Celtic urged to ‘push boundaries’ as manager speculation mounts
Neil Lennon is still the Celtic manager but names and alternatives continue to be linked to his job at Lennoxtown.
Eddie Howe is the bookmakers’ favourite to be the next manager at Parkhead and assume the role from Lennon whenever the Northern Irishman departs, however other names including Jack Ross, Martin O’neill and Gordon Strachan have all led the betting markets in recent months.
The former Bournemouth manager is currently odds-on favourite, but ex-celtic striker Charlie Nicholas has urged the Parkhead bosses to look further afield than the English south coast for the new man at the helm.
“I would prefer to see Parkhead chiefs push the boundaries and appoint someone like Xavi or Xabi Alonso as their new head coach,” he said.
“A global figure who is young, ambitious and keen to make their name in management. Someone who would make people sit up and take notice, while also rebuilding the team's standing in Europe,” are some of the qualities Nicholas has identified as key for the next candidate.
However, the former Sky Sports pundit admits Howe also has plenty to admire for his work in taking the Cherries into the English Premier League.
In his newspaper column Nicholas added: “I understand why Howe has become a popular choice with Celtic fans. When I was at Sky I enjoyed covering Bournemouth's games because his team was good to watch.” He added:
“Howe is now odds-on favourite and very rarely do the bookies get it wrong.”
Xavi is in charge of Al Sadd in Qatar while former Real Madrid, Liverpool and Bayern Munich man Alonso is in charge of Real Sociedad B.
Meanwhile, Ally Mccoist has branded Celtic’s trip to Dubai and the fall-out a ‘terrible image’ for the club and he ‘can’t remember an own goal like it’.
The former Rangers manager
reacted to Lennon’s angry comments on Monday when the Celtic boss gave his first press conference since his isolation period came to an end.
Lennon, assistant John Kennedy and 13 first-team players were forced to quarantine following Christopher Jullien’s positive test for Covid-19 on the team’s return from a training camp trip to Dubai.
And Mccoist disagreed with the manager’s defence of the
trip – and thinks the Parkhead hierarchy will too.
“It’s just been a PR disaster,” the former Rangers striker and manager said on TALKSPORT Breakfast.
“I honestly can’t remember an own goal like it in Scottish football for a long time.
“I’ve seen the whole interview from Neil, and I can’t agree with Neil… it sounds as though his chief executive Peter Lawwell can’t agree with Neil. Peter Lawwell came out
and apologised, and then Neil has come out and said something completely different.
“Andy Walker and I did the Rangers-celtic game, the final whistle blew and I turned to Andy Walker and said, ‘I cannot believe they are jumping on a plane in an hour and a half to fly to Dubai’, and he shook his head and said, ‘neither can I’.
"We knew this had the potential to be a disaster, and it has been, make no mistake.”