Celtic Manager Martin O’Neill at post-match media conference. Falkirk v Celtic, Scottish Premiership, Falkirk Stadium, 14 January 2026. Photo Vagelis Georgariou
Q: Is it this kind of performance, Martin, when you talk about needing recruits and needing fresh blood, is this kind of exhibit A?
Martin O’Neill: “I think that is a good point, yes, it is. You know, I am trying. I know I have not done anything since yesterday, but I am trying, and we will definitely get people in.”
🔊 LISTEN: “You can tell we need to get a centre forward… we are looking for help!”
🍀 Martin O’Neill says Celtic’s narrow 1-0 win over Falkirk shows they need to strengthen their squad immediately. ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/aGifoMj9s0
— Clyde 1 Superscoreboard (@ClydeSSB) January 14, 2026
Q: Just in terms of the mood at the moment, as you mentioned, you have brought things back as two wins, two clean sheets, despite the performance. Is it a case of just having to churn them out and keep going until that recruitment arrives?
Martin O’Neill: “I think that is absolutely right, yes, we will have to do that. It is nice, Saturday was nice to play in the manner in which we did and it was great, particularly the first game back in this new spell of mine. Is it the second spell or is it the 43rd? I don’t know. But tonight, yes, and I think, I mean the circumstances are totally different. We are playing on an artificial surface, no problem with that. I have no problem because they played pretty well on the artificial surface or scored four goals against Livingston a couple of weeks ago, so that shouldn’t really be a problem, and that is the same for everyone. But just things were different, and you have to adjust, you have to adapt, you have to do all of these things. That is the nature of the game for the players. They have to dig in, and for that there I am obviously eternally grateful.”
Celtic Manager Martin O’Neill at post-match media conference. Falkirk v Celtic, Scottish Premiership, Falkirk Stadium, 14 January 2026. Photo Vagelis Georgariou
Q: There is a player in Slovenia, Franco Kovacevic, who has been linked Celtic tonight, a striker. Is he someone you would have a look at?
Martin O’Neill: “I think that I would, I am probably sure I have done, I have only looked at about four and a half thousand at this minute, and that is not bad since I am only in a week! So, yes, we definitely, you can tell a mile away, we need to get a centre forward. I mean, for instance, young Johnny Kenny has done really fine in the games. I think that is really harsh, to put that sort of pressure on a young lad, he has only just arrived at the football club. So, we are looking for help. I am not diverting to your thing, I am just not answering you!”
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I disagree with all your appraisals with the exception of :- Schmeical and Scales . It’s a sad fact that a team like Celtic are second best in every department , to Falkirk .
Falkirk , under the tutorage of John McLynne have better , fitter , more skillful players than a club like Celtic . The only difference is that the Falkirk players are paid a fraction of what our ” Duds” are paid .
The Falkirk players were first to every ball and at times you would have thought it was :- Manchester City or Barcelona v’s Celtic . This is how far we have regressed in the last few years ; so the BOARD and BR. should be held to account for Celtic’s monumental decline . We need serious changes at board level and throughout the whole club when Martin O’Neil leaves . What has happened when we have an Academy which hasn’t produced a decent player in years ? What is going on ; when , so called Professional players , cannot beat opponents ,cannot shoot, cannot play a final ball , cannot score penalties nor score from free-kicks ? Our club , despite its wealth is run like an amateur out-fit . Can nobody , at the club see that :- McGregor , Teirney and Hetate are past their sell-buy date ; Engals is over-rated and a waste of money ; Neigren (despite his goals) ; McCowan , Yang and Kenny are simply not ” Celtic Class “. It pains me to critiise Celtic players but the reset button needs to be pressed . Martin O’Neill will be a miracle worker if he manages to win anything with these players .I hope , I am very , very wrong .