Martin O’Neill was already fighting battles before even being announced as Celtic’s manager on Thursday.
Shaun Maloney and Mark Fotheringham, his two vital dugout allies, have reportedly been offered substantial, non-negotiable, take-it-or-leave-it pay cuts, putting their respective futures at risk.
O’Neill is reportedly now set to “fight hard” with the board in an attempt to make them reconsider their hardball stance.
You truly, honestly, couldn’t write it. Celtic are playing into their reputation to such an extent here that it’s beyond parody.
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O'Neill has signed a one-year deal with the option for a further year…
Celtic’s hardball negotiating continues to defy logic
The impact of Maloney and Fotheringham as Celtic achieved their unlikely league and cup double is no secret.
In fact, it was acknowledged every week in the stands.
READ MORE: Alarmed Martin O’Neill to ‘fight hard’ with Celtic board over backroom staff lowball
Alarm bells have already sounded for the support for next season, when news of Dermot Desmond’s one-to-one talks with Robbie Keane triggered widespread protests.
In ultimately opting for the “easy option” in O’Neill, Desmond and those upstairs may have felt that they were set for an easy boost in popularity among the support.
This has now backfired spectacularly. The club have now discovered the hard way that the unifying, miracle-working presence of O’Neill comes at a cost.
Both Maloney and Fotheringham are managers in their own right. The former has over 100 games in management under his belt.
You wouldn’t be surprised if, in a desperate state after the sacking of Wilfried Nancy, the club offered the pair a blank cheque to come in and clean everything up again.
They may now be offering the pair a salary more similar to what they usually give assistants and coaches.
But in paying them whatever they want to reunite a dugout which produced the remarkable results that put us in this situation in the first place, the club would surely be getting their money’s worth.
Logic certainly says that… but Celtic’s financial model has a history of going against all logic.
Your thoughts on the latest update on the delayed appointment of Martin O’Neill… 🤦♂️
What if Shaun Maloney and Mark Fotheringham leave Celtic?
Fotheringham is reportedly the more likely of the pair to depart, due to the fact that Maloney has a pre-existing contract as Player Pathways Manager, running until 2027.
With O’Neill’s appointment now confirmed, there’s no going back for him.
This creates the possibility for someone else to come in, and given what we heard about Keane’s prospective backroom staff, you’d have to assume that Scott Brown is a leading contender.
If he’s willing to accept a modest wage, that is.
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