Socrates MacSporran

Socrates MacSporran
No I am not Chick Young, but I can remember when Scottish football was good

Friday 29 April 2016

I Aint Got A Clue, Far Less An 'Orse In This Race

I fear, I am rapidly losing the will to live when it comes to following the ante-post market on the Celtic Manager Handicap. At this rate, there will soon be as many runners as you get for the Grand National, with most of those entered having as much chance as Foinavon.

That's my way of saying, the winner ought to come from the small band of favoured "horses", but, you never know.

The problem for we punters is – do we know what the Celtic High Heid Yins: Lawwell, Desmond & Co are looking for? Of course some attributes are obvious – Ronnie Deila's successor has to have a proven record of success at a big club, only, that would eliminate three of the current ante-post favourites: Davie Moyes, Paul Lambert and Roy Keane.

 Eeny

 Meeny

Miney
 
But, I don't see Mo getting the job

Mind you, these three all tick another box – they have played for the club, although, of that trio, only Keane perhaps meets the Phil Mac Giolla Bhain and Friends definition of: "Celtic-minded".

Neil Lennon and Martin O'Neill both tick the boxes as Celtic-minded and proven track record – with Celtic, however. Is it such a great idea to bring back a former boss? Also, with Lenny, would he really want to put himself back into the Glasgow cess pit of potential off-field trouble, now he has smelled the roses elsewhere?

When O'Neill was at Parkhead before, he was dealing with a club prepared to spend big; Celtic are no longer such a club. Could he cope with a reduced budget? Maybe he is enjoying the less-stresssful life as an international manager.

Michael O'Neil, the Northern Ireland manager has been mentioned in despatches, while, again, there have been calls to bring the Magnificent Seven back, even though he is currently fire-fighting a crisis of form with his Swedish club.

Celtic have, in recent years, made a habit of what you might call "left field" appointments – Wim Jansen, Dr Jo, John Barnes and Kenny Dalglish – might we see another this time?

Wim Jansen - a left field appointment that worked

How about a pairing of Paul Lambert and Stevie Clarke – who is much-happier and more-effective as a Number Two than as a Number One. The troube with this would be, should Bill Leckie's Euromillions numbers come up, he will want to take Lambert and Clarke to St Mirren Park as his making Saints great dream team.

Time is not on Celtic's side. Their European qualifying campaign kicks-off in nine weeks' time. Three of these weeks will be taken-up by completing this season's league fixtures, leaving six weeks to get the new guy in-situ and familiarising himself with his squad, and scouting their European opponents – while the European Championships are going on.

If I was Peter Lawwell, I would be thinking along the old Jock Stein lines of boosting the fans' at the expense of Rangers. Once the final Premiership games are played, the Scottish media will go into Rangers mode, in the build-up to the Scottish Cup Final on 21 May.

Peter Lawwell - not much time in which to make an appointment

Friday, 20 May, would be a good day to announce Ronnie's replacement, knocking Rangers off the back page in the process.

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