Celtic board 'go missing' over manager appointment - expert taken aback by Martin O'Neill deal

Martin O'Neill is closing in on being announced as the next permanent Celtic manager despite initally agreeing to an interim spell.

The 74-year-old enjoyed two successful short-term spells at Parkhead, initially replacing Brendan Rodgers and then Wilfried Nancy, and is now set to stay on.

Having lifted both the Scottish Cup and Premiership title during his second spell, he was always seen as the Hoops board's top target if he was open to extending his stay.

However, former Man United chief scout Mick Brown told Football Insider that Celtic have delayed "major problems" by sticking with O'Neill on another short-term deal.

Instead, they will now have to deal with these issues further down the line after they shied away from another big decision.

Reports have suggested the manager is set to agree a one-year deal at Parkhead, with the option for a further year, as the board have once again failed to commit.

Why have Celtic decided to appoint Martin O'Neill?

Football Insider revealed in January that O'Neill is open to staying at Celtic after a successful interim spell at Parkhead, with the club desperate not to repeat previous mistakes.

That fear of repeating the errors made over Nancy's appointment has seemingly led the board to play things safe yet again and stick with a tried and tested option.

O'Neill remains highly regarded and did a fantastic job in his short-term role, but handing him the permanent job has displayed a fear of any long-term commitment.

"Celtic have decided they're sticking with Martin O'Neill," Brown told Football Insider.

"The thing is, he's done them a massive favour, he's done a fantastic job on an interim basis, won the league, won the cup, and the players seemed to be happy under him.

"But it was always supposed to be a short-term deal, he even said it when he took over, he was coming in to do the club a favour.

"Then it gets to the end of the season, they're looking for their next manager, and the powers that be have got a decision to make.

"When it comes to making these big decisions, the Celtic board go missing, they're not willing to put their necks on the line and say 'look, this is what we want to do'.

"If Martin O'Neill is the man they want to continue his work there, then why has it taken until weeks after the season ended for them to come to that conclusion?

"Now, they have to decide whether he's going to play a part in the rectruitment or whether he's just going to be the manager and he'll let the club get on with the rest.

"But hiring Martin O'Neill on another one-year contract just smacks of not wanting to commit to anything, because they'll be in the same position again next season.

"There are major problems at Celtic and they keep pushing them down the road. Eventually, they'll have to be dealt with, but they keep shying away from any real decisions.

"I have no doubt he will do a good job there like he has done for the last season, but how Celtic have ended up in this position is all down to those at the top."

Which other managers did Celtic consider?

O'Neill was not the only name on Celtic's list of managerial targets this summer, with a number of candidates considered before their eventual decision.

It is now believed that O'Neill was always the board's preferred option, but the likes of Jens Bethel Askou, Craig Bellamy and Robbie Keane were all considered.

Brown told Football Insider on 8 June that Celtic had considered appointnig Keane, but pulled the plug on any agreement amid fears over fan backlash.

Prominent Hoops supporters groups had set up petitions against the appointment amid concerns over his previous job as the manager of Maccabi Tel Aviv.

Tensions have been rising between the Celtic fans and the board in recent months, and the possibility of strong backlash from the stands is believed to have influenced their decision.