Post match Premier Sports and BBC Scotland had exclusive interviews with Martin O’Neill. Neither asked his thoughts on the first half penalty incident. Neither did anyone at the all in media conference.
There has been zero planning for UEFA qualifiers next season, the route to the biggest prize fund available to the club. Another hole is blown in the strategy/business model.
The current recruitment shambles has been long in the making. What else would you expect from a regime that thought Mark Lawwell and Paul Tisdale were would class appointments?
Given that there was no announcement of Hargreaves appointment at the club it is strange that he has been given such a high profile gig.
Back in the autumn it was impossible to avoid Lennon as he tore into Brendan Rodgers, sounding almost like Kris Boyd’s long lost cousin.
McKay transformed the squad on a profit. Kris Ajer and Edourard were sold to fund the turnover. As CEO of Celtic he never got to see Jota, Carter-Vickers or Giakoumakis play.
Rumours persist that the interim boss is privately furious at what he has been dropped into but at 73 years of age O’Neill appears to be a company man.
The Tisdale/Nancy excuse is being used for the failure to have players in on January 1. There are no excuses for O’Neill having to wait 20 days to field a new signing.
It seems clear that when Paul Tisdale was finally found out and shown the door, the club’s entire recruitment department and strategy went with him. A frightening thought.
O’Neill has walked into a system shaped by Mark Lawwell and Paul Tisdale. Both recruited by Nicholson.