Former Celtic manager Tony Mowbray has led Sunderland AFC to an unlikely place in the Premier League play-offs. In a dramatic final day of the EFL Championship, Mowbray took his side to Preston, where they won 3-0 to clinch a place in the play-offs.
Mowbray was appointed at the start of the season after ex-Hamilton Accies boss Alex Neil left The Stadium of Light for Stoke City. Inheriting a young team, including former Celt Paddy Roberts, the ex-Celtic manager will hope that he can navigate the play-offs and seal a promotion to the Premier League once again.
Tony Mowbray taking it in ✨ pic.twitter.com/mxMhH0N7Jy
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) May 8, 2023
The central defender turned coach played for Celtic four nearly four years in the early 1990s and was the popular choice for the job having enjoyed impressive spells at Hibernian and West Brom. As we know now, Mowbray’s tenure was short lived.
Mowbray’s football at times was very attractive and was the Celtic way. However, defeats to lesser oppositions and failing to win the big games meant that even without the humbling in Paisley, he would have found it a tall order to retain his job.
Celtic were beaten 4-0 by St Mirren as Mowbray’s era crumbled in the midweek fixture. You would be hard-tasked to find defending that bad in an amateur league as the Buddies couldn’t believe their luck.
Mowbray and Celtic were an unfortunate marriage at a time where Celtic began to cutback. Unlike Strachan’s sides, who were pragmatic and could win ugly, Mowbray’s sides forfeited defensive robustness for pretty, attractive football and ultimately, results will be hindered by this. He was, and still is, highly regarded by the Celtic support as a man – even if his managerial tenure was disappointing.
