Celtic’s interim boss Martin O’Neill made an interesting trip to Fir Park on Saturday.
It’s the norm for managers and coaches to go and watch opponents they are due to play in the coming week or weeks at the ground.
But Celtic don’t play Motherwell until 14th March, so it got many people talking that O’Neill, who was alongside Mark Fotheringham, was on a scouting mission as the Hoops search for a striker during their, so far, frustrating January transfer window.
There is the suggestion that O’Neill could have been watching Tawanda Maswanhise, who incidentally scored the winner as The Steelmen knocked Championship side Ross County out of the Scottish Cup.
Motherwell midfielder Andy Halliday discussed this matter on his latest punditry stint on Clyde 1.
What would you say to Dermot Desmond about Celtic’s transfer model now?
Andy Halliday on Martin O’Neill watching Tawanda Maswanhise at Motherwell
At first, the panel were discussing who their ‘performer of the week’ was, and to nobody’s surprise, Halliday put forward his Motherwell teammate.
Maswanhise’s goal in the Scottish Cup was his 15th in all competitions this season, as well as his ten strikes in 19 Premiership matches.
That’s when Gordon Duncan, who is a Motherwell fan, brought up O’Neill’s trip, and how he must have been scouting and watching Maswanhise in action.
Halliday acknowledged that, given how well Maswanhise is doing, ‘somebody is going to be watching you’, as he lauded and applauded what the 23-year-old has been producing this term.
Halliday: “I’m going to go again for Tawanda Maswanhise (as my performer of the week). He has been a difference-maker all season long for the mighty Well.
“15 goals. Sitting in January. We have just mentioned the Africa Cup of Nations. We all remember his goal. 17 goal contributions in total. He has had an unbelievable season.
“In what was never going to be an easy game (against Ross County in the Scottish Cup), again to take us to the next round.”
Presenter Gordon Duncan, who is also a Motherwell fan: “Was he being watched by Martin O’Neill, though? That’s the big question.”
Halliday: “You can certainly put two and two together and think ‘probably’, given that we don’t play Celtic for a considerable few weeks.
“Listen, if you are doing that well, somebody is going to be watching you, that’s for sure.”
Duncan: “The longer the show went on. I became convinced that two plus two is four. Not that he will definitely be signed by Celtic.
“But it has to have been ‘why?’ It really does.”
Receive a digest of our best Celtic content each week direct to your mailbox
