Scottish Cup: Auchinleck Talbot v Celtic
Venue: Rugby Park, Kilmarnock Date: Sunday, 18 January Time: 17:30 GMT
Coverage: Listen on BBC Radio Scotland Extra & Sounds, live text commentary on the BBC Sport website & app, highlights on BBC One Scotland & iPlayer from 22:30
Martin O’Neill hopes “to have people” added to his Celtic squad in time for next weekend’s Scottish Premiership trip to face leaders Hearts.
Celtic have so far in January recruited full-back Julian Araujo on loan from Bournemouth.
However, O’Neill played down the prospect of signing West Ham’s England-capped forward Callum Wilson, 33.
“I hadn’t thought about that, not that he’s not a very, very fine player, a very fine player but I thought he was going elsewhere anyway,” O’Neill said of Wilson.
“Can’t tell you anything. For want of telling you it’s actually it was news to me at the time.
“But we are in search of those elusive goalscorers but we’re not the only team as well.”
O’Neill suggested “we are making progress” may be becoming his favourite phrase with regards transfers and says the club are nearing signings.
“Remarkably, I think we are,” he said. “We’re definitely a bit closer. I dread these interviews, I really do. I just like the natter, it’s good fun but I dread the questions coming up. Please, I can’t wait until 2 or 3 February, it might change the narrative.
“I understand, I absolutely totally get it.
“It’s essential, it’s absolutely essential [to recruit]. I think we know that anyway. We can’t change the squad around for the Bologna game [on Thursday].
“I’d like to have some people in for Hearts if it were at all possible. I can’t think that there [would be signings this weekend] but I’d be hoping by some stage next week that we’d have people.”
O’Neill reflected on “some good and some bad” experiences in the Scottish Cup during his first spell as Celtic manager, as he prepares for his return to the competition away to Auchinleck Talbot on Sunday.
The final game of his 2000-05 tenure was Celtic’s 1-0 victory over Dundee United in the 2005 Scottish Cup final and he said it “would be terrific” to finish his current spell in charge back at Hampden in this season’s final.
That win over United came a week on from missing out on the SPL title as Rangers pipped their city rivals on the final day of the league season.
“I knew that this was going to be my last game so it was lovely to win but I have to say that the Motherwell game was still in my mind by that time,” O’Neill reminisced.
O’Neill was also asked about the game being moved from Talbot’s Beechwood Park to Kilmarnock’s Rugby Park, a regular away destination for Celtic.
“If I wasn’t manager of Celtic, I’d be really disappointed, yes,” said O’Neill, whose side defeated Falkirk 1-0 on Wednesday.
“Now as I am manager of Celtic, I’m probably quite pleased. I’ve seen these before.
“[Celtic] need to play a lot better than we did the other night on the plastic surface, anyway. Yup, perhaps that might help, might level things out a wee bit.
“Looking forward to the game immensely. I’ve watched them now so want to be really careful.
“They have some very, very decent attributes. They are a top-quality junior side, no question about it and they’ve got players who play as well. This is not a junior team like under-11s or something like that that we’re playing. To get here, this distance as well too, it’s been a brilliant effort.”
