Jose Mourinho was relieved of his duties as Tottenham Hotspur manager today, just hours after Spurs, who haven’t won a trophy in ten years, were announced as one of the founders of the European Super League. Mourinho’s departure could have implications for the Celtic managerial hunt.
On the back of the 2016 Scottish Cup semi-final defeat to Rangers, Dermot Desmond sanctioned the acquisition of former Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers, who’s reputation had taken a knocking after a poor season on Merseyside. Rodgers transformed Celtic and won seven trophies in a row before leaving for Leicester City as Celtic’s boardroom failed to match his ambitions.
Over two years on from his departure and Celtic will go trophy less for the first season since 2009/10, over ten years ago. Yesterday saw Rangers concede more chances than Celtic and create less chances but still Gerrard’s side were robust and clinical as they ran out 2-0 winners. Celtic need a reset. A new manager of the pedigree of Rodgers to revolutionise the football club again and take us back towards success next season. If we go back to the penalties defeat to Rangers in 2016, Desmond was reportedly incensed by the boardroom at Ibrox celebrating wildly as Tom Rogic’s penalty cleared the cross bar. If the scenes in the last few weeks haven’t incensed him, I do not know what would.
The major shareholder in the club will likely fancy a statement in the wake of the lack of humility from Ibrox recently. Rangers PA system blasted out party favourites yesterday in an attempt to goad the Celtic players, staff and board members.
Mourinho has been linked, albeit an unlikely link, with becoming Celtic’s next permanent manager. However, more importantly for Celtic, Eddie Howe is included on the Tottenham favourites list, along with former Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers. Rodgers is one of the Premier League’s top managers, he will likely view Tottenham as a potential destination leaving Leicester needing a manager. There could be a managerial domino effect in the next few weeks and Celtic need to make sure that they are ahead of that curve and get the man in that they want. The posturing of Howe can be attributed to perhaps not wanting to be tarred with the brush of this season – but now our season is over. Next season is the only concern for the remaining fixtures. Next season under a new manager.
A whole host of names are being linked with the Tottenham job, a few of these managers are already in Premier League jobs. Therefore the Celtic job might go down the list for a few favourable candidates, meaning Celtic need to do their business quickly and efficiently. There can be no lapses ahead of the summer, Celtic have it all to do in the wake of yesterday’s defeat ending our season by relinquishing three trophies.
If Celtic replicate the reaction in the wake of the defeat in 2016 and go and get a new manager, one of international standing and the ability to bring players to the club to develop and compete, this season will become a distant memory. New CEO Dominic McKay watched on as his new employer finished their season with a whimper at the home of their local rivals. He is charged with addressing this slump, appointing a new manager and undertaking an enormous overhaul of Celtic Football Club.
Whether it is Mourinho or not, whoever Celtic want, we need to go and get them as soon as possible. The supporters deserve that after a severely poor season, something to galvanise us for next season. Rangers announced Gerrard as we looked to seal the Double Treble, it is time to blow them out the water with a big name, an investment and a statement of intent.
Martin O’Neill and Brendan Rodgers, two recent examples of Desmond putting his hand in his pocket after taking a vested interest in the next manager of Celtic. Hopefully in the coming weeks, there is a third example to list.
I’m not sure the Spurs job will be as lucrative an enticement as Levy thinks it will, given the fact they are 50/50 to be kicked out of their domestic league or relegated, fined and banned from international and Euro competitions. That is a game changer. If it wasn’t for this super league proposal, I’d say it was a concern but there’s too much uncertainty around that at present (I think)