The Celtic 'red flag' that should worry every supporter

Celtic have announced the appointment of Shaun Maloney and Mark Fotheringham as part of Martin O'Neill's coaching staff.

They join Stephen McManus in assisting O'Neill as the club begins its pre-season preparations.

Tony Haggerty shared his relief at the appointments being finalised, stating: "I'm glad it's over the line."

John McGinley, also discussing the appointments, suggested that the delay might have been due to negotiations around Maloney's role and remuneration.

He said: "I think then it was about making sure what Maloney wanted, how he was involved, what his role was exactly, and what the demarcation of his roles and responsibilities would be."

Despite being relieved at the appointments, both Haggerty and McGinley expressed concern about the delay in getting the coaching staff in place, suggesting it might be a "red flag" for the rest of the summer.

McGinley pointed out that with the first pre-season friendly just around the corner, the club should have been more proactive in ensuring the coaching staff were in place sooner. Haggerty added: "The optics on it are appalling, John.

"And as you say, those statements that they made, they're just empty words if they don't follow through on them."

The pair also discussed the importance of making early signings to get the team ready for the upcoming season and Champions League qualifiers.

They expressed disappointment that there were no new signings yet, with Haggerty saying: "The first day of pre-season, I'm not saying that all signings should be in the door, but you'd like to see one or two fresh faces."

The duo highlighted the importance of clear communication from the club, particularly around who is driving player recruitment, and called for more transparency in the process. Haggerty said: "There's no sign of strategy here, John, or forward planning.

"And you said there, who's driving it? Who is actually at the wheel here?"

They also criticised the club's reluctance to spend money and the lack of ambition. Haggerty said: "I wrote last week in the column saying that this whole, you know, kind of aversion to spending money, it's becoming cultural now at Celtic."

He further pointed out that the club's reluctance to spend money and lack of forward planning could be detrimental in the long run, particularly with the Champions League qualifiers coming up.

The pair concluded the discussion by calling for the club to show more ambition and to provide the fans with a team worthy of the club's name, suggesting that the current situation is not sustainable for a club of Celtic's stature.

Click HERE to watch the latest morning briefing.