Celtic chief executive Michael Nicholson is no longer answerable for the club's Champions League fate after a dramatic transfer spree has equipped manager Martin O'Neill for the £40m job at hand, according to a leading football columnist.
Writing in the Daily Record, Hugh Keevins said the under-fire CEO has turned around his fortunes since last weekend, with jaw-dropping signings such as Haissem Hassan and Mika Baur arriving for eye-watering transfer fees. More are expected before Thursday's Champions League final qualifying round first leg against LASK at Celtic Park.
Transfer window turnaround
Entry to the competition proper will pay for all the deals done so far, including the arrivals of Kasper Hogh and Camilo Duran. It will also facilitate the departure of players like Alistair Johnston and Arne Engels for significant fees.
Keevins had previously written that failure to qualify for the Champions League, due to a failure to manipulate UEFA's transfer window, would be a resignation issue for Nicholson. He argued the CEO couldn't continue receiving eye-watering wages in return for missing out on a Champions League windfall for a second year in a row.
O'Neill's influence
O'Neill used his Friday press conference to perpetuate the myth that he was responsible for the January transfer window, which delivered players who couldn't have laced the boots of proper players. However, he made it obvious he was grateful for the recent arrival of regular goalscorers after a struggle in that department last season.
The extent of O'Neill's influence on Nicholson between now and the Champions League deadline, as well as the Premiership's close of play for transfers on September 3, will be interesting. When the 'ould fella' gently remarks that “There are some things we can still do,” that is what he expects to happen to upgrade his team on a domestic and European level.
No room for complacency
Keevins warned that scoring five goals against Kilmarnock does not automatically equate with beating LASK, nor do the new signings guarantee entry to the Champions League. All of that activity enhances Celtic's chances, but nothing can be taken for granted.
One radio caller said the Premiership title was “our league to lose,” referring to Celtic's five-point lead over Rangers. But with 36 league games to be played, and last season's title decided in the dying seconds of the final game, Keevins said there should be greater respect for recent history.
What happens now
There is still time, at UEFA's convenience, for more players to be brought in for the two-legged affair against LASK. What O'Neill now has at his disposal puts Thursday's match into a different perspective, focusing on how Celtic play as opposed to who they should have bought.
Nicholson can't be held responsible any more, and you certainly can't ask any fairer than his signing of the Egyptian Hassan from Real Oviedo. If you turn his first name, Haissem, backwards it spells Messiah. What happens on Thursday at Celtic Park is now on the manager and the players, which is the way it should be if everyone does their jobs properly.
