Paul Lambert has warned that Martin O’Neill will not take it easy if he doesn’t get what he wants from the Celtic board.
The club’s infamous approach to negotiations has been the bane of many a Celtic manager… not least Brendan Rodgers, who resigned in acrimonious circumstances after the club’s last summer window.
O’Neill was already fighting battles before his appointment was even confirmed, with the appointment of his two assistants delayed by a fortnight after they were offered “substantial wage cuts”.
Ex-Parkhead captain Lambert, who knows O’Neill as well as anyone, has no doubt that his ex-boss won’t hold back with his demands.
👀 Is Paul Lambert right?
Will Martin O'Neill be demanding of the board behind the scenes?
Paul Lambert: Celtic won’t make same mistakes again
Lambert told the Daily Record: “I don’t think Celtic as a club stands still at any point.
“I’m pretty sure the people in the hierarchy like Michael Nicholson and Dermot won’t stand still, especially when the manager’s there.
READ MORE: Alfie Devine sparks Celtic talk among Preston fans with social media post
“The manager won’t like that to happen again, that last season syndrome. I don’t think anybody at Celtic wants that.
“I’m pretty sure everybody’s learned their lesson that you can never take your eye off the ball, you can never take your foot off the gas, you have to go and win it again.
“And that’s the beauty about Celtic, you have to keep winning it, it doesn’t matter. That title’s gone now, that’s in the history books, you have to go and do it again.
“Whether Rangers and Hearts are stronger, I don’t know, but I’m pretty sure Celtic will be a lot stronger than they were last year.
“I know how management and board-level works because I was a manager myself for 20 years. “They’ll talk and have dialogue between Martin, Michael and Dermot, I’m pretty sure.
“I don’t know what parameters they’ll go with but to make a mark in Europe, then they’re going to have to go a good bit anyway, that’s for sure.
“Domestically is so important for them but if you can get into the Champions League, you don’t want to be getting into that with one arm tied behind your back.
“If there’s any manager that will get his way, it’ll be him. That’s the beauty of him, because he’ll not take it easy if he’s not going to get it.
“So I think you’ll have good dialogue and that’s why I think Celtic won’t make the same mistake again.”
Change expected at Celtic this summer
Change in the squad is inevitable, with key players Daizen Maeda and Arne Engels both widely expected to leave.
Given uncertainty over the futures of Reo Hatate, Paulo Bernardo and even Callum McGregor, Celtic are understandably being linked with many midfielders at the moment.
With doubt also surrounding the status of Kelechi Iheanacho, a striker is also likely to be a priority – Celtic’s forwards made last season’s league and cup double possible with their goals in the run-in.
The retirement of Kasper Schmeichel has also created a goalkeeping vacancy, and it looks likely that a new number one is the target this summer, despite the presence of Viljami Sinisalo.
Receive a digest of our best Celtic content each week direct to your mailbox
