MARTIN O’NEILL insists Celtic are “working really hard” in this transfer window in an effort to strengthen the squad.
But the interim boss, preparing for the Premiership meeting at Falkirk tomorrow night, acknowledged it is an obstacle course to try to get the right players in place at a vitally important stage of the crusade.
With the champions trailing leaders Hearts by six points, only Mexico international right-back Julian Araujo has been recruited on a short-term loan from Bournemouth.
Understandably, the fans are urging new faces before the February 2 deadline and O’Neill admitted: “I’d love to blame other people, but it’s down to me.
LET US PAY…Martin O’Neill hopes to splash the cash in this window.
“The January transfer window is pretty difficult because, unless you’ve identified a player you absolutely know is going to improve your team and that you’re prepared to spend the money on him.
“We are genuinely working really hard in the background, so there’s no impediment in that sense.
“It’s just trying to get some people in that we think could help us now, at least until the end of the season.”
Quizzed if he had been offered potential signings, O’Neill, speaking to Sky Sports, answered: “That is true, yes, and I have discarded some.
“We are, I know, famous last words, but we are making progress – or we think we are.
“But you’re talking about agreements with clubs and then, secondly, with players themselves. And then players finding out that there’s interest elsewhere.
“So you’re competing and all those particular things come into consideration. It’s no surprise to me.
“I know you’re thinking, we’re halfway through January now, but I think that we’re relatively close.”
Looking at the intriguing encounter against John McGlynn’s newly-promoted side, O’Neill added: “They’re a team who are flying at the moment.
“I thought that even when we won in my opening game of the last period, I thought they were very strong. “We got a couple of goals at important moments and that deflated them a little bit, but I have the utmost regard for the manager and the job that he’s done there.”
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