Howe pantomime ends, what now

1566

Two weeks ago, I cautioned that the line being given to Celtic by Eddie Howe, that he was waiting to assemble his backroom team, did not hold water, “This could be the reason proffered for the lack of a signature, but I’m not buying it.”

With his former Bournemouth backroom team now free from football commitments, I understand Howe told Celtic he is unable to convince his team to come to Glasgow and is not prepared to come without them.  I’m not buying that either.  He either has one of the EPL jobs he coveted, or his strength of character is not sufficient for him to cope in Glasgow without a chaperone.  If it is the former, he has strung us along, if the latter, he’s too weak to cope here.  It is the former, surely?

Howe was clearly our first choice and the man a board felt it worthwhile to not only offer a huge contract and the opportunity to recruit the entire backroom team, but to allow him to sit on the pot until the end of May.  Like all these decisions, it was a gamble.  Your view is as good as mine as to whether he was worth the wait.

So where has this left us?  The ponderous time Eddie Howe took allowed a clear preference to emerge if his deal remained unsigned.  You and I will have a weekend in the dark, which is frustrating, but I am not seeing any panic at Celtic Park.  The new guy is not from the EPL circus, we’ll find out soon enough if that is a good thing or not!

Have a good weekend, if that’s possible between the two mood killers of managerial recruitment and lockdowns.

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  1. scaniel

     

     

    The TV series from the 1970’s was top class, great cast, great acting, great writing and more often than not filmed on location. The movie I referred to lost the plot. Or would have done. If it had had one.

  2. fieldofdrams on

    It seems to me that if Howe’s acceptance was contingent upon bringing his own back room staff; and if one pulled out, or chose not to come, late in the process; it’s not entirely reasonable to lay that at Celtic’s door, especially if the club was convinced as to his merits and those of his team.

     

     

    None of us knows what occasioned the apparent change of heart. May not be a member of his back room staff; could be his missus saying Glasgow? After George Square? Get tae!

     

     

    Celtic will have a Plan B, and a Plan C and so forth and as said earlier I couldn’t give a rat’s ass who it is, as long as he’s successful with us.

     

     

    The other thing I’d like to get off my chest is, I go to Celtic Park to support the team in green and white hoops, not the board of directors, the Chief Exec or the majority shareholder. Kellys, Whites, McCann, Dempsey, Desmond – those guys have always been there and they always will be until root and branch change is forced upon them. And that means withdrawal of money. In turn that means withdrawal of support. I don’t sense, not yet at least, the stomach for that. But it worked before.

     

     

    Which means either I’ll be renewing, or I won’t. I can’t make up my mind. But there must be thousands of undecideds like me who, a year ago or two years ago, would have been certainties to renew.

     

     

    One thing is for sure, I’ve had too much red wine.

  3. UNCLE JIMMY

     

     

    We seem to target our new manager.

     

     

    I would put an ad in the paper!

     

     

    It would take a competent secretary 10 minutes to put together a polite letter of decline to the candidates not worthy of an interview.

     

     

    The rest could be eye poppin’!!!!

  4. People have a lot of apologising to do to the GB after this shambles.

     

     

    @kellybaby3

     

     

    So Celtic’s Green Brigade encourage fans to ‘hold off’ season ticket renewal… Tell ya these idiots think they own us fans and celtic fc at times. 🍀🤦🏼‍♀️

  5. Good night all

     

    Tomorrow I’ll wake up still being a Celtic supporter not sure everyone on here tonight will

     

     

    Faithful through and through ?

     

     

    Hail Hail

  6. GENE

     

     

    I’ll be happy if I wake up in the morning.

     

     

    Fuck all to do with Celtic.

     

     

    With respect.

  7. Hrvatski Jim on

    Uncle Jimmy

     

     

    I agree that recruitment has mostly been poor in recent years.

     

    That is exactly why we need to get the best people that which may mean getting a slap in the face along the way if they don’t fancy us as much as we fancy them.

     

    Let’s see if Celtic’s statement that an appointment will be made soon is the result of a good plan B or a panic move like Roy Keane.

  8. Go tell the Spartim on

    Is there any evidence that we have a plan B, C and so forth …… nope we hired the last guy in the shower without looking at others

     

     

    Auto renewal before my supporting credentials are questioned

     

     

    ITS ALL ABOUT YOUR LEVEL OF AMBITION

  9. TURKEYBHOY on 28TH MAY 2021 9:52 PM

     

     

    Maresca went to Parma in Serie B. I think we could have got him had we not dallied around for months waiting on Howe.

     

     

    The Postecoglou link is getting so strong now…..it’s looking like this will be our Plan B.

