What now for Celtic?

By David Lee Wheatley Twitter @davewh1980

As Glasgow Celtic lurch from one disastrous performance to another under beleaguered new boss Ronny Deila, fans are fearful over what lies ahead for a team deep in transition after Champions' League elimination piled the pressure on the club to find an injection of cash they simply don't have available to them.

Their league season started brightly with convincing wins over St. Johnstone and Dundee United providing an initial healthy outlook to proceedings, while KR Reykjavik were easily disposed of in the second Champions' League qualifying round.

However, the wheels have since hurtled off their campaign alarmingly with the controversial defeat to Legia Warsaw followed by lucky reinstatement into the Champions' League competition, due to the Poles fielding an ineligible player in the dying embers of the second leg when the tie was already completely out of Celtic's reach.

The club were determined to make amends for that shocking 6-1 aggregate loss to Legia by capatilising on their good fortune and advancing beyond Maribor into the group stages. Despite a creditable 1-1 draw in the away first leg making them favourites to advance, the Hoops capitulated at Celtic Park to lose 1-0 on the evening and miss out on an estimated £14m jackpot that would've been theirs had they progressed.

To compound their misery, the green-and-whites have suffered embarrassment in Inverness when falling 1-0 to the current Premiership leaders and then had to come back to force an undeserved draw at home against Dundee either side of that deflating defeat to Maribor. It left observers and supporters alike wondering what the Glasgow giants can do in order to turn the tide.

Financially, they have little room for manoeuvre. Rangers long-term absence from the top-flight has cost Celtic in revenue terms from the disappearance of four guaranteed clashes with their arch-rivals, while television and sponsorship monies total up to a mere pittance in comparison with top European leagues. They will also have to cut their cloth accordingly after forfeiting the Champions' League cash due to devastating elimination.

True, they still have the carat of the Europa League to look forward to, but meetings with Red Bull Salzburg, Dinamo Zagreb and FC Astra don't exactly excite and won't generate a great deal of capital for the club's coffers. Celtic would most likely require a run to the semi-finals if they're to have any hope of a decent level of income from the competition and that won't be easy. Indeed, given their poor performances so far under Norwegian Ronny Deila, it appears a near impossible task.

It's early days for Deila, but the omens aren't good and belief in him on the terraces seems very low. His obvious lack of coaching experience at the highest levels of football doesn't inspire confidence, while the daunting nature of the rebuilding job ahead of him would test anybody.

He recently remarked that English-based footballers literally laugh out loud when Celtic put forward their best wage offer to a prospective signing from south of the border and therein lies his biggest problem. Celtic have no money, they are seen by many as a selling club with a conveyor belt of talent flying out of the door every year in order to simply stay afloat and, furthermore, they can't offer Champions' League football to offset the comparitively poor wages on the table.

With the transfer deadline upon them, Celtic could yet see key central defender Virgil van Dijk moving on with several clubs linked with the Dutchman. They've already lost goalkeeper Fraser Forster to Southampton, while a raft of stars have been drained from the squad over a number of seasons without being adequately replaced.

New boys Tonev, Berget and Gordon haven't yet proved they are better than those who've gone before them and so it currently appears that Celtic aren't as strong as they once were. Much more will be expected of them during the coming months, while more recent purchases Wakaso and Scepovic absolutely must hit the ground running.

For Deila, it's a case of unearthing numerous rough diamonds in the transfer market, while hoping to promote excuberant young talent from the development squad who are good enough to prosper within the senior set-up. The one shining light so far this term has been 21-year-old Callum McGregor and the former Stromsgodset manager will be on the look-out for more just like him.

A tricky balancing act leaves Deila facing an uphill journey that will test him and his staff to the very limit of their abilities. He will point to the fact that Stromsgodset battled against relegation in his first two seasons in charge there, prior to a renaissance leading to the league title in 2013.

However, it's unlikely that such patience will prevail allowing him to complete the job if he fails miserably in his first term in Scotland. Time is not on his side and results must improve dramatically if Deila is to at least buy himself the opportunity to mould the team in his own vision.

Ripping it up and starting again is a course of action those at Celtic Park will wish to avoid if at all possible, but they can't stand by forever should matters significantly worsen. All eyes will be firmly fixed on Deila, as he attempts to turnaround a stuttering start to the season and silence the doubters in the process.

@davewh1980

New Celtic manager: Who's in the frame?

By David Lee Wheatley

Neil Lennon’s decision to step down as manager of Scottish Premiership giants Glasgow Celtic after four years at the helm has set the rumour mill in motion regarding who his replacement could possibly be.

Here, I focus on the main men in the frame for the much sought-after position at Parkhead.

 

Owen Coyle (Unattached)

Former Republic of Ireland international striker Coyle has a strong affinity with Celtic stretching back to his childhood, when growing up a Bhoys fan prior to making his way in the game as a footballer. The Celtic Park job was offered to him in the past, but he turned it down in order to pursue the dream of managing in the English top-flight instead. Massively popular during his time as manager of Burnley, Paisley-born Coyle led the Lancastrian side to promotion from the Championship at the first time of asking, before controversially leaving his post mid-season to join established Premier League side Bolton Wanderers. That move soured his relationship with Burnley supporters and his subsequent spell at the club he represented as a player didn’t work out, as he presided over a relegation campaign prior to termination of his contract two months into the following term. An ill-fated six-month spell with Wigan Athletic last year saw Coyle and chairman Dave Whelan at loggerheads over a number of issues, prompting the owner’s ruthless decision to replace him with Uwe Rosler. Coyle would be expected to work within a budget should he attain the Celtic role and has previous experience of having to do just that throughout his managerial career to date. A successful stint at St. Johnstone preceded his departure for Burnley, however, later problems at both Bolton and Wigan provokes doubt over the Scot’s suitability for the Hoops’ hot-seat.

