MARTIN O’NEILL was back in the old routine as he met the media at Lennoxtown today.
The charismatic Irishman bade farewell only 34 days ago when he finished his eight-game interim period in charge of the team with a seventh win, a 1-0 success over Dundee at Parkhead.
O’Neill initially stepped into the dug-out following Brendan Rodgers’ abrupt departure in late October after back-to-back Premiership defeats against Dundee at Dens Park and Hearts at Tynecastle.
The stand-in gaffer was in charge of the team for five league encounters and won the lot.
He made way for Wilfried Nancy, but answered a second SOS call from the champions yesterday after the Frenchman had been fired after six losses in only eight matches.
O’Neill, who reunited with the players at training in the morning, is now preparing his squad for the visit of Dundee United to the east end of Glasgow on Saturday afternoon.
Explaining his quickfire comeback, the third time-around team chief said: “If ever you needed proof of anything, we’re in the results business and you have to win some football matches.
“I’ve known that myself in the course of my career.
WELCOME BACK…Martin O’Neill meets the media at Lennoxtown. Image courtesy Celtic TV.
“In one aspect, it’s really nice to be back, but in other ones I genuinely do feel for a manager who has had little time to get his feet under the table and put his plans across.
“But it happens and I’m here now, so I will do my best.”
O’Neill also revealed he is eager to bring in reinforcements “as quickly as possible” and is relying on backroom assistants Shaun Maloney and Mark Fotheringham in the search for new blood.
The 73-year-old gaffer continued: “We definitely need to supplement the squad, absolutely no question about that.
“Eventually, I would like to be sitting here in front of you and saying: ‘Listen, all these players are my choice’, that’s what I really like to do, so I don’t have a great deal of time.
“If the board were to listen to me, then we would have 56 players! I think you’d be aware of what positions we need to strengthen and that’s what we’re going to try and do.
“Of course, if you could sign all the players that you’d want to have, it would be great, but it doesn’t work like that.
“But I’d be hoping that now we’re in a bit of difficulty, we have to fight back. And I would say the same to the board. I think we’re all aware, and so are the fans, that the squad needs strengthening.
“If we can get a few people in, I think the squad will benefit from it.”
O’Neill, speaking to Celtic TV, added: “We know it’s winning and that connection is fine when you’re winning. When you’re not winning football matches, that becomes a problem.
“It’s the same in any dressing-room.
“The players are the most important people because they do the winning of football matches.”
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