  10. No one comes out smelling of roses with today’s announcement.. including EH …. deep down maybe too nice a lad for the job … we are in fingers crossed territory a few steps before a Hail Mary pass … my preference is an old head as DoF and a young pup as manager keen to make his mark …. no one mentioned fits the bill

  11. Nothing to do with celtic but life has a habit of taking my highs and very rapidly bursting my balloon or kicking me in the nuts.

     

     

    I’m used to it by now. But flip its annoying….. one of those days

     

     

    Onwards and downwards

     

     

    Just venting

     

     

    Laters

  12. From Liam O’Hare

     

     

    So a random no-mark from Australia is being given the job solely due to links with the footballing monopoly City Group that Lawwell’s son works for? A final two fingers to the fans from our departing CEO as he leaves Celtic a club further from its roots than ever. Disastrous.

  13. CELTICMAC at 10:19

     

    Just checked Thankfully Ian Kennedy Martin had sod all to do with the Sweeney film …. other than being a “source” – which means he allowed them to use the same names for a load of dosh.

     

    Don’t think even he could write this F***ed up script.

  14. Let’s all laugh at Celtic, Let’s all laugh at Celtic…………

     

     

    All the Huns are enjoying it – Jelly and Ice-cream revenge.

     

     

    Look at those on this site with their sarcastic childish school boy mocking. True Celtic fans? Maybe – really upset – don’t think so – FECK EM! I see through you.

     

     

    HH

     

     

    We will come through this. Still Celtic – as Peter Grant said – it never leaves you. Off to bed – sad but not beaten – we survived the great Hunger -and Scottish racism, we will never lie down. COYBIG!

     

     

    HH

  15. We look set to appoint a 55 yo with no experience in European club football.

     

     

    No doubt Kennedy will be his assistant.

     

     

    I’m done. Not a penny more until the shysters are no longer running our club.

  16. Eddie Howe satisfied the ‘ambitious’ requirement, but he was also a conservative choice.

     

     

    Everyone has an opinion about the recruitment approach for Eddie, I doubt that anyone who knows what happened is posting on here.

     

     

    Will Celtic go for the next name on the conservative list or will they try something more progressive, with a structure and names less familiar to us?

     

     

    I hope it is the latter.

     

     

    Look to Ajax, change the game.

  17. NICK on 28TH MAY 2021 11:05 PM

     

     

    I was hoping for the latter. Maresca as coach with a competent DoF behind the scenes was always my choice. Let’s hope we don’t look at his career as “the one who got away”.

  18. The Green Brigade have asked there group of fans about 250

     

    of them to withhold from renewing there season tickets ,not the whole fan base ,get your facts right before coming on here and shit stirring it.

  19. Do we all think EH has all of a sudden said no.the club statement about season books told a story.the whole things turned into a scramble now.

     

     

    WHAT A MESS

  20. Well… What a mess!

     

     

    Signings fall through, coaching and staff I’m sure fall through too.

     

     

    But for the club to announce that statement, to handle it that way… It just shows the club is in a mess from top to bottom.

     

     

    A rudderless mess.

  21. Maresca ship has sailed.

     

     

    Marsch ship had sailed.

     

     

    Lampard… Who knows? Massive gamble.

     

     

    Keane… Nobody wants him and his pride now wouldn’t allow it.

     

     

    Looks like it’s a left field appointment like the ex Australia manager or a “known quantity” (for that read someone local and cheap.

  22. Scaniel

     

    Many congratulations to the family, especially your daughter. You will all be thrilled.

     

    HH

  23. MALONE BHOY on 28TH MAY 2021 11:20 PM

     

     

    I don’t think Marsch was ever realistic. He was always destined for Germany and specifically Leipzig.

     

     

    It’s looking almost certain to be Ange Postecoglou. Can’t say I’m thrilled but I’ll get behind the new man if that’s who it turns out to be.

  24. lets all do the huddle on

    the butchers apron lickers on here like to go on about ‘cult’

     

     

    ive openly never been a fan of PLCs in general, and definitely not when it comes to running century old traditional football clubs

     

     

    their protection racket ethos is incompatible with such organisations

     

     

    and in fact ive realised that PLCs are the biggest example of cults out there

     

     

    they exist purely for the preservation of the wealth of the handful of people at the top

     

     

    they use emotional and consistently phrased language to get followers on board – in our case season ticket holders

     

     

    but in the end it will always be those season ticket holders/followers/customers etc who pay the price when it comes to a head while the cult/PLC leaders dance away into the distance with a sackfull of cash

     

     

    it’s time to de-cultify Celtic Football Club

  25. GivehimthemoneyPeterCSC on

    Firstly to wait this long for Howe is totally amateur of the board but a real positive would be 2nd choice Ange

     

     

    He has changed both the Australian and Japanese footballing cultures and will totally outwit Gerard.

