The Double-Winning Staff Stay — But It Took Far Too Long | OneFootball

Celtic have confirmed that Shaun Maloney, Mark Fotheringham and Stephen McManus will continue as part of Martin O’Neill’s coaching staff – ending weeks of uncertainty that had no business running this long.

Celtic have formally announced that all three assistant coaches will remain in place for the new season, with the confirmation landing – tellingly – on the very morning players reported back for pre-season. Two weeks had elapsed since O’Neill’s permanent appointment was confirmed on 11 June, and not a word on the staff who helped win us the double. The optics were not good.

The delay was not accidental. Reports had emerged that the club asked both Maloney and Fotheringham to accept reduced salaries to stay on – a decision widely and rightly criticised as bizarre given these are the men who delivered a league and Scottish Cup double. Jackie McNamara expressed public surprise that it had taken so long, calling the pair instrumental to last season’s success and vital for what comes next. Peter Martin of PLZ Soccer went further, describing Maloney as indispensable to O’Neill’s operation.

O’Neill himself had made his position clear, stressing publicly that it was very important to have both Maloney and Fotheringham signed for the campaign ahead. When the manager is lobbying on behalf of his own staff, that tells you something about how the negotiations had been handled at boardroom level.

THE STAFF WHO ACTUALLY WON IT

Maloney and McManus first stepped up from internal roles during O’Neill’s two interim stints – stabilising the club after the chaos of Brendan Rodgers’ departure and Wilfried Nancy’s brief, troubled tenure. McManus had been leading the B team before his promotion; Maloney and Fotheringham were driving much of the first-team training work on the grass. The double was built on that continuity.

Fotheringham, who managed Huddersfield Town before joining the coaching group, brought a different perspective and has embedded quickly. The trio now represent genuine structural consistency heading into the new campaign, which matters when you’re navigating European qualifiers from the jump.

There is one departure to note. Gavin Strachan has left for West Bromwich Albion, and the club are believed to be exploring options to complete the backroom picture – with Efrain Juarez among those linked to a role within O’Neill’s staff.

O’Neill, for his part, kept it measured. “Everybody at the club played their part in our achievements last season and we now look ahead as again we strive together to bring our supporters more success,” he said in the official announcement. Brief, diplomatic, and pointing in the right direction.

The right people are staying. It just should not have been this complicated to get there. Mon The Hoops.