Martin O'Neill says Celtic have been given a wake-up call after last season, and the 74-year-old is braced for a tough old time in the new campaign. Celtic still have not made a summer signing, while rivals have moved first and the squad picture at Parkhead remains unsettled.
O'Neill on Celtic TV
O'Neill admitted he had doubts before taking the permanent job on 11 June, but he now believes the warning signs from last season cannot be ignored. He said: "I think Rangers will get stronger, and Hearts won't go down without a fight, there's no question about that," and added: "I felt every single time that we played matches [last season] the teams were getting closer to Celtic than perhaps ever before, certainly in recent times, so those are concerns."
That is a sharper read than the one many expected after Celtic finished as double winners. They retained the trophy with a dramatic final-day win over Hearts, but O'Neill's view is that the margin was thinner than the end result suggested.
Hearts and Rangers move first
The transfer numbers back up the pressure on Celtic. Hearts have already signed seven players in their rebuild, while Rangers have added Lawrence Shankland and Ross McCrorie. Derek McInnes is now leading Rangers after his switch from Hearts, giving them a different look before the new season starts.
Celtic, by contrast, are one of only two premiership clubs yet to make a single signing, with Motherwell the other. Gavin Strachan has already left to join West Brom, and Celtic waited a further two weeks before confirming O'Neill's backroom staff.
Celtic's summer rebuild
The outgoing list could still grow sharply. Including loanees, Celtic's departures this summer could reach double figures, and uncertainty remains around Daizen Maeda, Arne Engels and Benjamin Nygren. O'Neill said of his staff: "We gel together as much as anything else and I suppose, because the end result was that we won, then you start to feel that it was half decent. So it's nice to have the staff back."
He also said: "I thought that was very important." For Celtic, the immediate task is simple: turn a delayed rebuild into a squad that can keep pace with teams that have already started moving. The next move in the transfer market is the one supporters will watch most closely.
