‘TRUST ME,’ O’NEILL AND THE SEARCH FOR QUALITY RECRUITS

WITH the clock ticking down to Monday’s 11pm signing deadline, Martin O’Neill insists he is “still very hopeful” of strengthening his Celtic squad.

The interim Hoops boss, though, is adamant he will not settle for bringing in recruits just for the sake of it.

O’Neill, who is preparing his players for tonight’s Europa League encounter with FC Utrecht at Parkhead, is wary of introducing new faces who will not be able to provide the team with what it urgently requires at a crucial stage of the campaign.

So far, the champions have only brought in two new additions since the run of the year – and both are on loan until the end of the season.

Mexico international right-back Julian Araujo joined from Bournemouth and Czech Republic striker Tomas Cvancara arrived from Borussia Monchengladbach. Both started the 2-2 draw with Hearts at the weekend.

Looking at the situation, with the fans understandably hoping for quality new Bhoys, O’Neill said: “Trust me on this one, there is NOT a division. I’m trying to see what we can get.

“Some of the players we thought were set up haven’t, for one reason or another, materialised.

“If you have a set of players you think this is it, this is your A list and there’s a B list. I’m not so sure that you want to be going down to an F list. I don’t really want that.

“There are some things that you thought: ‘Yeah, that’s really good and looks great’ and 25 minutes later something changes like a price or somebody else comes in.

“Or, believe it or not, clubs with bigger assets in that sense. But Celtic is Celtic. I’m still very hopeful.”

O’Neill, speaking to Celtic TV, continued: “Who is to say we might not spend money?

“Let me put it this way.

“I’m sure Wilfried Nancy would have had a set of players he was interested in.

“That might be a different set of players to me. And it might have been a different set of players to Brendan Rodgers.

“So, from that viewpoint, I came in on January 5 and you try to get to work immediately on players.

“There’s a fairly decent chance, more than decent chance, that I won’t be here next year.

“So, from that viewpoint, I really don’t want to thrust somebody on to them that someone else might not like.

“What I’m trying to do is put a player into this football club who can do something for us now, that the new manager, whatever sort of ideas he has, will really like the player.”

After the meeting with the Dutch side tonight, O’Neill will switch his attention back to Premiership points-gathering with the visit of Falkirk on Sunday and then it’s Aberdeen at Pittodrie on Wednesday.

The following weekend the focus switches to the Scottish Cup with Dundee due in the east end of Glasgow and then it’s Livingston in the league at the same venue three days later.

The challenges are coming quick and fast and O’Neill admitted: “It is difficult.

“I mean there is an element of excitement about it, but there’s also a bit of a concern.

“There’s kind of no respite. So, the minute you go from Hearts, you start to think about Utrecht because we have to try and win the game.

“The only guarantee of us getting through is winning the match, so we have to try and achieve that.”

And then the pursuit of fresh blood continues immediately after the final whistle.

* DON’T miss the unbeatable match report from Celtic v FC Utrecht this evening only in your champion CQN.