SOCCER: The Celtic chairman Brian Quinn had few words of comfort for Martin O'Neill in the aftermath of the Scottish club's failure to progress in Europe. Graham Clark reports.
Just as the manager's views on his squad's inability to compete with the likes of their Champions League rivals Milan and Barcelona - nor even Shakhtar Donetsk who parachuted into the UEFA Cup in third place - were reverberating around bars in the east end of Glasgow, so Quinn piled on the misery.
"What you cannot do is spend money you don't have," declared Quinn with one eye on the club's debt. "We do not have a benefactor, we have shareholders and they have to be convinced the money is well spent and I think the supporters realise that."
Celtic had a glorious opportunity to build on the achievement of reaching the UEFA Cup final in 2003 but they have since stalled and appear now to be in decline, in European terms at least.
O'Neill must take a share of the blame because, with the money he was given in the summer, he signed Juninho and Henri Camara, the latter on loan from Wolves, in the hope that they would make an impact in Europe. However, the pair, who started on the bench in Tuesday's 0-0 draw with Milan, have done nothing for the cause in real terms.
That result, coupled with Shakhtar's 2-0 victory over Barcelona, consigned Celtic to domestic chores only and O'Neill to open house in terms of speculation on his future.
When asked if O'Neill would be at Celtic next season, Quinn insisted: "I very much hope so. I know nothing to the contrary. We will do everything we can to support him. Martin is a man of great resilience and resource. We'll sit back and see what can be done."
One suspects that the fans will look for action next month when the transfer window reopens because, aside from the fact that the current squad is thin, there are elements in it that add to Celtic's problems.
John Hartson's contract is up at the end of the season, along with several others' in the first team. Then there is the question of an aging team. O'Neill said after the Milan match that he had not had time to consider if it was the end of an era but he must have been dwelling on the possibility since.
Midfielder Alan Thompson felt confident that O'Neill had not managed Celtic for the last time in Europe. "I would be surprised. I don't think he has chucked it (the towel in) at any other job he has been at and I can't see someone of his character doing it now," he said.
With Rangers likely to be in the UEFA Cup after Christmas, Celtic's priority will be to hang on to the Premier League title. And Thompson said he expected O'Neill to return to the dressing-room with his trademark vigour and enthusiasm.
"He will try and rally us. We have a big game on Sunday at Dunfermline and that is where he comes into his own," he said.
Thompson insisted that there was plenty of hope for the future and cited the teenager Aiden McGeady, who was outstanding against the Italians, as a prime example.
"Aiden has played well over a period of time. We see it every day in training how good he is and there is more of that to come, I can assure you," he said.
O'Neill was also thrilled with the young Ireland international's display and knows that, if he maintains this form, it could save him millions in transfer fees.
"It was an unbelievable performance by young McGeady," O'Neill said. "I wouldn't want to heap a lot of pressure on him but he looks a quality footballer and he took to that stage like he had been there all his life. I was thrilled for him and thrilled with him."
O'Neill has put pressure on the board to open their wallets and Hartson believes it's time to bolster their squad.
"We are the champions but I'm sure the manager will look to strengthen in January because everyone can see that we need competition. Our squad is a bit thin, so I think that is what he will do."
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