Martin O'Neill has always favoured big, tough players and is set to bring that physical presence back to Celtic in the summer transfer window as he prepares to be confirmed as permanent manager
The problem for opponents was that ifto Dolph Lundgren, it was Big, Bad John, with towering presence Hartson charging forward. , steely Chris Sutton or perhaps Jackie McNamara, whose youthful appearance was somewhat deceptive.
Get past that formidable line-up and Rob Douglas could swiftly remove his gloves and start swinging his enormous hands, reportsAn old adage suggested the team that drinks together, wins together, but O'Neill's squad during his initial tenure was more a case of the team that scraps together, claims silverware together. There was no question his Celtic outfit of the early 2000s possessed skill.
However, they were also the sort of crew you'd rather not encounter in a back street, let alone on the pitch. O'Neill himself admitted Hartson once gave him a scare when the imposing striker lost his temper and appeared ready to throw a punch after being substituted. The Northern Irishman stood firm – and privately relished having a squad unafraid to square up to each other as well as opponents.
He'd been part of a Nottingham Forest team that would have tackled their own grandmothers, but he's always maintained his Hoops side would have more than held their own in a brawl – even against Kenny Burns and his teammates. O'Neill – speaking exclusively on the Record Celtic Podcast a few years ago – said: "I think you just tried to stay out of of the way of Bobo, that's for sure. Stiliyan Petrov used to get involved as well.
He was such a good looking young fella, the last thing you want to see him is needing some treatment to his face.
"But they were strong, they wanted to win, which was great. I genuinely didn't mind that, sometimes you had to encourage it.
"That Forest team, yeah, Kenny Burns was very strong – and very ugly obviously, particular when he took his teeth out – and Larry Lloyd had a big say on proceedings. Times have changed considerably, naturally, with modern players prone to theatrics at the merest hint of contact, acting as though they've suffered serious injury.
However, the appetite for battle remains essential – alongside the requirement for physical presence. This was something O'Neill observed during his interim return following Brendan Rodgers' exit last October. While the caretaker manager stabilised matters domestically, the Europa League encounter with Midtjylland proved revealing. The Danish outfit boasted considerably more physical stature, making the Celtic players appear diminutive by comparison.
Yet the current squad demonstrated genuine resilience through their remarkable Double-winning campaign, showcasing their ability to triumph through adversity. As O'Neill prepares to step into the role of permanent manager for the long term, supporters are left speculating about what shape his squad will take come next season. Significant changes are anticipated over the summer months, with numerous players departing and an even greater number expected to arrive.
On his Let's be Frank podcast this week, he said: "I'll tell you something. There won't be any wee guys coming in. There will be big players coming in because Martin likes big, strong players – to go an bully teams.
"It's something Celtic haven't had for years. They got bullied against the likes of Rangers, Livingston, Motherwell. O'Neill attempted to inject some height into the squad during January, though that transfer window is best left unmentioned. In theory, Tomas Cvancara and Junior Adamu seemed ideal candidates to introduce some physical presence in the attacking third.
Both standing over six feet tall, it became apparent from Cvancara's debut that he wouldn't be filling Chris Sutton's boots anytime soon. O'Neill put him to the test early on at Tynecastle, launching six long balls towards the striker within the opening 10 minutes—all six times he lost the aerial battle. Cvancara showed a preference for playing off the last defender, while Adamu proved to be something of a mystery.
The Freiburg forward performed adequately as a target man in Stuttgart during March, but was physically dominated at Ibrox days later before being substituted at the interval and—aside from a 15-minute cameo appearance in the loss at Tannadice—disappeared from contention thereafter. While the loan forwards didn't prove successful, they provided a clear indication of the type of player O'Neill was pursuing—and is expected to target once more.
The management team has already begun scouting for fresh recruits and the rebuilding programme will intensify over the coming weeks. At the forefront of his priorities will be injecting some physicality and opponents had better prepare themselves for a different kind of battle next season.
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