Alan McInally is confident that Martin O'Neill has been assured of a substantial transfer budget to fulfill his vision for Celtic. The Parkhead club is expected to confirm the Northern Irishman as permanent manager after agreeing to a new one-year contract with an option for an additional 12 months.
McInally, a former Celtic star, is delighted that O'Neill will continue at the helm. However, he has urged club supremo Dermot Desmond to open the purse strings to give the 74-year-old the best chance of sustained success. "I can only assume Martin will be given a decent bag of money to bring in some players," McInally said. "He should get it. I don't think Dermot Desmond can give him 50 quid and then say, 'go and win the league!'"
McInally noted frustration among Celtic fans regarding the timing and nature of investments. "Speaking to Celtic fans, there was a frustration about, maybe not the lack of investment as such, but the lack of investment at the right times or the right kind of spending. I don't know if there was an attitude, 'we've got enough to win the league.' Okay, they did win it eventually. But we could see that it was by no means a certainty and it could have gone either way."
He added that O'Neill likely sought guarantees to refresh the squad. "There will be players leaving and he'll want to bring in others who are really competitive. He'll want to make sure he's not just challenging for the league – but also in Europe. It doesn't look like Hearts will be going anywhere and we don't know how deep the Rangers pockets are. You have to think those two will come strong again and Celtic will need to be ready. The Champions League was a massive disappointment last year and that's something Martin will want to address, because that is the stage Celtic have to be on."
O'Neill has already been working on a summer wish list, but he may also need to replace key players. Midfielder Reo Hatate is seeking an exit, along with fellow Japan star Daizen Maeda. The Hoops boss also faces decisions on short-term signings like Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Kelechi Iheanacho, who are waiting for extensions.
McInally backed Iheanacho to stay, convinced O'Neill can extract the best from the enigmatic forward. "I would keep him. If he can perform the way he did in the last six games over the course of the season then he's obviously worth keeping. That's the big question though. It's about keeping him fit. I don't know if he's enjoying Glasgow too much – maybe Martin should put a tag on him! Joking aside, it would be interesting to see how he responds to a full pre-season. He clearly enjoys playing for Celtic. You can see that. And why wouldn't he, playing in front of 60,000 every other week and competing for trophies? It's up to him to have the discipline and the attitude to play week in, week out."
McInally concluded that if Iheanacho leaves, he would need replacing. "You look at his quality and his ability in front of goal, that doesn't come easily. Some players need a kick and others need a hug – although most want a hug these days – but if Martin feels he can get him going again then he's definitely worth keeping."
Alan McInally was speaking at the opening of the new Travis Perkins branch in Helen Street, Glasgow.
