When appointed as interim manager in October, Martin O’Neill did not know how long he had in the role, so would be inclined to make few dramatic moves. This time he has a straight run until May. That gives him scope to make a sustained change.
As a manager, Martin has seen footballers decline with age, it was a feature of his last season in charge at Celtic. Much is said about the impact Henrik Larsson leaving in 2004 had on the subsequent season, but 2004-05 was also the time the years caught up with 35-year-old Paul Lambert. 33-year-old Chris Sutton also toiled, as Celtic’s engine stalled.
Goalkeepers always perform better behind a competent and settled defence. Kasper Schmeichel has not had that luxury this season, however, his decline from the excellent form he enjoyed last term is marked.
The first name on the team sheet on Saturday, will be the first big decision Martin makes in his stint as interim manager. Lessons from 2005 should inform his thinking.
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Brendan still keeping Nytol shares at a all time high.
Don’t care who starts on Saturday, so long as Mr Blobby isn’t in goals
KING LUBO
Who was Jock Stein’s last signing for Celtic?
Philbhoy @ 12.13pm – brilliant
On Rodgers, I don’t really care about the details. We have no time to dwell on anything other than how we win this league. If he’s getting a reputed £8m a year in Saudi I only hope he didn’t take any severance money out of the club (irrespective of the rights and wrongs of the situation).
If Sinasalo can’t dislodge Kasper then we need a keeper this window, two for next season.
Kasper has fallen off a cliff. Can’t command his 6 yard box but more importantly, he can’t dive, on the rare occasion he attempts a dive, he’s going down in instalments.
Everything low,he’s using his feet to block, if the ball is away from his feet and low, it’s a real possibility of going in.
A striker remains the priority. Let’s hope we get one in very soon.
My good lady asked me in fun, if I had a gun, who would I kill.
, if I only hadtwo bullets.
I said, Nat AND yahoo, and two bullets in Trump
funny,eh
king lubo
Sorry, 3 bullets, listen to me
Tom McAdam?
Johnny Gibson ?
Forrest
THE BADA BING on 7TH JANUARY 2026 12:23 PM
The £9 million we paid for Idah,will be a painful reminder, when trying to buy players this month
—-
It’s certainly a painful reminder of our negotiation skills.
But we don’t need to buy an Idah this month. Getting an Idah on loan like 2024 should be doable. And a top priority.
Dowie and McAdam
John Dowie….* shudders….
Packie Bonner was the last man Jock signed.
Useless goalkeeper.
Frank Munro… last signing by Mr.Stein.
Make sure the duds are loans
Maolmuire O Muirgheasa
Correct on both counts.
Packie Bonner ✅
Any injury update on Celtic legned Ian Nacho ?
BSR
Yes you are spot on.Silly me,because Jock’s first and last signings were both keepers and Irish.
We’ll know next month whether BR received a pay out.
I suspect not. I suspect Brendan has walked without any package, without any NDA in place.
I think that’s why Desmond made a rip roaring ass of himself a few hours later – he was getting his side out first because he anticipated BR going to the press.
Like many things, his judgement was off.
Interesting that MoN’s arrival has seen us reinstalled as bookies favourite for the league before we kick a ball. Albeit we’re no longer odds on.
Pat McCluskey Celtic legend was a very deceiving player he was fatter than people thought
Back to Basics – Glass Half Full on 7th January 2026 1:44 pm
“Aging” alert :-)
BHOYJOEBELFAST on 7TH JANUARY 2026 2:45 PM
👍🍀
AN DÚN on 7TH JANUARY 2026 2:48 PM
Its wasnt the bookies – after Martin was announced we were second favourites at 2/1 long enough that someone of us were able to take advantage of it.
BSR 👍
Martin O’Neill is an astute assessor of people and football.
He’s assessed the frailties and strengths of every player, like Sutton he’ll have noted that Schmeichel has piled on the weight this season,
He’ll know that Ralston, Trusty and Scales have limitations and really aren’t a defensive basis on which to rely
He’ll have assessed McCowan and Bernardo’s lack of midfield presence is putting too much emphasis on McGregor and Hatate to compensate for them, as have every other SPFL manager. Rohl’s utilisation of Diomande in the 2nd half made it look like a masterstroke when it was all too obvious.
