Martin O’Neill walked out on Aston Villa on the eve of a new EPL season. Could he do the same thing at Celtic?

On 9 August 2010, O’Neill resigned as manager of Aston Villa with immediate effect.

On his departure, O’Neill said: “I have enjoyed my time at Aston Villa immensely. It’s obviously a wrench to be leaving such a magnificent club.”

O’Neill was reportedly unhappy about the funds available for transfers, but his departure just five days before the start of the new season still came as a shock to the club and its players.

He was unhappy about the funds available for transfers…

Now, I’ll wager that Martin O’Neill had a squad available to him at that time at Villa that was a damn sight stronger than what he currently has at Celtic.

Below is what Martin O’Neill currently has at his disposal at Celtic:

At this moment in time, Daizen Maeda, Alistair Johnston, Arne Engels and Benjamin Nygren are all in the shop window.

Maeda, Johnston and Nygren are all performing well in the World Cup.

The better they perform, the higher their valuation becomes.

Which – no doubt – the Celtic board will only be too delighted with.

On that basis, this Celtic squad is more likely to be weakened before it is strengthened in any meaningful way.

While Martin O’Neill might not have had as much of a connection with Aston Villa as he has at Celtic, he still decided that if he wasn’t going to be supported, he was going to leave.

At the time he had players in their prime like Stiliyan Petrov, Richard Dunne, Ashley Young, and Gabby Agbonlahor at his disposal, to name but a few.

The main talent that Celtic has at this moment in time is currently in the shop window.

I think we all know that, and we accept it.

That’s just the way it is at Celtic.

It’s always been that way.

But the question that every one is asking is that if these players are sold, will O’Neill be given the funds to replace them?

In reality if that didn’t happen, could the Irishman be forced to do the same thing he did at Aston Villa almost 16 years ago?

Graham Spiers certainly thinks so.

He believes that if the Celtic board push Martin O’Neill far enough, and piss him off by not supporting him, then he could walk.

So, bearing that in mind, there has to be one of two scenarios going on behind the scenes.

Either the board are actively doing nothing, hence the reason nothing has happened to date.

Or they are working hard behind the scenes.

I somehow doubt it’s the latter.

Simply because all of the clubs around us are snapping up players with ease.

They are busy strengthening their squads for next season.

Now, we all know that Michael Nicholson is not a master at the art of the transfer deal.

When things get all too complicated for him, he just switches his phone off.

What is worrying at this moment in time is that there isn’t a single concrete rumour out there at the moment about any player possibly coming to Celtic.

In fact the only solid story at the moment is that Kelechi Iheanacho’s contract has been allowed to expire.

According to the Record, no “concrete talks have taken place.”

Iheanacho is now in Limbo.

And while the Nigerian striker may have struggled for fitness last season, there is no doubting that without his contribution, we would not have won the title.

The least the board could do is treat him with the respect his contribution deserves.

Then again, I spoke about the board and respect last week, it seems neither of the two go hand in hand.

Martin O’Neill – in his opening press conference – spoke about the fact Hearts and the Ibrox side were going to give Celtic a “tough old time” next season.

Whether that was a hint to the board, or just him speaking about the opposition, is hard to know.

But there’s generally always an underlying meaning to a lot of what O’Neill says.

Maybe that was hint to the board that the season ahead is going to be very tough unless he is backed.

Who knows?

But what we do know was that when O’Neill found himself in a predicament at Aston Villa that was a lot better than his current one, he walked on the eve of a new season.

Could he do the same at Celtic?

Or will his love for Celtic trump the urge in his head?

Because surely his head knows things are not right at Celtic at this moment in time?

O’Neill is a highly intelligent man.

He can see clearly what’s going on around him.

The Ibrox side and Hearts are serious about contending for this title.

Celtic, right now, are not.

Unless that changes pretty soon, and pretty rapidly, O’Neill could decide this isn’t worth the hassle.

He’s 74 years of age.

O’Neill doesn’t need the stress levels the antics at Celtic induce at this point in his life.

He has already had to deal with their slipshod treatment of his coaching team.

Granted, that is now sorted, along with the acquisition of Hearts’ set piece coach, Ross Grant.

But it’s players we now need.

Either the board support Martin O’Neill fully, or they could run the risk of him doing what he did at Villa.

And you know what?

If it happened, it would not surprise me in the least.

Nothing that happens at Celtic is surprising any more.

Unless we sign an actual player.

Now that would be very surprising.

Very surprising indeed…

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