Eddie Howe it may well be then, folks. One of the best choices we had and one of the most impressive CV’s. The Miracle Man of Bournemouth has done great things with a provincial English club and this is the job he has been waiting for.
The sneering from some quarters of the English media is understandable and hilarious in equal measure; they cannot believe that someone like Howe might be willing to choose winning trophies, managing in front of 60,000 fans and leading a team in Europe over middle table ignominy in their over-hyped top flight. How dare he, eah?
Howe has met with Desmond, in London.
But he has asked for certain things, and where possible Celtic has to give him what he requires.
One of the things he’s said to be keen on is his own people.
Well of course. Because he’s coming to a new club in a new city in a new country and for all he’s dealt with this far in his career this is the dark side of the moon.
He’s entitled to want his own people, and not only that but he’ll need them.
We can’t hamstring this guy.
Whenever we’ve given a manager like him total freedom the results have been astounding.
Martin O’Neill brought his own staff and won a treble and got us to a European final.
Brendan Rodgers did too and we won back to back trebles, including an Invincible campaign.
It was Ronny Deila and Neil Lennon who had assistants foisted on them, who’s judgement was not trusted, who’s destiny was thus never really in their own hands.
No top manager would stand for that.
It seems that in times past people at our club – not naming names but we know who the main culprit is – have been guilty of control freakery. That can’t happen with a guy like Howe and it won’t. He won’t accept it.
[snack-countdown title=”Celtic’s Countdown To Champions League Disaster” date=”06/20/2021″ time=”00:00:00″ colour=”#000″ textColour=”#FFF”]
If in addition to his own assistant – and I’ll write later on about why keeping Kennedy and Strachan as coaches isn’t something I particularly care about one way or the other – he may well have insisted on getting his director of football as well.
If he has, then we should probably give that to him as well; this is going to be one of the most important relationships at the club, and if the two men get on and work well together it’s a good idea.
It will probably cost us a few quid; too bad.
We netted £9 million from the Rodgers departure and not one bean of it was spent on the next management team, which was a scandalous decision. That cash should have been invested back in the same area; it is outrageous that we banked the money, hired Lennon and promoted his assistant from within.
This time we have to bite the bullet and do what needs to be done. Our short-term thinking cost us a full campaign; this must be the last time that we penny pinch and do things in such a shabby manner.
Howe is a project guy … he is coming to rebuild the whole club and we must give him the freedom and the resources to do exactly that.
He is a winner. He’s the one we’ve been waiting for.
If this is the price of hiring him then we should pay it, and gladly.
Let him have his people.
They will bring us success.