He’ll have noticed Arne Engels strutting around like a show pony in midfield failing to move into positions to give his teammates a passing option. He’ll also have noticed his superior attitude when interacting with his teammates.
Jonny Kenny doesn’t need any analysis but Martin O’Neill will have noticed that Maeda is his biggest problem player. He’ll have noted that the only explanation for Maeda’s recent poor finishing is that he’s deliberately missing gaol scoring opportunities. It’d be no surprise to see Maeda leave this month.
That’s it……we don’t have a team for Saturday…none of the players good enough.
Haven’t seen an up date on the Back the Board petition in recent days.
Celtic40me @ 2:13pm
Cheers.
Shame on me.
Genuinely.
How could I forget James Forrest.
🤦♂️
100 lines stuff.
On a serious note, we actually don’t have an aging squad.
A bit of intelligent planting, watering and pruning over the next three windows
(as part of a strategy EVERYONE signs up to)
… could set us up very well.
Trouble is, I seem to recall ‘we only need three good windows in a row’ aspirations kicking around years ago.
Have we signed a strike force yet?
the Bada Bing on 7th January 2026 12:23 pm
The £9 million we paid for Idah,will be a painful reminder, when trying to buy players this month.
If we could get a loan Bada who will have same impact as his 1st 6 months
HH
There would have been no:
CORONATION CUP WINNING HEROES!
LISBON LIONS LEGENDS!
1979 MURDO MacLEOD SUPER TITLE CLINCHING GOAL HEROES!
CENTENARY DOUBLE WINNERS!
STOPPING THE HUN 10 IN A ROW HEROES 1998!
SEVILLE HEROIC EFFORT IN 2003!
…..etc, if we played with just ONE Striker during those unforgettable Celtic experiences.
A Celtic team playing with One striker is because the Manager was educated by a PLAYSTATION.
JOHNNY KENNY, ADAM IDAH, KYOGO, or whoever watching 2 wingers having to turn back after failing AGAIN to get a cross in, and knowing that dim Tims will call the strikers duds but never the manager, is because 2 strikers are harder for defenders to mark than 1 striker.
The dugs on the street know this ffs!
A manager on 75,000 quid per week should have known that.
One striker away from home in a European tie during the away goals era was totally justified.
An egocentric prk of a manager putting himself first instead of the team is no different from wee sleekit egocentric wee man syndrome victim Fergus the liar putting himself first after he’d told the soon to be JUNGLE-less Tims that he’d sell the club to them then moving the goalposts when he got into power and took his mask off.
BRIAN DEMPSEY was the last Celtic executive to have any Integrity, and wasn’t going to discard that Integrity for Fergus the lying deceiver!
That is some time span for the so-called “good guy club” to have operated without a shred of Integrity.
What does that say about the 60,000 fans who financially support this lie of a club through their 60,000 brass necks?
What a time to be alive!
HH
oot.
Packie Bonnar
Girn,moan whatever
He wore the hoops,your watchin
He’s on telly your watching
He’s on radio your listening
Simples.Dont!
Sometimes in today’s info age its easy to have a go,the generation before had ‘they embarassed the hoops’ roy kay,jo filippi and a few others labelled at the hands of the hidden typists in fanzines.We see it today,he is shite/no good enough etc,time to back those 11 and win that title
HH
(20 yrs of not goin)Kev racist
What the 60,000 who avoid shite unlike you in Blant’R swimming in it.
You validate the huns if you want.
No tim will,2 clubs for rest of time
You dont count
A nuhhin,talking of integrity,we see yi kevracist,you musta been drapt gettin a lift o’er
An anonymous typing warrior.
Keep sending your pip money to help the Grifter
Unionist money lols his wurkuz party is his front
timhorton on 7th January 2026 3:08 pm
That’s it……we don’t have a team for Saturday…none of the players good enough.
”””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””’
Martin O’Neill’s press conference, “Yes, we will definitely have to supplement the squad. ABSOLUTELY!”
PLB
He absolutely didn’t
An Dun
Absolute rubbish. The guy was totally ‘found out’ and detail may still be shared.