MARTIN O’NEILL is hoping for three cheers on three fronts over the next three days.
The Celtic boss is looking for progress in the Europa League after the 4-2 victory over FC Utrecht at Parkhead last night cleared the way to enter the knock-out phase.
O’Neill will also be demanding a Premiership win over Falkirk at the same venue on Sunday afternoon.
Plus the stand-in gaffer wants positive outcomes on the transfer front as the 11pm Monday deadline looms.
There has been little respite for the 73-year-old Irishman since he returned to the post on January 5 after Wilfried Nancy’s shambolic 33 days in charge in which the Hoops lost six out of eight games.
O’Neill has worked wonders in steadying the ship and has revealed the champions are closing in on two wingers to strengthen his squad.
He confirmed the Parkhead club are pushing to get deals over the line for Serie B side Frosinone’s flanker Fares Ghedjemis and Dunajská Streda’s Damir Redzic.
As he awaited the noon draw which will pair the Hoops with either Robbie Keane’s Ferencvaros or Bundesliga outfit Stuttgart, O’Neill admitted they were battling with RB Salzburg for £6.5million-rated Ghedjemis and are also in talks with Hungarian ace Redzic.
Asked about the pair, he answered: “You’re not a million miles away.
“There’s been progress today on certain things, yes. I don’t want to be that cryptic, but I would hate to say something is absolute certain and then it fell away. But I’m hopeful.
“We are definitely making progress. There’s no question about that.
“It really is as simple as that. We know we need to supplement the squad, we also need to have quality to help us.
“Particularly with the extra games now, which I’m sure would be a delight for our opposition at a domestic level.
Images courtesy Celtic TV.
“But we’ll go with it. To qualify and get another European night at Celtic Park won’t do us any harm—if we get the players in, which I’m hoping that we will.”
Reflecting on the action under the lights in the east end of Glasgow, O’Neill, speaking to the Daily Record, continued: “I was delighted with the result. The performance, for most parts, was terrific.
“For about the first 20 minutes, after the first corner, I thought our passing was terrific and as a consequence, we got ourselves a couple of goals in front.
“We were never coasting in the game, but we were doing splendidly and then they got a goal back right at half-time.
“That unnerves you a little bit, and then when they got the second goal, of course, you begin to get a little bit concerned because at that time I actually thought we were flagging a little bit.
“But Auston Trusty comes up with a great header and I imagine we deserved to prevail over the piece.”
O’Neill added: “You would have got long odds on us qualifying after about four games.
“Great credit to the players, they were tireless. The heart they showed. I just said to them before the game that you don’t want last Thursday’s performance in Bologna and the performance in Feyenoord to count for nothing.
“The only way we could make it not count for nothing was just getting through.
“We’ve won, so we’re in the next stages of the knock-out. It’s another night at Celtic Park.”
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