made it clear he doesn’t want to be considered. But the former Belgium coach deserves as much credit as O’Neill for helping steady the ship. With long-serving John Kennedy vacating his role, Maloney should be part of the new-look coaching team moving forward. He’s hugely respected at Lennoxtown and would surely be of greater use out on the grass than in his official role as Professional Player Pathway Manager.
Graeme: “The players adore the sessions Maloney is overseeing and his amiable nature belies a steely operator who is well-respected for his coaching, both within Celtic and in the wider football world. Celtic parted ways with long-term No.2 John Kennedy who served four managers well, however, it would be remiss to let Maloney exit the building even if the next boss didn’t have a place for him. The former Scotland international has struggled as the main but his understanding of the modern game is unquestioned.”
Michael: No. Maloney has a role at the club and a new manager might want an inside presence on his coaching staff, which could bring him and Mark Fotheringham into the equation, but it’s not a realistic appointment for the top job. Celtic are heading into a massive summer, similar to when Ange Postecoglou arrived in 2021, and it’s going to require an experienced manager to cope with all the upheaval and deal with the task of leading the club for the next few years.
Were Celtic right or wrong to not take £25m for Arne Engels?
Ryan: “You can look at it two ways. Turning down a record-equalling fee for a player who hasn’t exactly lit up Scottish football is a huge gamble, especially when that offer may never come again. Had Celtic possessed a fully functional recruitment operation, Engels would have been sold and replaced. Clearly, they didn’t trust themselves to do that. On the flip side, the board have been bashed for asset-stripping and leaving the team short. Now, they’ve put the football department ahead of the finance department and deserve some credit for that. My view is that had the monster bid arrived three weeks earlier, Engels would be a Nottingham Forest player.”
Graeme: “In isolation, and removing the longer term anger over planning ahead, it appears the right call. Engels has been good under O’Neill’s two reigns and comes alive in games where he is tasked with using his athleticism. Adding Oxlade-Chamberlain to the mix gives Celtic real options in the engine room and would be a help rather than a hindrance to the Belgian international’s development.”
Michael: If the offer came in a few days earlier Celtic would have snapped a hand off. And that proves the club has lost faith in its recruitment process. The real big money bids tend to come in late – especially from England. Celtic should have a list of options to be ready to pounce if and when it happens. It cost them with Daizen Maeda in the summer and again here. Engels has the ability to go to the top but he can struggle in the hustle and bustle in Scotland. Celts doubling their dough would have been ideal, if they had been able to swiftly move for a replacement.
Should Dermot Desmond publicly address the support, and if so, would it make a difference? Ryan: “Of course he should. The club is engulfed in a civil war and a major cause of that is the total lack of communication from the top. What is Celtic’s five-year plan? Why do the same mistakes keep being repeated in the transfer market? Who is actually accountable? Why has the principal shareholder not attended an AGM since 2006? Why are Celtic so often underprepared for Champions League qualifiers? Why is there no meaningful dialogue with leading fan groups? How do they propose to improve the matchday experience? Why have the stadium facilities been neglected, all while season ticket prices continue to rise? The list goes on and on.”
Graeme: “100 percent. Desmond’s last sit down with club TV was when Ange Postecoglou all-but had the title in the bag in May 2022. Managers openly namecheck the principal shareholder as the club’s ultimate decision maker, while fans are left longing for direct correspondence from the man at the top. Desmond is often described by the man in the dugout as a man with his finger on the pulse who lives and breathes every aspect of the club. Celtic fans have had their fill of his name attached to statements, and how punters would love to hear his views months removed from his astonishing slapdown of former boss Rodgers. The fanbase have never needed to know what’s coming next more than they do now.”
Michael: “Desmond isn’t the chief executive or the chairman, so it would be strange, from even a corporate governance point of view, to address the supporters. That’s what made his recent public addresses all the more wild, especially the infamous one nuking Brendan Rodgers. It’s no secret where the Parkhead power lies though and it would be nice to see him sit down with some journalists and fan groups for a chat. There’s more chance of Desmond and Rodgers doing the Can Can in the centre circle at Parkhead.”