Celtic is riding higher at the moment than at any time in our recent memory. We have a treble winning team, we’re playing some outstanding football and we have guaranteed Champions League Group Stages to look forward to in the next campaign. The next Celtic boss is taking over a Rolls Royce football club which is perfectly poised to continue being successful.
There is, at present, no external threat to our standing. The Ibrox club is trying to do a squad rebuild with the equivalent of the money at the back of the sofa. If they are following a coherent plan I cannot tell you what it is. Some of their signing targets are barmy and they still have to nickel and dime for them. Celtic, in contrast, has a winning squad and plenty to spend.
All this club has to do right now is to keep it simple. Appoint a proven winner and we can look forward to the next campaign with the confidence of champions. Appoint some novice on the back of a nod and a wink from “Pepe” and some rancid “link-up” with the City Group and we are risking it all. There is a reason that people think Guardiola’s opinion carries weight here; if it wasn’t for that there would be nothing whatsoever to credit our interest in Maresca.
I cannot understand why the enormity of this risk is not obvious. He has virtually no experience at all in the manager’s role and what little he has got has put other clubs off hiring him. That he needs Guardiola to vouch for him is telling; do you think Potter, or Knutsen, or Rodgers needs such a recommend? No, because they are experienced bosses who have charted their own course.
We might as well just call it quits and give this job to John Kennedy. That’s what we’re talking about here and if that fact hasn’t sunk in then let it start to. All this talk of how much he must have learned working with Guardiola is the same shtick that fans of various clubs in England had to listen to over the years as virtually every one of Alex Ferguson’s coaching staff took the step into management; only Steve McLaren accomplished anything of note, winning a Dutch title.
Football is full off managers of talent and vision and experience who have done enough to merit being on the shortlist for Celtic. Apparently working at City trumps all of it. Is that really something that we should be expected to accept?
At a time like this, when our club is as strong as its been for years? What is the issue here with going out and appointing someone who has a career history to fall back on, who has done things that we can, if you’ll permit me an analogy, see and hold in our hands?
This is the wrong time to being taking a stupid, unnecessary risk. This club is acting from a position of strength and all it has to do is build on that. An experienced manager, with a history of success, and with our resources to hand, should have more than enough about him to see off The Mooch and his two bob rebuild, and we are entitled, now, to expect progress in Europe.
For God’s sake Celtic, stop this flirting with disaster. Give us an experienced winner and give him the tools and the time and space to work, and we can enjoy the rest of the summer.
The recruitment process, and the manager chosen,
will be a clear indication to the support,
about just how ambitious our Board really is…
Totally agree. I’d rather have Brendan the rat than someone who’s not qualified for our management role.
Evening James….your article is SPOT ON. Would love to see Kudsen get the job. Have had tremendous admiration for him ever since they (BG) whupped our asses over 2 legs.
There was some outstanding football but there were also times. when they were just near enough standing out on the park, especially against THEM and Hibs when they “ took the foot off the pedal”, and you can believe that if it gives you some comfort.
Celtic will need to realise that time really does fly, especially when working to a tight schedule, and they need to stop pussyfooting about. You would think they would have learned from last year.
Peter Lawell should never have been allowed back. He can’t handle not being in charge, and wants to appoint someone he can manipulate. We need a winner.
Spot on James, Celtic have a habit of this nonsense and it pisses me off. I was delighted to see the back of Lawell and now he’s back it seems like things are going back to how they were before now he’s back. Rodgers would keep us ahead of the Huns but get us pumped in Europe. Get the Norwegian in. He outsmarted Postecoglou home and away and destroyed Mourinho’s Roma on a shoestring budget.
Hello there fellow duped Brendan Rodgers was very happy at Celtic then all of a sudden rumblings and a fall out happens because of interference from a certain someone the same thing has now in my opinion happened again with Ange Postecoglou who was apparently all in then all of a sudden he was all out and we are showing a lack of ambition trying to bring in an inexperienced manager I give you ladies n gents PETER LAWWELL anyone who thinks this man has no influence at our club is naive in the extreme
100% correct.
The problem here James is that Celtic fans always knuckle down and accept who’s ever foisted upon us ,ie Neil Lennon twice,first time round not too bad a job of it ,but second stint as manager total disaster but we as Celtic fans accept all this stuff,we must be the most malleable fans in football.if this marescu guy gets the job , what are we going to do about it,I’ll tell you!! absolutely nothing,we are our own worst enemies,let’s just surmise they gave Lenny the job ,we eventually would still turn up and be faithful,that is Celtic fans problem,if liewell appoints some cheapskate second rate manager we should boycott all the games ,home and away but we won’t and liewell knows this ,that’s why we are just slightly ahead of sevco, where they should have been dead and dusted,but IMO Celtic fans myself included are not bolshy enough with our board
Sometimes in Europe you need to be able to park the bus and grind out a result, or have a plan B with three at the back. We don’t have that flexibility. Time for Graham Potter? Or maybe Stevie Clarke?
I suppose it depends on whether we want to progress in Europe or just want to pile up the trophies in Scotland who manages the team.
Some of the names being mentioned for the Celtic post are making me very nervous. Brenden Rodgers appointment is staring us in the face and if it’s only because some of the Celtic nose is out of joint because he left, then fuckin tough just get on with it. He’ll hit the ground running and every Celtic fan will soon forget when we’re putting Scottish football to the sword. I mean do we want the likes of Enzo Maresca!?!? Because he’ll totally fuck it up in the Champions league, league form will suffer and players will leave
Why has my post not been printed? James, you want to have a look at your moderator.
Managed decline by Lawwell to keep Sevco relevant…its part if the 5WA.
There must be a Sevco, and if we keep pummelling them they probably won’t survive.
How out of sync, out of touch and out of the loop are you?
Very valid and obvious points James. Let’s hope Pete and Co think the same.
Give us an elite manager not a rookie
Some sites talking about how the Mare (nickname used by my b-i-l) masterminded last nights win.
The game was boring, lacked any real quality and Inter sussed out Peps Plan A.
One of the worst cup finals in a long time.
I think you can guess my thoughts on it. NO!
You are advocating Graham Potter, James. Many people have suggested that the Brighton backroom staff and the club ethos was what led to their success and his sacking at Chelsea after six months and 12 wins in 31 games proved that together with Brighton’s subsequent performance. What in his record makes him one of your picks for Celtic?
Robert Snodgrass raving about Maresca in report earlier. He was at West Ham with him. He reckons he would make the team even better. Maybe we should listen to the players that he has worked with. And for the record Snodgrass is a Celtic supporter. He clearly is excited at the prospect.
Not a time to gamble on someone who’ll be gone in two years with/if any success at all.