Howe, Falkirk with a grievance

You and I have seen enough of the football business to know that even when someone verbally commits to joining Celtic, we should assume nothing.  Eddie Howe wanted his next destination to be an English Premier League city, not Glasgow.  Right now, the Bat Signal is lighting the clouds, anyone who wants to secure English football’s best young manager had better make their move over the weekend.  This is how football works, so let’s not get carried away.

If he arrives, it will be an appointment at the higher end of expectations, compare and contrast to Man City youth coaches who have never been in charge of a dressing room full of adults.  Or even Roy the Intense.

Having filtered through so many possibilities in recent weeks, I can find fault with every one of them, even Brendan Rodgers, who is clearly the best manager in British football right now, did not get a tick in the box when it came to recruitment.  We will critically assess Howe if and when he becomes Celtic manager. For now, let’s just hope we get our man.

Falkirk are atop the third tier and nurse a grievance from a year ago, when they were pipped to promotion by 0.03 of a point per game average by Raith Rovers.  Tomorrow’s Scottish Cup tie has all the hallmarks of an underdog fully motivated against an inconsistent giant.  Some of us will remember a comparable freezing cold night 15 years ago when a young Falkirk striker, Anthony Stokes, scored at Celtic Park on his way to a penalty competition victory in the League Cup.  Let’s turn up prepared and hungry this time; I want the Scottish Cup.