O'Neill safest of safe bets as Celtic opt against another gamble

O'Neill safest of safe bets as Celtic opt against another gambleImage source, PA MediaImage caption, Martin O'Neill led Celtic to the Scottish Premiership title and Scottish Cup last seasonByTom EnglishBBC Scotland's chief sports writerPublished2 minutes agoOnce Martin O'Neill indicated a desire to carry on as Celtic manager, it would have taken a brave board to say no to the guy who dug them out of the giant hole they'd buried themselves in last season.Nobody with any knowledge of O'Neill will have been taken in by his detached grandad routine this past while. He carried on like he's a total bystander in Celtic's double-winning season, like he was an old man who wandered aimlessly into Lennoxtown and was bamboozled by what he saw.O'Neill's schtick is well worn, but nobody has fallen for it. He might be 74, but he's an intelligent mood-setter with a big football brain and a fantastic capacity to connect with footballers and make them feel better and play better.In reappointing him, Celtic might stand accused of short-termism and a lack of ambition. There's no young continental coming in with modern thinking, no impressive firebrand arriving to rip things up and start again, no manager with an extensive grasp on foreign markets and the gems buried within, as was the case with Ange Postecoglou.It seems it all came down to O'Neill and Robbie Keane. That's not a shortlist that screams 'extensive worldwide search'. Giving it to O'Neill again is the easiest option possible. In the wake of the club's colossal, and borderline negligent, error in appointing Wilfried Nancy, ignoring a proven winner who's under your nose is the risk-averse play, the path of least resistance.O'Neill confirmed as Celtic's permanent managerPublished42 minutes agoO'Neill a 'no-brainer' – now major rebuild awaitsPublished3 days agoTruth stranger than fiction as O'Neill leads...