Celtic Eye Ex-Premier League Boss Despite £8m Obstacle
Martin O'Neill steered the club to the Scottish Premiership and Scottish Cup double last season, and the 74-year-old collected a one-year contract with an option for a second as his reward. Celtic 's present campaign has tested that goodwill badly.
A three-game domestic losing streak, which included defeat to Rangers, forced O'Neill to question his own future in public. A 2-0 defeat at Falkirk on November 1 followed, with Cameron Carter-Vickers' loose pass gifting Ethan Ross the opener, Scott Tanser adding a second, and the Hoops' possession play looking completely disjointed.
Thursday's 3-2 Europa League win over Besiktas eased the strain, with Callum Osmand equalising on his first touch off the bench and Camilo Duran scoring twice in the first Europa League victory of the season. Yet the team has won only four of their last 11 matches in all competitions at the time of writing, and fans want more tactical substance.
The reasons start with O'Neill's pragmatic approach. He alternates between a 4-2-3-1 and a narrow 4-3-3, protects his defence with a double pivot, counter-presses after turnovers and attacks directly once space opens up.
That works against open opponents, but critics point to build-up play from the back that lacks automation and often looks stagnant against low blocks. A top target Football Insider's Callum O'Connell reports that the Hoops have identified Kieran McKenna as their top choice to succeed O'Neill.
The former Ipswich manager left after the summer promotion and is available immediately, but the Scottish champions would need to pay Ipswich £8 million in compensation. O'Neill may stay for now, the report adds, though a change is widely expected by season's end.
He is a sophisticated, data-driven coach whose fluid 4-2-3-1 becomes a 3-4-1-2 in possession through strict rotational movement, short passing through the thirds and advanced full-backs. His teams press in a coordinated, low-PPDA way designed to trap opponents out wide.
Should Celtic pay £8 million for Kieran McKenna? O'Neill is a legendary figure who knows how to grind out results, but his pragmatic, short-term style is out of step with modern European demands and the long-term progression of the squad.
The fee is a significant hurdle, yet a necessary investment. McKenna is a methodical tactician who won promotion to the Premier League twice in five years at Ipswich, and has built sustainable, dominant and creative attacking teams.