If the tired links from pals in the media linking Roy Keane to the Celtic manager’s job, or the immediacy of a jump to the head of the betting markets of a sacked – and almost relegated – Sheffield United boss, one who believed Oli McBurnie was a player, thought it wise to splash £20million on him and also allowed two theRangers supporters in his team to regularly opt out of a unity inspiring pre-match huddle because they didn’t wish to get on the wrong side of the Ibrox hordes, was enough to put your head back under the duvet and pray for divine intervention, then yesterday’s links to the RB Salzburg manager was an injection of energy and hope akin to two cans of the sponsor of Jesse Marsch’s current employers, possibly as a mixer for a couple of double vodka’s to accompany them.
This is the antidote to tiresome and worrying links to Chris Wilder, Mick McCarthy, Michael O’Neill and Sean Dyche. Highly respectable managers in their own ways I’m sure but far from fitting for a club we now hope is looking to the future and embracing change.
Jesse Marsch is a disciple of Ralf Rangnick, a man who should need no introduction to any football fan indeed he moved to Germany in 2018 from the United States to become Rangnick’s assistant at Leipzig.
READ THIS…RB Salzburg boss interested in Celtic Job: “It’s an amazing club and it would be an honour to even be considered,” Jesse Marsch
He’s been brought through the Red-Bull franchise ranks, that whilst a far from accepted footballing culture in a traditional football world – and understandably so – is at least embracing of new methods, believe in youth development, modern analytics, a vast scouting network and planning for every scenario and all eventualities.
Not only is that now engrained into Marsch’s own footballing philosophy, as a manager he’s been successful, very successful in fact. He is a respected coach with an envied style of play alongside strong European performances on top of a relentless domestic domination in Austria – and now he’s batting his eyelashes at Celtic.
Are his recent quotes designed to entice a few extra quid from his current employer? Possibly. Is it a warning shot to a Bundesliga suitor to up the ante? It might be. But he is flirting at least, and if Celtic have any ambition at all they need to at least finish their drink, cross the bar and find out if they are being used as bait or if they are genuinely in with a chance of making a historical acquaintance a meaningful connection.
At RB Salzburg, Marsch hit the ground running winning the Austrian League and Cup double in his first season, and now his club lie five points clear this season and have already bagged another cup final slot. A Double Double? It certainly looks likely.
READ THIS…Bundesliga commentator says Celtic-linked Jesse Marsch destined for Germany
In his previous job with New York Red Bulls success was the name of the game also. First up the MLS Supporters Shield was won and he picked up the award as the best head coach in the MLS. You can see then why the Red Bull Franchise moved him on. As such it may well be that the next step is RB Leipzig. It’s the logical step to test himself in the Bundesliga and for many fans that probably means he’d be out of our reach, yet his words seem to indicate that is not the case and that Celtic seem to have a pull for Marsch.
Speaking to BBC he was fairly clear in his admiration for Celtic and certainly flattered to be linked:
“Three or four years ago, being linked with a club like Celtic would literally be an impossibility for me. And now that this is where I am, I always just try to look at it in terms of, ‘what would the project look like?’
“Would we have similar ideas in how to build it the right way, invest in the academy, invest in young players and create this development process that I’m talking about? And not just focus on winning.
“Obviously I know that when you’re the coach of Celtic, winning is the most important thing.”
The BBC Sportsound team, particularly John Collins, Pat Bonner and James McFadden have been talking Marsch up for weeks. Bonner and McFadden were both recently on a pro-licence course that Marsch spoke at so it’s perhaps not so difficult to see how the interview came about, but the BBC certainly wouldn’t have expected him to be quite so candid.
There will of course be those questioning the tactics of Marsch, particularly commenting so publicly when currently in a job. But in truth there could be good reason for it. Perhaps he currently feels undervalued, taken for granted even. Perhaps he’s looking to expand his horizons from the soulless Red Bull franchise onto the challenge of a genuine footballing institution, one steeped in genuine old school romanticism and European pedigree and as such Celtic may well appeal, particularly a club where the previous course taken has gone off kilter and where change is needed, fresh ideas required and quite frankly where the only way is up.
There is also the not insignificant factor of a gamble to leave the Red Bull safety net paying off. Prove himself at Celtic and the recently trodden path to a top level English Premier League club may well come into play.
As such those who think silence would have been a better policy, perhaps should consider the sound of silence doesn’t get you far if you wish to be considered elsewhere, particularly in the best paying league and one that may still be suspicious, he hasn’t been proven outside the comfort of the Red Bull bosom. Perhaps as he has shown in his tactical acumen Jesse Marsch is already thinking further ahead than just his next move.
READ THIS…Celtic linked to Jesse Marsch’s Uefa Pro Licence – “Celtic sponsored me to be on the course”
From Celtic’s perspective this is a no-brainer. It seems Jesse Marsch, having previously been sponsored by the club on his coaching courses in Scotland, has an affinity with Celtic and Scotland. If we have any ambition, we need to be talking to Marsch and quickly. No pause for thought, no letting others get a ‘Marsch’ on us.
If we’re to believe the hints coming from the club that there is a new grand design for Celtic ahead, then sell that vision to Jesse Marsch and at least see if he’s as interested as he sounds. And if for any reason it doesn’t work out, even if we are being used as a ploy to smoke out new suitors or more money from his current employer, don’t drop below those levels of ambition. Aim that high Celtic, not for the old school football bores we’ve been linked with of late. Chris Wilder and Roy Keane won’t sell season tickets and won’t excite the support. Someone of the modern thinking ilk of Jesse Marsch will do both those things. Even if he says no, that is now your benchmark Celtic.
Niall J
COMING SOON…
I agree with much of this; Marsch to Celtic might actually have legs, due to his previous affinity with the club and warm comments he made about doing his coaching here. He speaks English as a first language (not that this should be a caveat), understands some of our culture and yes, he can probably see how a good few years with us would have him on a pedestal for a future EPL job. Either that…….or he is offered a job in the Bundesliga. But perhaps we do have some say in this. He clearly wants what all the coaches say now – a “project” – so it’s vital we show him that there’s a blank canvas to shape his vision to ours. It might even convince the likes of the young keeper Angelini to stay. I thought we’d have a DOF in place by April but the way the market is going, I think we’re gonna need them in place by end of this month and with talks already taking place with the likes of Marsch, Howe, Maresca. Fingers crossed
Some of you need to get a grip, some names mentioned over last few months are pie in the sky. We play in Scotland in a 1 or 2 club league , for most good managers with ambition this is a hiding to nothing coming to Scotland, why risk it when they will not be given time ?? I don’t like the names we have chance of getting but it’s reality, stop setting yourself up for disappointment with some of these names.. All it does is maket he job harder for the next manager when he’s does arrive, with all fans in a downer because we haven’t gotten Benetiz or similar . Wake up , it’s Scottish football !!