Celtic succession planning should concern every supporter who wants this club to look beyond its next crisis. A new claim about Martin O’Neill’s future makes that question impossible to ignore.

In a Football Insider report carried by Yahoo Sport, former Manchester United scout Mick Brown predicted that O’Neill would leave at the end of the season.

“They’ll want to have a succession plan in place,” Brown said.

This is Brown’s assessment. It is not an announcement from O’Neill or confirmation that Celtic have appointed his replacement.

Nevertheless, it raises a question Dermot Desmond and the board should be able to answer: what comes next?

Celtic succession planning demands more than another name

I have followed Celtic long enough to know the difference between an exciting appointment and a coherent football strategy. We need both.

Before approaching anyone, the club should decide how Celtic will play, what qualities the squad requires and who takes responsibility for recruitment.

Otherwise, what exactly are we asking the next manager to build?

Another personality might lift the mood. However, enthusiasm alone cannot fix a football operation whose priorities pull in different directions.

That is why our concerns about Celtic’s European decline reach far beyond the identity of the person in the dugout.

Desmond and the board must explain the direction

Football Insider has also linked David Moyes with Celtic. That report described interest, rather than an imminent appointment.

Moyes has an extensive managerial record. Even so, the discussion must begin with the job Celtic want done, rather than the most familiar name available.

Who would assess the candidates? What would count as progress in Europe? Would the manager have a decisive voice in shaping the squad?

These are practical questions. Supporters should expect the people running Celtic to have convincing answers.

As our recent assessment of O’Neill’s explanations argued, responsibility extends from the coaching staff to the boardroom.

Celtic need a plan that survives a managerial change

We cannot establish Celtic’s private preparations from Brown’s comments. Equally, uncertainty over the manager’s future makes proper preparation essential.

If O’Neill leaves, his successor should inherit a clear brief, a recruitment structure and agreed priorities. If he stays, those foundations still matter.

For me, Celtic succession planning must serve an ambition worthy of the support.

Desmond and the board should be judged on whether they deliver that ambition through informed decisions, clear responsibility and measurable progress.

Celtic deserve leadership that prepares the future before circumstances force its hand.