     

     

    He is highly intelligent, plays attacking football and has a holistic approach to the game (there won’t be any lazy players at the club!)

     

     

    It will be a step up for him and will need help with identifying transfer targets but from a coaching side he will smash it.

     

     

    He will find the illogical culture and politics and media angle a challenge but we will see a Dr Jo step of progression. (Note he will be portrayed in the same way as Dr Jo by the media and half the people on here will latch on to that)

     

     

    Keep the faith!

     

    Ps I think Howe wanted his director of football and we didn’t as we want Harkin and the list of players identified by Harkin was the deal breaker

  26. Wtf do the green brigade think they are.chase yersels.so since yous have come along we take your advice.fck off

  27. So the rumour mill suggests it’s going to be Ange Postecoglou – former Oz national team manager and currently at Yokohama FM. Let’s have a look at him…

     

     

    He’s 55 years old. He had (relative) success with Australia, winning the Asian Games in 2015. He took them to back to back world cups – beaten by Spain, Chile and Holland in the 2014 group stage and resigned before the 2018 tournament.

     

     

    In his Australian club career he had league wins at Brisbane Roar in 2010-11 and 2011-12, when he moved on to Melbourne Victory. He didn’t win anything there.

     

     

    In 2018 he took the YFM job. He won the title in 2019. Recent seasons have been less successful – finishing 9th in 2020, some 36 points behind the winners, and currently 4th, 19 points behind the leaders with 4 games in hand (though as we all know games in hand mean nothing).

     

     

    He’s only ever bought 5 players for cash, with his record signing being Thiago Martins for £1.67m. 4 of those signings were made at YFM, with the other a £90k signing back in his time at South Melbourne in 1999.

     

     

    He’s a big fan of Rogic and has previously been complementary about our handling of his injury woes. He’s also said Rogic should leave to make the 2014 World Cup squad.

     

     

    YFM are part of City Group. So looks like we’re all in on Peter’s plan – another Keane/Deila scenario. Excited yet? Me either.

  28. Paul says:

     

     

    “The new guy is not from the EPL circus, we’ll find out soon enough if that is a good thing or not!”

     

    ———–

     

    I doubt any modern well-quoted manager, whether from the “EPL”, or the Championship “circus”, would come up to Celtic at this moment in time.

     

     

    We are all inured to the goings on at Thortonhall & George Square; to people down south these events merely confirm what they’ve always known.

     

     

    When the truth, which I believe to be a reluctance after recent events of those who would have formed Howe’s backroom staff to relocate up here, comes out, it will result in the Scottish game being held in even deeper contempt than it is now in the English football environment. There will be a fallout, we just don’t know how it will manifest itself. Will sponsors and TV companies be reassessing their commitment, albeit meagre, to Scottish football?

  29. DREW1967 on 28TH MAY 2021 11:33 PM

     

    Wtf do the green brigade think they are.chase yersels.so since yous have come along we take your advice.fck off

     

     

    ###

     

     

    Don’t think their advice is aimed at you, just to their members and acolytes.

     

     

     

    “In the meantime, we’d encourage all in the North Curve to hold off renewing their season ticket.”

  30. PeterLatchfordsBelly on

    Maybe the big Aussie will prove a genius in time, but he won’t shift season books. So much for the big summer rebuild. Howe jilts us at the altar because we are cheap. That top tier is going to be quiet.

  31. DREW1967 on 28TH MAY 2021 11:33 PM

     

    Wtf do the green brigade think they are.chase yersels.so since yous have come along we take your advice.fck off

     

    ——–

     

    To use the words of the great Capt Mainwaring, the GB are a bunch of “stupid boys” who have a deluded sense of their own importance. Their antics in attracting UEFA fines to Celtic means they cost us more than they contribute. They should be renamed the WMB – the Walter Mitty Brigade.

  32. So…Ange Postecoglu is part of the Manchester City Group and this is Sheikh Mansoor giving Him a Bigger gig then?

  33. Nothing says tactical genius like a 9th place finish in the J League. Just f**k off.

  34. Back to Basics - Glass Half Full on

    Bed time.

     

     

    Disappointing day but (God willing) I’ll wake up tomorrow still a Celtic Supporter.

     

     

    In the scheme of things? Not bad.

     

     

    Hail hail

     

     

    Keep The Faith

     

     

    We’re Not Half of Anything

     

     

    19-1

     

     

    We share a city AND NOTHING ELSE

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