Former Celtic manager Tony Mowbray has combined with former Celtic Park colleague Mark Venus at Sunderland. Mogga was appointed after Alex Neil’s shock departure to Stoke City. Mowbray left Blackburn Rovers at the end of last season and will be tasked with attempting to build a Sunderland side capable of winning promotion.
Welcome to #SAFC, Tony Mowbray ✍️
The 58-year-old has signed a two-year contract on Wearside!
— Sunderland AFC (@SunderlandAFC) August 30, 2022
Mowbray has managed Middlesbrough, Coventry City and Blackburn following his departure from Celtic in 2010. He has linked up with Mark Venus at various points through his coaching career and the ex-West Brom boss is said to have signed Venus up to his new club. According to Sun journo Alan Nixon on Twitter, the pair will link up again.
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. Mowbray’s tenure was short lived and best to be forgotten; however, it was Mowbray’s shortcomings that allowed Neil Lennon to become Celtic boss, shepherding in a decade of dominance for the club.
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
