Murdo MacLeod Draws On 1990s Experience & Outlines What Celtic Must Do To Bounce Back

Murdo MacLeod helped stop Rangers win ten in a row back in 1998, and then watched Celtic go immediately off the rails after Wim Jansen’s resignation. Dick Advocaat was jetted into Ibrox and the club spent huge sums to rebuild, winning a treble in his first season in charge.

Fast forward 23 years and Celtic have had their own ten in a row quest foiled for a second time. The Parkhead club need to rebuild for next season and find a new manager. However, MacLeod isn’t so confident that this will be achieved in the same way that Rangers went on a spending spree in the late 90s.

MacLeod told the Daily Record: “Dick Advocaat was a top manager already knowing he was coming into the job and trying to sign players he’d worked with. There was a really strong side getting put together. That’s got to happen at Celtic. Celtic has got to make sure they bring in players of better quality. That’s where they possibly let themselves down this year, spending a lot of money but very few signings turned out top class.”

Speaking of a hypothetical Jansen v Advocaat battle, MacLeod said: “I’m sure Wim versus Dick would’ve been an interesting challenge back then but we never found out. Anyone who knows Wim, once he makes up his mind that’s it. Obviously I spoke to him many times about staying on and I wasn’t alone. Other coaches and players were desperate for him to stay because he’d brought so much to the club. We worked so hard to get that team together and got stronger and stronger as the year went on.”

Jansen and MacLeod earned immortality when they guided Celtic to the first title for a decade. However, friction between Jansen and general manager Jock Brown was ever-present behind the scenes. Those issues were publicised two days after Celtic lifted the trophy, when Celtic were in Portugal ahead of a friendly with Sporting Lisbon. It was announced that Jansen had left, but back in Glasgow, Fergus McCann and Jock Brown claimed they’d have dismissed him anyway. Furthermore, the players threatened to go on strike in protest at the club’s board!

MacLeod recalled those testing times: “The players were desperate for Wim to stay and didn’t want to play in the game. They got on so well with him and vice versa. But as soon as Wim said, ‘Come on boys, we’re going out to play’ all of a sudden, the mindset changed.

“There was hardly a soul in the stadium, it was very strange. The most important thing for the players was to get home, meet up with friends, family and celebrate together. Then there were goodbyes. We knew Wim was leaving. But nothing that went on affected my feelings about beating such a strong Rangers side to stop ten in a row. I went on holiday and, when I came back, I wasn’t in a job. But what we’d achieved was fantastic.”

When asked to run the rule over this season, MacLeod outlines where he felt things went wrong. He believes the rot set in back in August when Neil Lennon admitted, in the wake of Champions League defeat to Ferencvaros, that some stars wanted out.

“That was strange to hear and it rang alarm bells,” said MacLeod. “At a club like Celtic you’ve got to give your all – then good things happen to you for a reason. I know the spirit that’s needed to win. The worst thing when you hear what Neil said is that it spreads.

Moi Elyounoussi looks dejected following Celtic’s defeat in the UEFA Champions League: Second Qualifying Round match against Ferencvaros at Celtic Park on August 26, 2020 (Photo by Mark Runnacles/Getty Images)

“The bad vibe comes from guys who want to move on to where they could make more money and it puts a wee negative in even the minds of guys who love it at Celtic. They start to think a different way, that they too could move. But you can’t go to many bigger clubs with better supporters.”

Casting an eye on the rebuild, Murdo looks to David Turnbull as one positive sign for the future. The 21-year-old has been superb in midfield since joining from Motherwell for £3m. The ex-Borussia Dortmund and Scotland midfielder said: “Celtic must bring in types similar to Turnbull who works so hard, is looking for goals and will only get better. Celtic need players with his attitude, particularly in the middle of the park. Because elsewhere they’ve really struggled. Too many signings have been in and out the team and found it difficult being a Celtic player.”

In regards to how the new season preparations are made at Ibrox, MacLeod expects Steven Gerrard to say. “If Steven Gerrard leaves after stopping Ten In A Row it’s terrible for Rangers to be looking for a new manager to start again. It wasn’t happening for Celtic after Wim left. So Rangers must make sure Gerrard stays on. What he’s achieved in Europe, sitting clear at the top, he’s shown people he’s a top manager. He’s worked so hard to get where they are now, he’ll be thinking about giving it another go.”

About Author

Hailing from an Irish background, I grew up on the English south coast with the good fortune to begin watching Celtic during the Martin O'Neill era. I have written four Celtic books since the age of 19: Our Stories & Our Songs: The Celtic Support, Take Me To Your Paradise: A History Of Celtic-Related Incidents & Events, Walfrid & The Bould Bhoys: Celtic's Founding Fathers, First Season & Early Stars, and The Holy Grounds of Glasgow Celtic: A Guide To Celtic Landmarks & Sites Of Interest. These were previously sold in Waterstones and official Celtic FC stores, and are now available on Amazon.

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