Celtic are going to have to shake themselves out of their slumber and get down to the business of signing players this summer. But the first new arrivals simply have to be in the dugout rather than on the pitch.
It is bizarre that a week on from Martin O'Neill being named as permanent manager the coaching staff have yet to be confirmed. And it looks like the backroom team is going to be further reduced with Gavin Strachan on his way to West Brom.
At this rate O'Neill will be taking the pre-season sessions on his own. It does look like Shaun Maloney and Mark Fotheringham will be back – but it should not have taken this long if those are the ones the manager wanted.
There is also a distinct lack of other activity as key roles are still to be filled. Goodness knows what any recruitment meetings have looked like in the past week, given there is also no head of football operations in place right now. It might have been Martin and a couple of senior scouts – that is if these meetings have even taken place yet.
Why the coaching issue is a big deal
You do not need me to tell you how good a manager O'Neill is. We saw last season the way he held the club together and got the very best out of his squad. But he is also a boss who relies on his staff around him. In his first spell at Celtic, Steve Walford and John Robertson led the training most days.
Martin was almost a distant character when it came to the squad. He would observe and then step in when it came to the match day preparations. Steve and Robbo were absolutely brilliant for us – and for me personally.
I have said before, they were inspiring. Those guys doing the work through the week also meant the manager had a presence, an aura about him. When he got involved to speak, everyone listened.
It was the same when O'Neill went to Aston Villa and Sunderland with Walford alongside him again, and when he went to Ireland, Roy Keane was his right-hand man dealing with the players.
Likewise, last season O'Neill admitted he leaned heavily on Maloney and Fotheringham when it came to coaching and forming tactics. The assistant also had a major say in transfer discussions and we know Maloney had a very hands-on role in recruitment in January.
They were let down as Celtic were left scrambling in the last days of the window but O'Neill at least had some of the load shared. It allowed him to do what he does best – getting performances out of the players with his man management.
Time is ticking
That is why I cannot fathom the dithering. Martin needs help – on and off the pitch. I get that there might have been financial and contractual issues surrounding Maloney and Fotheringham. But if those two were the ones O'Neill wanted, the club should have been bending over backwards to sort it out as soon as possible.
It should not take this long. Time is ticking and current players are going to start filtering back for preseason in the next week to 10 days, and then you consider the huge amount of work needing done to bolster this group.
Rangers have already brought in a new manager and signed a reliable goal scorer. Hearts have had a rough month but they have brought in five new players. Celtic are now days away from pre-season, and the dugout has not properly been confirmed yet – and that is before they even get to signing players.
That is why I totally understand why fans are nervous for what is ahead the rest of this summer. The Celtic Fans Collective have already put out a statement criticising the board and it is still only June.
But I get it. They have seen this before. I got some stick for raising the alarm bell early in preseason 12 months ago but it was because I could see the potential problems coming down the pipeline. There is time to avoid a repeat, but it is marching on.
Interim chairman Brian Wilson said in his interview on club television last week it was going to be a busy time. Then get to it.
Recruitment needs to be ramped up
Recruitment needs to be ramped up and I genuinely believe Celtic are going to have to spend £50m this window to get back to the desired level. You look at where they were 18 months ago, with the likes of Kyogo and Nicholas Kuhn still at the club. They still have not been replaced.
The squad is far weaker than it was – and it could be diminished even more in the next few weeks. We know Daizen Maeda is going, I would expect Reo Hatate to leave too and there is already smoke around Arne Engels.
Over here in North America there are also a couple of players who might be drawing attention. Benjamin Nygren is part of the Sweden side and he will have interest on the back of last season's scoring exploits. Then there is Alistair Johnston. Canada have already booked their place in the knockout stages and while Johnathan David gets the headlines, the impressive displays from Johnston have not gone unnoticed, especially by clubs in the English Premier League.
I would be amazed if there were not bids coming in for him. There is no way they can also sell Johnston at this stage – regardless of the price.
There is already a huge job required to get this squad ready for the domestic campaign, but importantly, the Champions League qualifier. The task was hard enough but if those players all leave it becomes even more ominous.
It certainly cannot all rest on the shoulders of one man and O'Neill desperately needs a helping hand in the dugout and in the boardroom.
