With Celtic fans taking a well deserved break for a bit of rest and recuperation during the off season after what was quite a turmoil inflicted 2025/26 Scottish Premiership campaign, work behind the scenes at Parkhead continues at pace…well, a pace of sorts.
With the summer World Cup out in the host nations of the United States of America, Canada and Mexico, in full flow now and whilst there are bizarre advert…sorry water breaks and plenty of other controversies to keep fans entertained, there has also been some pretty unexpected action on the pitch with a number of breath taking goals scored so far.
The highlight so far for Scottish fans who follow the national team would have undoubtedly have been boyhood Hoop John McGinn finding the net once again with what could be his most important goal at international level – the 28th minute winner against Haiti in Steve Clarke’s opening Group C stage game. For those who have been checking TonyBet sportsbook for all the relevant available odds for the tournament, the lovable McGinn would have featured highly to continue his own scoring streak in that match.
Closer to home through, fans now know that the legend that is Martin O’Neill will be in charge for the coming 2026/27 campaign having already signed a 12 month deal, with a reported 12 month option on top, and the transfer window speculation rumour mill is in full flow when it comes to potential targets the serial winning 74 year old would like to bring in to the club this summer.
For fans who were hoping for a busy, but slightly less manic and emotional rollercoaster this term where it became obvious that lessons had been learned, we do know that there appears to be some kind of quibbling over re-employing O’Neill’s trusted backroom staff and the quibble is wages.
Lieutenant’s Shaun Maloney and Mark Fotheringham are continuing with their negotiations with the board to tie them up at the club for a period that matches O’Neill’s new deal following his saviour double return to the club last season, and given they helped him to turn our fortunes around and take us to the title in quite emphatic fashion, many will be wondering quite why it is taking this long.
Gavin Strachan, however, could be off for pastures new following his arrival as a coach back in 2020, as it is highly speculated that English side West Bromwich Albion are very keen on taking on the former Coventry City players’ services as their new assistant gaffer as he is being targeted by new Baggies boss James Morrison.
It is reported that there has been a formal approach here and that he is very open to it, but nothing has yet been confirmed, or signed and sealed, so it is very much waste this space.
You would think if the board expect him to move on before the start of the season, that in itself would intensify the need to come to an agreement with Maloney and Fotheringham just for the added stability of knowing O’Neill had almost his full team in place in readiness for the changes that he will be demanding from the players during the pre season warmup period.
But we shall see. Some players start returning late next week.
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