Paul Lambert has warned Callum McGregor that he is not irreplaceable at Celtic, insisting the club must plan for life without the captain. The Parkhead legend also believes manager Martin O'Neill will dictate the stalwart's future despite a public warning from the midfielder.
McGregor's ultimatum and Lambert's response
McGregor issued Celtic an ultimatum in April, demanding the club match his ambition or he could leave. It was a bold statement from one of the Hoops' most decorated players. However, Lambert reckons the decision could be taken out of McGregor's hands.
"Is Callum irreplaceable? No. Everybody's replaceable," Lambert told Record Sport. "For me, you look at the best Celtic midfielders in Bobby Murdoch and Paul McStay. Those lads leave and Celtic keeps going. Nobody's irreplaceable. If people think that, then you're in grave danger."
Lambert, who captained Celtic under O'Neill in the 2003 Seville team, added: "Everybody has to have a shelf life and everybody has to think, 'If I don't perform well, I'm out of the team here'. Or you leave or you retire."
Celtic's need for long-term planning
McGregor, who turned 33 last month, played in all but two of Celtic's 59-game campaign last season, battling through the pain barrier. Lambert believes the club must start planning for life without the modern-day great.
"There's no natural successor to Callum at the club. There needs to be a long-term plan, unless they have somebody coming through the academy," Lambert said. "But you certainly need a like-for-like if somebody is out injured. I had that all my days. You have to have it."
Lambert emphasised the importance of squad depth: "Even as a manager, you try to get what's virtually two for two in every position that is equal. You look at the bench at Celtic, some are kids, whereas big, strong clubs and teams will have what can make the difference. If you don't have competition, you become stagnant."
O'Neill's squad overhaul
O'Neill has offloaded a dozen players this summer but has yet to make his first signing. Lambert expects a major squad overhaul in the coming weeks. Fringe players Reo Hatate and Paulo Bernardo are expected to leave, while Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's contract has expired. Nottingham Forest remain keen on £25million-rated Arne Engels, with Swedish World Cup star Benjamin Nygren also attracting strong interest.
Lambert admitted he wouldn't stand in the way of Nygren if a money-spinning offer arrives, but questioned the playmaker's consistency. "The problem with him is his consistency. You know what you're getting from Callum and Kieran Tierney. But some of the lads now, they'll hit one in five or six. It's not consistent enough and Nygren falls into that. Even though he's scored 21 goals, it's the consistency level you have to perform."
Lambert concluded: "When you lose 12 players, you have to replace them. But you've got to replace them with better. The manager will know exactly what he'll want in terms of players and knows better than anybody that at Celtic you have to win games."
