Jens has impressed, but it would be a mistake to offer him Celtic job…
Jens Berthel Askou has made a significant impression on the Scottish top flight in his debut season on in the Scottish Premiership, with more than a few Celtic supporters being admirers of the Dane’s talents as a head coach.
The Motherwell boss has admittedly done a superb job to turn a side tipped for a bottom six place into an established top six side, and European contenders in a short space of time. Motherwell play an impressive brand of football and are no longer park the bus merchants under their Danish manager.
At one point the Steelmen where even outside contenders for the title in one of the most wide open title races in the SPFL era, although the odds have now increased on such a feat which is now nigh on impossible, but the men and Claret and Amber have impressed all the same.
Jens Berthel Askou, manager of Motherwell during the Scottish Premiership match between Celtic FC and Motherwell FC at Celtic Park, on 5th October 2025. Photo Mark Runnacles IMAGO/Shutterstock
Motherwell have been a breath of fresh air to the Scottish footballing scene, with their welcome approach to the game as opposed to the usual kick and rush tactics adopted by most other so called ‘lesser’ sides.
Like everyone else I’ve been hugely impressed by the Steelmen this season, and the main reason for that is all down to the Dane’s influence. The way they tore us apart at Fir Park just after Christmas was the best I’ve ever seen a fellow domestic side perform against us, granted we had Wilfried Nancy in charge, but it was quite the feat all the same.
This has led to a significant percentage of Celtic supporters backing Askou for the Celtic manager.s job this summer, it’s also been suggested in the media and by pundits, but is he really the man we are looking for to take us forward?
Getting an average Motherwell side into the top six playing attractive football is admirable, but is it the necessary qualification needed to take charge of Celtic Football Club?
Apart from reviving Motherwell’s fortunes, Askou’s CV shows that he has coached of lower league Danish sides, a stint in the Faroe Islands, and a short spell in charge of Swedish top flight side IFK Goteborg, as well as spells as assistant coach at Sparta Prague and Copenhagen.
Does that experience scream quality? No would be my honest answer, so why should we consider recruiting such a figure to revive our fortunes?
The attraction to the Celtic Board might be that as a new and upcoming coach coming in from Motherwell he will be prepared to work under their spend-thrift business model rather than looking at signings that cost more and would be designed to enhance our chances at Champions League level, as Brendan Rodgers wanted to do. Any other elite manager would undoubtedly want to significant transfer budget but that not happening.
It’s also the reason that that Dermot Desmond and Michael Nicholson were so excited about the appointment of Wilfried Nancy as Paul Tisdale had assured them that Nancy was more than happy to work within their ultra cautious business model as far as spending money on players is concerned.
Managing in the relatively pressure free environment of Fir Park, as opposed to working in the pressure filled exceedingly high expectations environment that is Celtic Park are night and day. It’s an entirely different pressure and would be a massive jump for Jens Berthel Askou.
In my opinion hiring Askou would prove to another failure and we can’t afford that after the disastrous Wilfried Nancy experiment. And remember they gave Ronny Deila the job because he was cheap. We need to be aiming much higher than rookie managers like that.
This is the Celtic job we are talking about and we must appoint the best possible candidate and one with a track record in managing at a decent level at a big enough football club.
Just an Ordinary Bhoy
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Bold claim imo?
We are potentially looking at another Ange manager in the making imo.
The reason why, is that a new core group of squad players has to be formed, for starters. Ange was able to do the likes, despite yourself trying to give the credit to Rodgers?
That core group, which bought so much success to our club, reached its maximum levels in Munich last season, and been on the downward slide ever since then.
No lack of incoming players, but seriously lacking in the amount able to make much of an impact for ourselves, all the same imo.
So a manager is still required, who can improve, with what is available to himself. Along with bringing in the extra quality that will be required, in order to improve upon, how he intends to set up the team, so a squad can be formed to follow suit.
At this point, we have no idea upon who that might be yet.
Which in turn makes nonsense of such claims of any potential players we might be interested in at this stage.
Our consistency factor of playing good football, is at very low levels. Didn’t happen overnight either, as has been in existence for some considerable amount of time now.
Players struggling to adapt to instructions, set out by a manager, still seems to be an issue, which has to be rectified also.
The lack of players improving, is still a problem that our coaching staff are struggling with at present.
Yet all the while there is such an issue with support and boardroom in place, as it’s been all season.
Then still fail to see, just how many potential managers, and players are going to be that interested in joining ourselves, especially with the settling in time period, reduced to next to nothing at present.
So as much i still expect numerous changes over the summer period. Still wouldn’t be confident that those changes coming are going to be acceptable, with no real time factor allowed within our club at present imo?
Personally willing to wait and see what those changes might be, before placing judgement.
This despite the confidence levels are at very low levels within the decision making process, throughout our club currently
Had thought ge would be a good fit but your articlr has given me food for thought. Not so sure myself now.