Martin O'Neill was at it again on Friday, acting surprised and almost confused when journalists put it to him that Celtic had lost up to 12 players from last season and brought in only two. Rival punters, and even a fair few Celtic fans, still fall for the bumbling, aging Mr Bean routine. No one should be fooled. O'Neill has done the maths.
The one-liners and meanders down memory lane were there, but so were messages aimed at the boardroom. O'Neill told the written press he was 'strongly interested' in Fares Ghedjemis. That is about as strong as a manager goes on transfers, and it was a clear signal that this is the attacker he wants. It is over to the suits to deliver.
A familiar transfer saga
O'Neill has been here before. He thought he had the Frosinone attacker in January, when he all but confirmed a move late in the window, only for it to collapse. Back then, the player chose to stay and push for promotion to Serie A. That job is done, and now Celtic need to do business.
Ghedjemis will cost another pretty penny, but cash should not be a problem. Celtic have plenty in the bank and another pile is coming in for Arne Engels and Alistair Johnston. O'Neill helped force the Kasper Hogh signing over the line and he will be banging on the door again for others.
Wide and midfield gaps
The wide areas need addressing. Celtic go into tomorrow's Premiership opener against Dundee with Sebastian Tounekti and Michel-Ange Balikwisha on the left, and Yang Hyun-jun and James Forrest on the right. Balikwisha is heading out on loan, while Forrest is an impact man these days. Camilo Duran is likely to shift out to that flank in the short term, but his strength is through the middle.
Jota is back in training kit, but it could be after Christmas before he can be counted on. That means Celtic have to go big. Ghedjemis fits the bill, but they would likely need another option on loan to cover in the meantime.
Midfield reinforcements are also badly needed. Engels is on his way, Paulo Bernardo is heading for the door, and Reo Hatate is like a ghostly Jacob Marley, rattling his chains around Lennoxtown. Callum McGregor, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Benjamin Nygren form a quality three, with Luke McCowan supplementing them, but there is a lack of legs and physicality. A lethal frontline would count for little if the middle of the park is overrun.
Perception vs reality
None of this is news to O'Neill. He is fed up saying the same things every week about making progress and working hard in the background, hence the Ghedjemis admission to nudge things along. He does see the bigger picture, though. Rival fans may hear Hoops supporters cracking up and think Celtic are a club in crisis, but the perception is not quite the reality. Celtic still have the tools to deal with Scottish football and still have the strongest squad.
Take out the wild detour under Wilfried Nancy last season and they would arguably have won the title with more room to spare. But O'Neill knows it will be a slog again without proper backing, and that is before even contemplating the Champions League. The Irishman's words might be more subtle than his predecessor Brendan Rodgers, but hidden between the killer lines the message is still the same.
