Celtic have yet again changed tact in the dugout in what has become a campaign full of surprises, though that hasn’t stopped the Scottish Premiership holders from closing in on another addition.
Martin O'Neill returns to Celtic after Wilfried Nancy departure
In all honesty, Wilfried Nancy’s eight-game tenure at Celtic was an unmitigated disaster, as the Frenchman leaves with two victories and six losses to his name at Parkhead.
Despite his intriguing ideas and spurts of promise within his 3-4-2-1 formation, the Bhoys conceded 18 goals in eight games during his time at the club and regularly lost control in the engine room and now find themselves six points behind in the Scottish Premiership race.
Now, incredibly, Martin O’Neill has stepped into the breach after being appointed Celtic boss until the end of the season, and he has vowed to put his side in the best position possible to retain their league title by winning football matches.
He said: “(My remit is) essentially the same. It might be a longer period; the conversation I had with Dermot was (about) going through to the end of the season, giving the football club time to really look around and get someone in who is going to be in for the next three or four years. But, I am in the football business – I might not see it through to the end of the season, you have to win football matches.”
Stability is needed at Celtic following their Glasgow Derby defeat against Rangers last weekend. Tactical naivety was partly to blame for their recent poor run, albeit Nancy was far from the only problem currently present at Parkhead.
Nevertheless, despite recruitment Paul Tisdale also leaving the club with Nancy, the Bhoys appear primed to capture a new addition amid recent developments.
Jocelin Ta Bi set for medical ahead of Celtic move
According to Foot Mercato, Ivorian winger Jocelin Ta Bi will sign for Celtic. He is set to sign a four-and-a-half-year deal with the Hoops and it’s understood that members of the club’s medical department have flown to Israel to conduct a medical ahead of his proposed move from Maccabi Netanya.
Reportedly in the process of switching clubs for a fee in the region of £2.5 million, the 20-year-old is on loan at Hapoel Petah Tikva, where he has registered two goals and two assists in 12 matches this campaign.
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Admittedly, there is some doubt about his arrival, given that both Nancy and Tisdale left the building. However, it appears the transfer will go ahead as planned, representing part of a wider club strategy to secure arrivals with long-term potential to develop.
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Ultimately, Celtic haven’t exactly set the heather alight recruitment-wise this season, albeit Ta Bi may be an exception to recent events after creating 14 chances this term and performing 38 successful dribbles, per Fotmob.