Manager Martin O’Neill described the prospect of meetings between the Celtic board and supporters’ groups as “a big step forward” and hopes a “middle ground” can be found to end the acrimony around the club.
With some fans planning to boycott Saturday’s Scottish Cup match against Dundee, interim chairman Brian Wilson called for “unity behind the team” and revealed plans for talks “within the next week or so”.
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O’Neill would like those discussions to take place before the first leg of the Europa League play-off at home to Stuttgart on 19 February.
“There has to be a middle ground somewhere along the way,” he said.
“Let’s find out what the ailments are and see if we can rectify them because, going forward, the club will trip itself up.”
Referring to negativity from the stands and “things being shouted across the pitch”, O’Neill said: “Eventually it’s debilitating and it does effect people.
“Celtic have always prided themselves in a togetherness and it is strange for it to be in this shape.”
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Sections of the support remain unhappy with the board following what they perceived as another underwhelming transfer window, while the Celtic hierarchy has been criticised for a lack of engagement.
“I don’t expect suddenly all the issues to go away,” Wilson told Celtic TV on Thursday. “What I’ve asked for, and what I think the great majority of Celtic supporters want to see, is unity behind the team.
“Let’s sort out these other issues – and in no way am I dismissing them or marginalising them. Short term, it’s imperative to support the team.
“It’s up to each individual to decide whether a boycott inside the stadium or outside the stadium helps that. That’s for people to judge.”
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Having recently replaced Peter Lawwell – who stood down as Celtic chairman at the end of December, citing “abuse and threats” – Wilson accepts “there hasn’t been as much engagement [with the fans] as I would’ve liked” in the past month.
Wilson says that has mainly been down to the transfer window being the priority, while he also praised O’Neill, assistant coach Shaun Maloney and the Celtic players for pulling themselves back into Scottish Premiership title contention.
Celtic’s winter window was disrupted by the sackings of manager Wilfried Nancy and head of football operations Paul Tisdale in early January.
The club recruited five players, all of which were loans, and rejected a bid of up to £25m from Nottingham Forest for midfielder Arne Engels.
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They are also on the brink of a short-term deal for former Arsenal and Liverpool midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
After a “turbulent” month, Wilson says the club have “reached out to every supporters’ group” and he is hopeful meetings can take place “within the next week or so”.
“Let’s see if we can go forward,” he added. “There’s no reluctance on my part to engage and I hope that can be put into practice soon.”
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