MARTIN O’NEILL insists Celtic have no time to waste in bringing in recruitments in the January transfer window.
The Irishman celebrated a 4-0 victory over Dundee United at Parkhead yesterday to seal his second comeback at the champions in turbulent three-month period that has seen Brendan Rodgers quit in late October and Wilfried Nancy sacked after six defeats in eight games following a wretched 33 days in charge.
O’Neill won seven of his eight outings first time-around before returning for second stint as interim gaffer until the end of the campaign, at least.
MORE TO COME…Martin O’Neill underlines the fact the champions need strengthening. Image courtesy Celtic TV.
The Hoops were a bit more like their old selves as Yang Hyun-jun, Arne Engels, Benjamin Nygren and Daizen Maeda claimed the strikes that downed the Tayside outfit who were 2-1 victors over Nancy’s misfiring squad just five games ago.
O’Neill may have been overjoyed to restart with a convincing triumph, but he is not being fooled as to the urgent requirement to bring in fresh faces if his team are to have any chance of lifting a fifth successive title.
The charismatic 73-year-old gaffer beamed at full-time and admitted: “It was great to win, there’s no feeling like it.
“It was brilliant and we played some really great stuff, too.
“I’m delighted, but you still have to get the first goal in the game and Yang comes up and scores it. He had an excellent performance, as did all the team.
“I’m sometimes a wee bit like the crowd, I get a bit impatient, as I think sometimes we can move it a wee bit quicker.
“But things like that will come, I’m delighted with them and eventually it was patience that got us the reward.”
A LOT OF BOTTLE…Martin O’Neill watches Celtic ease to three points in his second comeback game.
Looking at the bigger picture, O’Neill, speaking to Celtic TV, said: “I am hopeful that we are going to get some people in. But just when you think that something might happen, things change around.
“Listen, it’s not me filibustering. It’s just me feeling that until they’re over the line, I can’t come up and say that it’s happened.
“We obviously need to do it, even just to give help to the boys present at the minute.
“Because this week, the week that’s just gone in, was the only week that we have had, since I’ve come to the football club, we have had a free week.
“And from hereon in, we go right through now to I don’t know how long, because we’re going midweek each time.
“So there’ll be no respite. If we pick up injuries to really key players, we could be in serious trouble.
“We need some people in. And, honestly, we are working on it.”
Reflecting on what he had just witnessed against Jim Goodwin’s side, O’Neill added: “It was nice to see players performing well, playing with confidence, and it was just nice to win.
THE THINKER…a pensive Martin O’Neill meets the media.
“Don’t get carried away. But I thought we played really well. Somebody told me we had 32 passes in the build-up to the first goal. But we still have to score it, you know.
“And while we had things that were flying across the box and we had a bit of pressure, you still have to break them down.”
The presence of former prolific hitman Kyogo Furuhashi may have helped, but, of course, the one-time fans’ favourite knocked back the opportunity of returning to Parkhead during the week, as CQN reported.
Ironically, the Japanese frontman, who has yet to claim a league goal for Birmingham City, was on target during the Championship side’s 3-2 FA Cup win at Cambridge United yesterday.
The Hoops have until 7pm on Monday February 2 to get in new Bhoys with an attack-leader a must.
The clock is ticking.
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