Celtic board told they've created a Parkhead 'mess' of their own doing as money in the bank sparks shock

A former Premier League star has been left stunned at how the Celtic board have left other clubs able to rival them for the Premiership title.

Martin O’Neill has twice come in as manager, replacing Brendan Rodgers and Wilfried Nancy, with Sunday’s 2-1 win at Dundee moving them three points off leaders Hearts. It’s been a turbulent campaign in Glasgow’s east-end amid fan protests against the board over a number of issues, including recruitment, with the defending champions holding cash reserves of £67.4 million as per accounts in their interim report.

That amount of money has former Newcastle United and Manchester City goalkeeper Shay Given wondering how Celtic have not left the likes of Rangers and Hearts in the dust when it comes to title race. With O’Neill only at the helm until the summer, the former Republic of Ireland international expects another change in leadership.

Shay Given on situation at Celtic

Given said on the Overlap: “I don't know if long term that's the right answer. Martin's 74, I think, now. Wilfried Nancy didn't work out. He tried to change the system mid-season. Didn't have the players to play in that shape and all the different things. So I think that was a no-no and that's easy to say after it didn't go well.

“But I just think Martin, probably at that stage and doing so well, I think the board had a chance to go, do you know what? Nancy might maybe be an option in the summer or someone else, perhaps or whoever it might be, but let's give it to Martin. He knows the club. The fans love Martin, don't they?

“Fans are not speaking to the board and there's protests and all that kind of stuff. So Martin's having to try and manage all that. Manage a team that maybe is not good enough to win the league, but still in with the shout. So there's a lot of disharmony, I suppose, off the pitch and Martin's trying to manage a lot.

Martin O’Neill on Dundee 1-2 Celtic

“I think if he won something this year it would be a phenomenal season, in a sense, with all he's had to put up with. I don't think long-term Martin will be the answer. I'm sure they're looking and speaking to people maybe for the summer time. Again, it's a mess when you think we talk about the money in the bank.

“They should be out of sight now when you talk about Hearts and Rangers and they're not. There’s pressure at Rangers and Celtic. There’s pressure at Ibrox and Celtic Park to perform, whereas Hearts, can we encourage the team to get over the line?”

O’Neill said of the win at Dundee: “We started off very strongly, got ourselves in front and should have been out of sight by half-time but weren’t. When the second goal didn’t come maybe it’s just the pessimistic side to me, but I felt it might come back to haunt us. We had to try to do something because a draw was no good for us. You take some chances at the end of the day, they came off – sometimes they don’t. Overall, we deserved to win the game.”

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