Celtic have been told they are unlikely to get one of their reported managerial targets when it comes time for Martin O'Neill to step aside. O'Neill is currently said to be considering his future after a rocky run of three straight defeats that has him doubting whether he can fix the current issues holding back his team.
The Bhoys have significant personnel issues after a disappointing summer window, and O'Neill is going to have to get creative to patch over them, although it's also true that the veteran boss needs to do better to motivate his troops for big games.
Celtic have been flat in the last three big games, and they seem unable to turn things around when the momentum starts to go against them, which is not good enough for a team that expects to win trophies this season.
O'Neill does look more likely than not to stay on for now, and the club has ruled out sacking him, so it's likely the veteran will move on at the end of the season, when his current contract expires, albeit there is an option to extend by a further year.
Former Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna has been linked with the Celtic job, but he is effectively unavailable until some time next summer, when his one-year clause that requires huge compensation from any hiring team lapses.
McKenna wants to take a break from football in any case, so nothing is likely before the summer, and as for the summer, former Aberdeen chief Keith Wyness believes a Premier League return is more likely for the former Tractor Boys boss.
“Well to me, McKenna would have been a no-brainer, but again I’m hearing that despite the fact he’s left Ipswich, there is still a clause that if he takes employment for a year, there would be an £8m compensation payment,” he said on Football Insider's Inside Track podcast.
“Now £8m for Celtic is a lot to pay for a manager. They may be forced into paying it, and they’ve got the money to do it. But it does seem as though that’s something that is a bit of a hurdle for them.
“To be honest, I’d be surprised if he would take it because I think he’s got a chance of getting a Premier League slot at some stage. So it may not be him, but certainly experience rather than bringing somebody from the MLS, which they tried before with significant failure.”
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