Potential Manager Suggestions?

That’s all in only ~8 months!

 

One of the longest football courtships on record fell well short of consummation when Eddie Howe confirmed to the Celtic board that he would not be their next manager, as had been widely expected, not least by the Parkhead directors. Howe’s inability to secure the services of his preferred backroom staff was cited as the principal cause, but Celtic insiders also believe that other suitors have begun to woo the 43-year-old.

It is a football trope that when a new manager is paraded before the media, he is being ‘unveiled’, like some coy mediaeval virgin before her newly acquired in-laws. By that measure, Howe’s flirtation with the Hoops was more like a dance of the 70 veils, as week succeeded week and then became a passage of many months without the issue reaching a conclusion.

Indeed, the former Bournemouth manager, who steered the Cherries from the lower reaches of League 2 to a place in the Premier League for the first time in the club’s history, was touted as favourite to succeed Neil Lennon as long ago as last autumn, when Celtic’s hope of a 10th successive Scottish title began to evaporate. Howe was available, having parted company with Bournemouth last August, after the team had been relegated to the English Championship.

When Lennon quit on February 25, there was a flurry of speculation that Howe might arrive in the east end of Glasgow to oversee a last-ditch attempt to stop Rangers’ advance in the Scottish Premiership. Instead, Lennon’s assistant, John Kennedy took charge, but was unable to prevent the title going to Ibrox.

Rangers then knocked Celtic out of the Scottish Cup, leaving the Hoops with nothing to play for in what remained of the season, but still there was no evidence of Howe being involved in planning for the overhaul of the playing staff which will be necessary to present a viable challenge next season. By then, it had become an open secret that Howe had made it a condition of acceptance that he would install his former director of football at Bournemouth, Richard Hughes and first team coaches Stephen Purches and Simon Weatherstone, as his backroom staff.

It had been understood that they would be left in place as long as Bournemouth were in contention in the Championship play-offs, a factor removed from the equation when the Cherries lost to Brentford last weekend. By that stage, though, the prospect of Howe’s arrival in Glasgow with his support team had been overshadowed in the headlines by the petrol bomb attack on cars parked in the gated driveway of the home of Peter Lawwell, the outgoing Celtic chief executive.

There had been hope that Howe would take over from Neil Lennon after he quit on February 25 this year, but this did not come to pass CREDIT: Andrew Milligan /PA
The conflagration spread to Lawwell’s family home, which included a converted flat in which his daughter and grand-daughter were housed. The family were moved to a safe location as eight fire units fought the blaze.

Police Scotland continue to investigate the matter but so far there has been no indication of why the attack occurred or if, in fact, it had any connection with Celtic or Lawwell’s role at the club. Sources at Parkhead, however, have indicated to Telegraph Sport that they believe the incident played a part in persuading Howe and his assistants not to become involved with Celtic.

Celtic issued a statement late on Friday afternoon, which read: “Following very positive and detailed discussions with Eddie Howe, with the belief that he would be an excellent candidate for the position of Celtic manager, we allowed time for the process, given he'd previously made it clear he was not looking to return to management until this summer at the earliest.

“We can now confirm that Eddie will not be joining the club, for reasons outwith both his and Celtic's control. We wish Eddie success for the future.

“As part of the ongoing process we have engaged with a number of candidates. We fully appreciate our fans will be seeking clarity on this matter and we aim, very shortly, to announce the appointment of a manager with the quality and desire to take Celtic forward and bring further success to our supporters.”

Celtic have had a Plan B ready in recent weeks and it is expected that they will confirm the appointment of their second-choice candidate by the middle of next week at the latest. The failure to secure their principal target, however, has been a profoundly unwelcome development at the end of a season of exceptional turbulence and disappointment.

 

Who's this * Darren Fletcher on Radio 5 Live?

Says he's spoken to someone within the club and he's been told the deal isn't completely dead and that the Celtic statement is jumping the gun.

 

I don't know about that: supporters have been well and truly *.

 

Bring home ronny.

 

Cometh the hour, cometh the man.

Sir Ronny, son of Deila. Step up for the cause.

We’ll need you in a bush in Luxembourg in around 2 months.

 

Please tell me its not the ozzy guy I dont think my depression can take it

 

Is he not an ex cricketer? May be wrong on that one.

 

Utter arrogance throughout that board for the last 18 years we seen snippets and stories of it even at the beginning with the way rivaldo and de la pena were treated when close to be signed we just never realised until the last year and a half and that was because the current climate properly unmasked it


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I think he had a morning show on by sports with Robbie savage ?


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That's a croc of *,if we wanted him and he actually wanted to be our manager then he would be.

 

My worry is there is nothing from any “ people in the know” denying this aussie guy !

 

Unknown Aussie then their should be a protest they are taking us for mugs basically can’t get away with it


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Possibly pal but I’m sure he’d of smashed it domestically, * him anyway now.

 

He comes from a land down under....


....and he can * stay there

 

Will this nightmare of a season ever end

 

Haha....Naming Postecoglou will finish us. He will be our very own Pedro !!! Barking dogs and caravans inbound!!!!

 

Embarrassing. A guy with experience in Australia and Japan is just what we need. I can’t stand Kennedy but would probably rather have him.

 

Absolutely - I live in Aus and I really thought this was a joke when I first saw it.
The standard of the A League is very poor - the fact that he managed a team to win it in 2011 + 2012 isn't a big deal. The Asian cup has been won 3 times by Saudi and twice by Iran so the fact that he won it once is hardly world shattering.

He's been in Japan for 3.5 years and has just won 1 A league title.

I'm honestly stunned that his name has even been mentioned.

Quite frankly, appointing this guy on top of all the other * we've endured would be an insult.

I certainly wouldn't spend one penny on the club if they gave the job to this guy.