Martin O’Neill admits Celtic’s attempts to secure his first January signing have been complicated by the fact he only returned as boss last week.
The 73-year-old assured anxious fans that the club are ‘really trying’ to bring in new faces – but confessed that he hasn’t had enough time to act as quickly and decisively as he would have liked since replacing the ill-fated Wilfried Nancy.
Centre-back Stephen Welsh has been recalled from his loan spell at Motherwell, while Mexico defender Julian Araujo arrived on loan from Bournemouth earlier this month, before Nancy and head of football operations Paul Tisdale left the club.
But O’Neill, who began his second spell as interim boss this season with a 4-0 win over Dundee United last Saturday, said preparations are ‘not perfect’ as he looks to add to his squad. The 73-year-old has discarded some suggested targets but says the club are ‘relatively close’ to bolstering their numbers.
‘We are really trying, honestly, and obviously, selfishly, as I said to you, I don’t have any impediments from board level,’ said O’Neill, whose side sit third in the Premiership and can move above second-placed Rangers with a win at Falkirk this evening.
‘I think we all want to try to do something, which is great. So I’m not blaming anybody. We will try and get people in.
Martin O’Neill admits he has not been able to act as quickly as he would have liked over recruitment
Defender Stephen Welsh has been recalled by Celtic from his loan spell at Motherwell
Julian Araujo has been the only new arrival so far, and that was when O’Neill’s predecessor Wilfried Nancy was still in charge
‘But it genuinely is at this stage, even though it’s halfway through January, it is looking around to see what could fit for us, as much as anything else. And, we’ll see.
‘Again, it’s not perfect. We might end up having to do some things that, you take somebody on loan that you think you wouldn’t be looking to sign for three or four years, for instance, something like that.
‘I have an idea about a player and things are being presented to me. Now, of course, I would like to act more quickly. I think I’m trying to do that, and then I obviously have the other things to deal with, the clubs and then the players themselves. And some people that I would really like may choose to go elsewhere. If I, myself, had a bit more preparation for it, then I maybe could have worked a bit more quickly.’
O’Neill revealed that winger Jota, who picked up a serious knee injury against Dundee United last April, is likely to remain sidelined until the summer.
It was hoped the Portuguese attacker, in his second spell at the club, would be available for the final few months of the season, but O’Neill said: ‘In terms of the long-term injuries, I don’t see Jota being back this season.
‘I think that Alistair Johnston would probably make a fightback, and he’s hoping to be maybe some time in March, and that would be great if that’s the case. But the longer-term injuries, I don’t see it.’
Meanwhile, Kieran Tierney believes Celtic are finally beginning to heal now O’Neill is back at the helm after Nancy’s disastrous tenure.
The Frenchman lost six games out of eight including the Premier Sports Cup final to St Mirren at Hampden and the Old Firm game against Rangers at Celtic Park.
Celtic boss O’Neill admitted that injured winger Jota is probably out until the summer
Kieran Tierney feels Celtic are finally beginning to heal now O’Neill is back in charge
The Northern Irishman’s team face a tough trip to in-form Falkirk on Wednesday night
O’Neill, aided by assistant Shaun Maloney, won seven out of eight games in their first temporary spell in charge after Brendan Rodgers left the club in October and they recalibrated the Saturdya’s hammering of United.
Asked to sum up a chaotic period, Scotland defender Tierney said: ‘It was disappointing. It’s not good enough losing that many games in such a short space of time at Celtic, it is never acceptable.
‘For now, it is just about making it right and winning again. The first day we came back in and they (O’Neill and Maloney) were here, it was just like normal again.
‘We built up a good routine in the however many weeks they were there before, and we had good results, good momentum and it just feels like we’ve picked up from there.
‘I think at any club if you lose games, you’re going to lose confidence. But this group of staff that’s come in, they’re so good at giving you confidence and making you feel good about yourself. I think you could see that at the weekend as well.’
