Celtic’s Best Managers since 2000 In Old Firm then Glasgow Derbies…
A look at Celtic managers record this century in Old Firm Derbies against Rangers FC (up to season 2011/12) and Glasgow Derbies against theRangers which started in February 2015 when Celtic played against the new club founded by Charles Green for the very first time in a League Cup semi-final which Celtic win 2-0…
In the first Glasgow Derby clash of the 2023/24 season, Celtic secured a 1-0 success away at Ibrox thanks to a goal from Kyogo Furuhashi. That had immediately followed a disappointing 0-0 home draw with St Johnstone, and the victory sparked a six-match winning streak by the Bhoys.
It also saw Celtic boss Brendon Rodgers extend his great managerial record in the Glasgow Derby. Upon his return to Parkhead, Rodgers had a 70% success rate in the fixture with a W7 D2 L1 return in the league from his first spell in charge.
Part of that influential record is why Celtic kicked off the season as favourites for the title in Scottish Premiership odds. Rodgers’ record is head and shoulders above the rest of Celtic managers’ records since the turn of the century against either of the Rangers clubs.
So, besides Rodgers, how did other Celtic managers since 2000 fare in the famous old fixture?
Martin O’Neill – W16 D3 L8
Martin O’Neill won 16 of 27 Old Firm matches against Rangers (D3 L8) as Celtic boss. There were good times at Parkhead at the turn of the new century with the Northern Irishman at the helm. He guided Celtic to seven straight Old Firm derby victories and guided the club to a British record of 25 straight victories. O’Neill walked away from Celtic in 2005 with a whopping 75% success rate overall in his time at the club.
Gordon Strachan – W8 D3 L7
Strachan did a solid job in Old Firm derby clashes from the sidelines. He had some big boots to fill in following on from O’Neill, however. Still, Strachan won 8 of 18 contests against Rangers overall, and along the way won the Scottish title three times on the spin.
Tony Mowbray – W0 D1 L2
Tony Mowbray only spent a season at the club as manager and oversaw three Old Firm matches against Rangers. It didn’t go well for him at all, failing to win any of them in a shocking, albeit brief D1 L2 Old Firm tenure. Celtic only scored two goals in those three matches as well.
Neil Lennon – W9 D1 L8
Following Mowbray was Neil Lennon in what would be his first spell as manager at the club. Lenny is the only manager to have led Celtic into both Old Firm and Glasgow Derby matches against an Ibrox club. Overall he delivered a decent return from these matches, certainly standing up there alongside O’Neill and Strachan. Lennon posted a W9 D1 L8 record against a Rangers across his two spells in charge. His record was worsened due to that awful Covid season when no supporters were able to attend matches. That seemed to suit theRangers better than Celtic.
Ronny Deila – W1 D0 L1
Ronny completed two seasons in charge of the Bhoys for a total of 118 games. Only two of those were against theRangers however, and it was a 50/50 split with one win and one loss for him. Those were both Cup fixtures, with theRangers not being in the top flight as the new club started life in the fourth tier of Scottish football before eventually reaching the Scottish Premiership for the first time in season 2016-17. Deila had left Celtic at the end of the previous season and was replaced by Brendan Rodgers who bookmarked a Treble winning Invincible season with 5-1 wins over theRangers at Celtic Park and then at Ibrox. Happy days!
John Kennedy – W0 D1 L2
John Kennedy only managed Celtic for 10 matches in a caretaker capacity after Neil Lennon resigned. . The former player unsuccessfully met theRangers three times in his managerial capacity. It was a forgettable D1 L2 record by Kennedy in these meetings during the Covid season where Celtic won nothing, theRangers won their first ever Scottish Premiership title and St Johnstone won the a cup double.
Ange Postecoglou – W6 D2 L3
Before going on his jaunt south of the border to take up residence with Premier League side Tottenham, Ange Postecoglou struck up a 55% win rate in the Glasgow derby for Celtic. He won 6 of 11 fixtures and only lost three.
The Worst Record
Emotions always run high in these derby clashes, and some previous Celtic managers couldn’t turn the tide of misfortunes in the fixture, no matter what. Who holds the worst record of all of Celtic managers (from at least 10 Old Firm derbies)? Perhaps Jimmy McStay? No. Maybe Tommy Burns? Close.
It was Liam Brady who churned out a miserable 18% win rate in the Old Firm derby during his miserable time in charge at Parkhead. That was two victories in eleven meetings. He was at the helm between 1991 and 1993 and it was, in his defence, the first managerial job the former Republic of Ireland international had taken on.
But is Brady the worst manager of all time in this intense Glasgow fixture (again, among those who oversaw at least 10 matches)? No. That undistinguished record falls on the shoulders of former Rangers boss Willie Waddell.
Waddell produced just an 8% win rate against Celtic, with one solitary victory produced in 12 fixtures. Granted, the timing wasn’t great for him as across the city, Jock Stein had forged his fantastic Celtic side in the mid-1960s.
To his credit though, Waddell did end Rangers’ six years without a trophy by landing the Scottish League Cup in 1971 and then the European Cup Winners’ Cup the following year, having qualified as Scottish Cup Final runners up. It was Celtic, of course, who lifted the trophy by winning the reply 2-1 after a 1-1 draw. Here’s what happened…
To my mind and most Tims there was never an ” o f’ game that term never served us ever!! Always detested it!! It’s a orc thing that put me off reading this article so I scrolled down to say this this!! That horrible term has allowed this most posionous club that died( and this new one)to bring us in to I every disgusting thing they did!! ( Not on my watch or most of us)And allowed the media and even police force to do like wise!! So no guilt by association!! As you couldnt get a more different group of people!! Our fan base is built on unity, solidarity, charity and love with a social conscious and sense of self!! That filth are exactly that filth born to hate!! They exist to do so , so no that turn never existed regardless of oldco dying!!