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Manager makes it clear that signings must be able to hit ground running
Celtic manager Martin O’Neill wants new recruits to be able to hit the ground running and make an instant impact on his team.
O’Neill is back in the Celtic dugout for the second time this season after taking over from Wilfried Nancy. His first game is on Saturday against Dundee United as he tries to lift the Premiership champions from third place to top spot with 18 matches left of the league season.
The 73-year-old made it clear earlier in the week that his Celtic squad needs replenishing - with a striker the key target during the January transfer window. The club made an eye-catching attempt to lure former forward Kyogo Furuhashi back to Parkhead a year on from selling him, but the Japanese’s preference is to remain at Birmingham City.
Celtic manager Martin O'Neill casts his eye over the current squad during training. | SNS GroupO’Neill was succinct with his summation of that particular situation. "We enquired at the possibility and I think he wants to stay,” he said. “I think Birmingham want to keep him as well. That was the news that I'd heard.”
Celtic will now turn their attentions to other targets and O’Neill has cautioned of the requirement for players who can hit the ground running.
“I need players, if we can, who are ready to go,” said O’Neill ahead of facing Dundee United. “I need players to be ready. My job is to aim for that. I am selfish, I need people in to go now. I am going for both - quantity and quality.
“Number one, you want someone to help the squad. That’s a given. If I was given some sort of assurance that something would happen in ten days, I might wait for that. But I can’t wait forever. We have three weeks and a lot of games between now and then. I do accept this is a difficult time and it’s not ideal, but we do need something.”
Celtic latest on Iheanacho and Jota
A goalscoring No 9 remains top of the shopping list. Johnny Kenny is the only natural fit senior striker, yet the 22-year-old Irishman has not scored for Celtic since November 9. Kelechi Iheanacho is edging closer to a return after a hamstring injury but much like full-back Marcelo Saracchi, the match against United will come too soon for the Nigerian.
"It shouldn't be too long now for both of them,” said O’Neill. “They've been on the grass. They are training on their own now. They are not too far away.”
Iheanacho will not be rushed back given his recent injury record. "These are the problems when you get hamstring injuries,” said O’Neill. “I know this because in the latter stages of my own career, I suffered from them a bit and you become wary. Suddenly you think that you have a problem when you don't really. It goes into your mind.
Read More“But if you've had a series of them and you are coming back again, you feel as if 'oh I got to this stage last time' and the next thing is you play and it goes again. Once it's doing that, it's a long time out.”
Celtic fans hoping to see Portuguese forward Jota will have to wait another few months. The former Benfica man has been sidelined since April due to an ACL rupture. "Funnily enough I was actually speaking to him at lunchtime there,” added O’Neill. “He's still a fair distance away.”