Eddie Howe was the guest on BBC’s Match of the Day, discussing his time out of the game following his departure from Bournemouth in the summer. The 43-year-old has been heavily linked with a move to Celtic Park as well as Newcastle United but so far, the Englishman is yet to make a decision on his next job.
Eddie Howe has been watching an ‘incredible amount of football’.#MOTD2 pic.twitter.com/LSHov5Flym
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) January 31, 2021
Despite being promised a January review into the managerial team; however, so far the manager is still in his role despite the team’s massive failing this year and supporters are furious with the club. A move for a big name like Eddie Howe, who is renowned for his development of players and tactical nouse with a team that constantly punched above his weight.
Lennon has been under considerable pressure and the fact that the club have not decided to act has been damaging both to the success of the team this season as well as to Lennon’s own reputation. His achievements cannot be understated but the manner of this season has been unacceptable. Ross County, Motherwell and Livingston have reaped the rewards of a ‘bounce’ following a change in management and Celtic have been afforded a number of opportunities to take action but have for whatever reason, decided not to.
Howe’s stock is still high considering the impact he had with Bournemouth. Although his appearances on TV prove that he is actively touting himself for a return to management, something that we have seen in the past with Brendan Rodgers, Jose Mourinho and David Moyes all taking a trip to the studio between stints in the dugout. Howe is an impressive candidate but the longer the club wait, the more suitors will emerge as their situation changes.
As it stands, Celtic need to mount an astonishing rebuild and Dominic McKay will know that he is walking into an immensely difficult job; however, a manager like Howe in an elite footballing operation with a scouting overhaul and a Director of Football can catapult Celtic back to the league title next season.
Unfortunately Neil seems to be in the safest job in football, he has been an unmitigated disaster in our search for 10. He has 2 default positions, blame the players and then praise the players, he is not upto job. Hibs got rid of him for a rant against players, he has done that throughout his 2nd Celtic stay. He needs to go now, he has not improved any player, he makes them worse.
With the season ticket review coming up soon, I think we’ll either see no action until then and suddenly a total panic order issued by Desmond when he wakes up and smells the turps shoved under his tache – in the form of greatly decreased revenue. It would be such a shame if it took that level of action to have the necessary change. However, if Dominic McKay is still reading social media (given that at present he has done nothing to sully goodwill), then it would make sense for him to suggest they move for a new manager soon. Give Lennon his year’s salary payoff, approach Howe to ask about a backroom team, offer Howe a good salary but an even better one based on certain results, have McKay sit in and do most of the talking and if Howe says yes, then go all guns blazing to secure a top drawer director of football that gets on with Howe, McKay and has the necessary experience to do this. If for any reason Howe doesn’t work, then it will be up to the director of football in future to make that change. But for now, we need a new manager and if we wait until closer to summer, the pool to choose from will have shrunk even further. I can only imagine Lennon is hurting but he needs to step away from this to realise that it is vital he had to go. Sometimes you can’t see the woods for the trees and that’s the case inside the Parkhead bunker at present. Given time, wounds will heal and he will be appreciated but every day he stays for now, is a day that angers supporters all the more. I’m surprised that Desmond has not dipped his old toe into social media and looked at season book chatter to see the potential damage that this famed delayed review is causing