David Moyes (Unattached)

Moyes is a former Celtic defender, who did a highly commendable job at Everton before falling foul of the Fergie factor at Manchester United. It was always going to be a huge task to replace Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford and it inevitably proved far too much for the ex-Preston boss when faced with mounting problems amid a late-season fan revolt. However, those eleven years of relative success at Goodison Park should not be discounted from his record and the solid, if unspectacular, style of play he prefers would make Celtic a tough nut to crack both domestically and in Europe. Meanwhile, Moyes’ recent fleeting glimpse of Champions’ League football at United may prove invaluable to Celtic’s long-term ambitions abroad, with a distinct lack of competition on Scottish shores. The budgetary constraints in place at Celtic Park would almost certainly be an obstacle to any hopes the club’s hierarchy have of recruiting the 51-year-old, but he’d undoubtedly be a hugely popular choice among supporters due to his previous allegiances.

Malky Mackay (Unattached)

Another ex-Celtic central defender Malky Mackay is among the favourites for the role and would again appeal to Celtic’s fervent fans if appointed. Mackay is a more realistic option than Moyes and his reputation as a manager is still burgeoning thanks to impressive spells in charge at Watford and Cardiff City. He took the Bluebirds to automatic promotion prior to receiving the Championship Manger of the Year award in 2013 for his efforts. However, despite the Welsh side sitting above the Premier League relegation zone at Christmas, Mackay was fired by owner Vincent Tan for allegedly wasting transfer funds on under-par players. The former Norwich City and West Ham United stalwart left his post with the support of the fans still firmly behind him to be replaced by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who took them down. Now, Mackay is ready for a new challenge and would relish the opportunity of taking a shot at the Celtic job.

Jackie McNamara (Dundee United)

Keeping the theme going, McNamara represented Celtic as a player in excess of 250 times and would be welcomed back with open arms by many supporters. A sound start to his managerial career at Partick Thistle alerted bigger clubs to his potential and Dundee United took him on midway through the 2012/13 campaign. His stock has continued rising ever since, as the former right full-back inspired a run to the Scottish Cup final and a 4^th-place league finish in his first full campaign with the Terrors. Unfortunately, they lost out to St. Johnstone at the home of Celtic in the final tie, but that hasn’t stopped persistent links with the now vacant Parkhead position. Furthermore, it’d be incredibly difficult for McNamara to turn down any offer that may come his way from chief executive Peter Lawwell, the man tasked with finding Neil Lennon’s successor.

Henrik Larsson (Falkenbergs)

Celtic hero Larsson has been head coach of Swedish outfit Falkenbergs for a short few months having taken over at the Allsvenskan side in December last year. The 42-year-old stood out as the SPL’s all-time leading goalscorer until surpassed by Kris Boyd in 2009 and retains cult status in the East End of Glasgow. His inexperience as a manager would count against him during any selection process, but that would be outweighed somewhat by the excitement generated by his return. However, entrusting the former striker with the keys to the Celtic kingdom may have to wait a few years yet.

Steve Clarke (Unattached)

Having coached both youth and senior sides at several top clubs in England, Steve Clarke’s array of experience would stand him in good stead should he harbour any interest in becoming Celtic supremo at this juncture of his career. Clarke acted as assistant manager to Ruud Gullit when with Newcastle United, Jose Mourinho and Avram Grant at Chelsea, former team-mate Gianfranco Zola at West Ham United and legendary Scot Kenny Dalglish when employed at Liverpool, while picking up a vast amount of knowledge throughout that 14-year period. Indeed, he was credited with having had a significant impact at many of those clubs, with his influence helping Chelsea to a stunning series of domestic successes in particular. The Ayrshire native decided to strike out on his own as a manager with West Bromwich Albion in June 2012, eventually ending a brilliant eighth in the table. Things went awry in his second season, resulting in a slightly harsh mid-December sacking. Despite that setback, former Scotland international Clarke still retains many admirers within the game and may be handed the chance to take the reins at Celtic in a bid to usher in a new era of youth development at the club.

Paul Lambert (Aston Villa)

An outside bet, the European Cup winner during his playing days with Borussia Dortmund would appear a perfect fit for Parkhead. Lambert bossed the Celtic midfield for nearly eight years following a move back from Germany and is still revered on the Celts. Starting out with a stint in charge of Livingston, Lambert found a reasonable level of success with Wycombe Wanderers and Colchester United in the lower reaches of the English game prior to a switch to Norwich City. The Canaries were languishing in League One when the Scot received the call to take over at Carrow Road, but Lambert was able to spark a magnificent revival encompassing two successive promotion campaigns all the way to the promised land of the Premier League. He went on to keep the club up in the top-flight by a whisker, before leaving to join Aston Villa after Alex McLeish was released. It’s been a tough two terms at Villa Park, with successive relegation flirtations followed up by the recent announcement that owner Randy Lerner wants to sell up. That places Lambert in a precarious position and he may want, or be forced into, a fresh start elsewhere.

Twitter: @davewh1980