Former Celtic striker Chris Sutton is predicting a Brendan Rodgers repeat after a slow start to transfer business at Parkhead.
The Bhoys came into this summer vowing to learn from the errors of their ways following a disappointing summer of recruitment last year that played a part in setting up a disappointing start to the season.
But we are yet to see any evidence that the Celtic chiefs have learned, with no new signings in the building to date. Concern is building, but there is still plenty of time to do business this summer.
Sutton worried about Rodgers repeat
Speaking to the Daily Record, former Hoop Sutton said: "There’s been some suggestion this week that Martin O’Neill might [be frustrated] – and even some talk he might feel the job is not worth the hassle.
“I’m not sure about that. Put it this way – I would be absolutely stunned if Martin walked away. While they remain, I get the sense of calm. But that can change very quickly and we know how damaging it can be if Celtic stands in their way of big moves.
“It’s going to be a tricky time for O’Neill to negotiate and he is going to need to be backed properly.
Like I said, I can’t see a scenario like Brendan Rodgers last summer, where you could sense the rise in exasperation levels growing by the week.
"The grumbles over signings got louder and louder and the writing was on the wall when he said he felt numb after the transfer window and then came out with his Honda Civic line soon after. Publicly he tried to stay positive but you only had to look at his team sheets to see he wasn’t too impressed with the incomings.
“That can’t happen again. Celtic’s board won’t need to worry about Martin throwing them under the bus but that doesn’t mean they should take him for granted.”
O'Neill likely to stick around
O'Neill thought very carefully about taking on this job full-time, and he is the type of character who, once he gives his word, he is going to stick to it. As long as Celtic want him here, it would be a surprise if he decided to walk away.
Having said that, he will likely have had promises from Celtic chiefs over recruitment, and if they fail to live up to those promises, there is always the potential for a relationship to deteriorate.
What will be interesting to see is whether O'Neill comes out and gets stronger with criticism over recruitment, or whether he stays in line, as Rodgers often did. At this point of his career, O'Neill is not going to be worried about reputation damage, but that could go either way in terms of how he responds.
Ultimately, there is time to do business, and O'Neill is going to be in constant communication with those above him. The fallout is likely to come at a later date, and much will come down to whether Celtic start the season well, irrespective of what business is done.
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