NafisaKris Boyd believes appointing Martin O’Neill permanently this summer would signal Celtic scaling back their ambitions of making real advancement in Europe.
O’Neill rescued Celtic twice during one of the most turbulent campaigns in recent memory and somehow ended the season with a domestic double after dramatic Premiership and Scottish Cup triumphs.
There is now genuine pressure from some sections of supporters for the 74-year-old to remain in charge beyond the summer.
But Boyd believes that while O’Neill can continue delivering success domestically, the bigger question is whether he represents the long-term direction Celtic had previously been trying to move towards in Europe.
Under Ange Postecoglou, Celtic made a major push towards becoming more competitive at Champions League level, while there were signs under Brendan Rodgers that progress was beginning to take shape.
That unforgettable night in Munich earlier in Rodgers’ reign – when Celtic came seconds away from taking Bayern Munich to extra time in a Champions League knockout tie – felt like a major landmark.
But this season represented a setback on the European stage.
Celtic crashed out of the Champions League qualifiers against Kairat Almaty before later exiting the Europa League knockout stages against VfB Stuttgart.
Speaking about the managerial situation, Boyd questioned whether appointing O’Neill permanently would align with Celtic’s previously stated long-term ambitions.
He said on Go Ballistic:
“Martin can’t go on forever.
“That’s just the reality of when you get older.
“But for the here and now, he’s still having success.
“You look at Celtic, they were always wanting to progress to that next level.
“Does Martin allow them to do that? I’m not so sure.
“I think Martin can win domestically, but Celtic were obsessed there for a number of years, whether it was Ange Postecoglou, whether it was Brendan Rodgers, with progression in Europe, they wanted to improve there.
“That’s not to say that Martin can’t do it, but I get the feeling that if they’re going to appoint Martin O’Neill, they’re kind of going to wait for that model we’re looking at.”
O’Neill has just delivered another league and cup double after rescuing a disrupted season, but the club must also decide whether their next appointment is about short-term stability or building towards the next stage in Europe.
Nafisa
