Selling off the young guns leaves O'Neill facing Lynch mob

Simon Lynch and Shaun Maloney will never know how good they would have been together for Celtic, yet their partnership will be like a one-hit wonder that sticks indelibly in the mind 20 years from now.

Just as no one can forget Rene and Renate, so Lynch and Maloney, for equally comic reasons, will be remembered by Celtic fans. They brought the house down one day last May for getting a bit carried away in their attempt to impress Martin O'Neill.

With the title wrapped up, the Celtic manager rested Henrik Larsson, John Hartson and Chris Sutton, and allowed his two teenage strikers to face Hearts at Tynecastle. Each scored twice as Celtic's eager youngsters – five were aged 20, or less – left Hearts trailing 4-1.

But the pair's camaraderie was shattered in the final minute, when a penalty was awarded. Lynch and Maloney wrestled for the ball like a couple of schoolkids in the playground. The Tynecastle crowd roared with laughter as, surprisingly, the diminutive Maloney won the argument – then slammed his kick against the post.

Perhaps that incident stuck in O'Neill's mind. This week he opted to allow Lynch to pursue his future away from Parkhead, while Maloney is allowed to cling on to his dream of following in Larsson's footsteps.

Lynch's £130,000 move to Preston North End caused barely a ripple anywhere in Britain. Yet, O'Neill felt the feedback all the way across the Pond.

Celtic may have flown out to their winter training camp in Florida, but the displeasure of fans at the sale of the Scotland under-21 striker and the impending departure of Colin Healy to Everton for just £150,000 prompted hostility back in Glasgow that the manager was selling off the future of the club.

Healy, 22, also played in that mauling of Hearts. It was just one of four appearances in a Celtic shirt last season, though the midfielder's three-month loan at Coventry City prompted the Republic of Ireland to name him as Roy Keane's replacement at the World Cup finals until Fifa vetoed their plan.

Yet, Healy has managed just two games for Celtic this term. It was hard enough to dislodge Neil Lennon and Paul Lambert, but when the latter – who is club captain – is left out to accommodate Sutton in midfield, then Healy's task becomes daunting.

However, one of O'Neill's predecessors at Parkhead, Lou Macari, believes that supporters should keep faith in the manager's judgement. "If the boys were that good, they would be in Martin's team already," said Macari.

"Martin won't sell Maloney because he has a very bright future ahead of him, even if it takes until Larsson finishes in 18 months' time for it to get really started. He was much further ahead than Lynch. Healy clearly has a good future at Everton. Martin would not let anyone go if he feels they can be regular in a couple of years – but Healy wants to be a regular now."

Macari understands the dilemma. He came through Celtic's youth system with Kenny Dalglish to replace the side which won the European Cup in 1967. "The road to established status is long and groups of boys breaking up is a normal hazard of working life."

At least the current kids signed off in style. Healy, Lynch and Maloney played together for the last time a month ago, inflicting a 3-1 defeat on Rangers, with Lynch and Maloney, as usual, hogging the goals: it was, however, only the Old Firm reserve fixture.