Tony Watt says that Celtic’s process of appointing Martin O’Neill doesn’t reflect well on the club.
The decision was made to keep the interim boss permanently after a week of talks in London, in which Dermot Desmond reportedly prioritised Robbie Keane.
Fan backlash has seemingly had an impact, with news of O’Neill’s permanent stay emerging on Friday evening.
According to Watt, the last ten days haven’t reflected well on Desmond.
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Tony Watt: Celtic process was ‘disrespectful’ Martin O’Neill
Watt said on Clyde Superscoreboard: “I think the fact that he’s doing the year speaks a lot about his drive and motivation.
“I think he’s probably the right candidate at the moment; I think having [Shaun] Maloney and Mark Fotheringham is big.
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“Maloney’s probably a Celtic legend, or if not, a big figure in the recent past.
“Fotheringham, by all accounts — you hear a lot through the grapevine in football — is a very, very good coach, the boys love him.
“I think, regardless, he should’ve been kept on as a coach somewhere along the line, I think Maloney would’ve been up in the boardroom, sporting director level.
“So I think Martin O’Neill’s the right choice at the moment, I think the stability’s a good thing at the moment after what happened with Nancy. I keep going back to it.
“But now, what I would like to see is Martin O’Neill getting free reign on the signings. Go and sign players who will make Celtic better.
“Martin O’Neill, knows a player or two, given his recent past. His history at Celtic, but his history all over.
“The only thing I will repeat: it doesn’t shine well, the last ten days, on the board and Dermot Desmond.
“Because it’s [taken] for fans to protest for Robbie Keane for him not to get the job. Let’s be honest, he was getting the job.
“I think the fans protesting, we [saw] it last night, it stopped him getting the job, and the backup — which is quite disrespectful to Martin O’Neill, who should’ve been given the job if he wanted it — was Martin O’Neill.”
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Martin O’Neill to stay at Celtic: What does it mean?
Many feel that O’Neill has earned the right to stay on in his position, but there is a fair bit of a surprise that he has committed to stay this summer.
A major rebuild awaits, as Chris Sutton rightly acknowledges. Any manager would need help given the amount of business to be done.
O’Neill was extremely popular among the Celtic players, with many voicing their support for him staying.
But with many of them expected to move on this summer, the dressing room will have a very different look by the end of this summer’s transfer window.
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