Unhappy Celtic fans reacted to Martin O’Neill’s lineup for the game against Falkirk, but there might be a very smart reason behind it.
The Northern Irishman has come in to help the team in a time of need once again, after the disastrous spell of Wilfried Nancy, in which he won just two of his eight games in charge. Bringing back the club legend was the safest choice that the Hoops could have made after the Frenchman was sacked following his 33-day reign in the Parkhead hot seat.
Of course, O’Neill has done a much better job with the squad available to him. That does not mean that he has been handed an easy task. On the contrary, he has openly admitted that he is hoping for additions.
So far, the Celtic board have been unsuccessful in backing him. They have not made a single signing since O’Neill’s return. The only addition of this window was Julian Araujo, brought in on loan from Bournemouth for the next six months. Nobody should be surprised that the supporters are not happy.
‘New signings’ – Unhappy Celtic fans react to Martin O’Neill’s lineup
Reacting to the lineup, a bunch of Celtic fans had the same sarcastic joke. One wrote: “Looking forward to seeing the new signings.”
Another added: “Not risking all of the new signings?”
On the other hand, another interesting call on the day was leaving Stephen Welsh out of the squad altogether, even though he has been recalled from his loan spell at Motherwell. One fan wrote: “Recalling Welsh to not even bench him is laughable.”
Another fan said about the decision: “Why recall Welsh, if you dont include him in the squad?”
Of course, it is very possible that Celtic might have plans to send Welsh to another club, potentially as part of some swap that will help them bring in somebody who can contribute to the first team. Kieran Bowie of Hibernian and Tawanda Maswanhise of Motherwell have been suggested as probable options, if the Hoops indeed had such an idea.
To be honest, either Bowie or Maswanhise could be a solid addition to this current Celtic team. So, if Welsh turns out to be the key to unlocking a deal for either of them, not playing him today would be a brilliant decision in hindsight.
At the same time, it is also possible that there is no such smart thinking behind it. O’Neill might just prefer Dane Murray, having worked with him already during his earlier interim spell, while Welsh has just returned from his loan stop at Motherwell.