Celtic's Shaun Maloney has revealed that Martin O'Neill's vision for his wide players remains unchanged after 20 years, as the club prepares to welcome Egyptian attacker Haissem Hassan. The £6m signing is expected to be the main man on the right flank, with Yang Hyun-Jun and James Forrest for company, while Sebastian Tounekti is the first pick on the opposite side.
O'Neill's Aggressive Approach
Maloney, who is at the helm while O'Neill recuperates from a health scare, explained the manager's mantra: "Martin is really aggressive in that he wants wingers to take on their opponent when we create a one-on-one. He gives the wingers the confidence that they can do that and that they shouldn't worry about losing it."
He added: "You aren't going to beat a full-back in a one v one every time. What those players need is the support and confidence from the manager that makes them go and try again the next time. If they lose it again, you have to go again. Martin has always been that way. I remember when I was young he was the same."
Yang's Rise and the Need for Depth
Yang Hyun-Jun, who went from fringe man to regular last term, is expected to remain in the picture. Maloney admitted the area needed strengthening: "Yang kind of just took that right-wing position by the scruff of the neck last year. He went to another level. I think he's always been that sort of impact player at the club. But last year, he went, 'I want to be an important player'. But we need a left-sided player there too because you can attack differently."
Reflecting on Yang's development, Maloney said: "I remember speaking to him in that first couple of days (last October). We trained some really basic things, but he just showed some really good one-on-one talent off the left. Honestly, it was just him. He started to come on as a sub for Martin, had a really good impact. And then he was off and running."
Individual Work and Staff Contributions
Maloney will take on more individual work with attacking players this season. He said: "I have picked up the individual work with the attacking players after games. Last season, Gavin Strachan did that work. I can't take any credit for that! We also had Greg Wallace, who went Saudi with Brendan recently, and those two were really good with the individual stuff."
