When appointing a manager I always want a student of the game. Someone who has got there on merit, not because of who he is, or that he will bring some temporary boost to the troops.
Contrast John Barnes with some Aussie-Greek who had been re-writing record books across the Pacific region. You don’t want the candidate qualified by fame alone.
Occasionally, Scottish clubs looked to Scandinavia for their students. Celtic had Ronny, Aberdeen went back for Jimmy Thelin decades after their first venture north. German coaches are strutting their stuff across the Continent and Motherwell found their current boss there. He’s done very well, albeit with a small sample size.
In the name of all that is sacred, let Newco appoint Steven Gerrard. His previous term there was judged successful having won one trophy in nine. That came in a season which saw Celtic capitulate on all fronts.
St Johnstone won both cups, leaving Newco the only team with enough of a squad to fill the gap at the top of the table.
History will show that Celtic followed COVID test, trace and isolation rules. Others were less observant. Gerrard won by default and would have been sacked were it not for the pandemic intervention.
He would be a short-term sugar rush to take the pressure off decision makers who cannot handle the heat off the Glasgow kitchen. Go for it.
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Weeeeeeeee
Bears set free left and right
But he does wear a suit , a tie and nice , shiny brogues
Gerrard managed one season in the EPL.
Ange got two with Spurs and looks a dead man walking at Forest already.
The EPL is a furnace for managers. It’s utterly ruthless.
We’re fortunate to have a manager at Celtic who has 7 EPL campaigns on his CV.
I very much doubt we’ll ever see that level of experience and skill set in the Celtic Park dug out again.
P.S the blog is beginning to resemble that cartoon of the doggie having a cuppa in his kitchen whilst the entire kitchen is up in flames.
Time is not really on the huns side. They’re recruiting at a time of extreme need.
Hopefully, Celtic have a more organised model of succession planning.
Like players, we should have a countdown on contracts and be sourcing and planning any replacement ahead of time.
Burnley78 @ 10:30 am
“Chairbhoy 8.11pm
I think you are aware that most of those you mentioned came after Dom had departed.
Likewise you omitted the 2 deals with low value release clauses which were triggered JJ and GG and you also missed a 4 year deal for and ex premiership player McCarthy who never kicked a ball for us.
But a good big list looks impressive. Even if it is totally wrong.
Well firstly, I have no skin in the game – if Dominic McKay would have been a good appointment if he got the opporchancity who knows?
Why his tenure was so short? No idea.
But all of those listed were signed in the one and only window when DMcK was CEO.
The summer before we spent 15 mn on Barkas, Ajeti and Turnbull, so quite an improvement under Dom.
Our return on the 15 mn spend was under 3 mn.
On the other hand the return on Dom’s 30 mn spend was 60 mn, with CCV and Liam Scales still with us and valued at well over 15 mn.
Not making any point or voicing any opinion – just stating the facts
Hail Hail
Fritzsong on 8th October 2025 12:34 pm
Celtic currently has a ‘golden ticket’ for entry into lucrative European competition. It was ill-prepared for this season’s qualifying round and not for the first time. This damages the club and it frustrates supporters’ ambitions. The identification of this or that individual on the Board as incompetent, underhand or satanic is pointless. My guess is that Celtic’s overall strategy is not determined in Glasgow. That responsibility is ultimately the major shareholder’s.
Meanwhile there was an interesting development at Falkirk several days ago. A ‘fan group’ – in other words, a gang – threatened their unsuccessful manager with violence. The threat was deemed so real that the manager was forced to exit the stadium under police escort. His contract was terminated hours later. The neds won and they are empowered. They are now in a position to determine an important aspect of club policy. The 49-ers have made a rod for their own back and this will be no end of a lesson for them.
Fritzsong on 8th October 2025 12:38 pm
The police should have kettled them, they certainly would to the GB or any other Celtic group 😡
Just catching up –
“TIM MALONE WILL TELL on 8TH OCTOBER 2025 8:53 AM
Depressing that this has descended into a black and white issue for those directly involved.
For many on the sidelines, it can simultaneously be true that Brendan Rodgers is a busted flush and that Celtics hierarchy and structures need a thorough refresh”.
Bravo sir, you hit the nail on the head.
That some of those fronting ‘The Movement’ (including its cheerleaders on here) either cannot or will not acknowledge two things can be true at the same time will ultimately doom it to failure as most Celtic fans come to question their real motives.
Indeed, the breach of confidentiality was insightful. That click-baiters were able to blag a way in to the meeting and then be allowed to publish/broadcast their version of events is just amateurish.
Don’t foorget to like and subscribe 👍
If we complied with COVID rules, whilst others didn’t, then we should have called it out. I well remember Nicola Sturgeon fuming at us after Boli broke the rules. She wasn’t quite as irate when the Huns did. Must have listened to her old boss’s fabric of society statement. If it is to be Gerrard, who is a proven failure, one thing he will get, is preferential treatment by the msm and match officials
If we’d subjected our manager / the team bus……like the berserking currants did….
we’d still be frontpage news and a summit or summit else would have been demanded for the guid o’ scoddish foo’baw………..
Aye.
Was Russel a dud or was the team done and past it’s sell-on date? Who knows.
Whatever happens Scottish fitba gets a bad name ..again, thanks to the Huns.
HHH
Bankiebhoy – if it’s past its sell-by date, they spent an awful lot of money on it. I suspect the answer is a blend of dud and duds. The next guy has a sow’s ear scenario.
Like when that nugget Gazza appeared at The Dilapidated Victorian Lavvy, Shhhteveee Geee will get his usual fawning treatment ……………
Hell mend thum!
HHH
Sky Sports News say Gerrard will talk with rangers this week.
It is an unimaginative Knee jerk reaction rather than part of a master plan.
He will motivate some players for sure, but he is not a particularly bright man or tactical genius. Refs were in awe of him though – fans with whistles. He became accustomed to getting penalties at a ridiculous rate. Something that has dried up with VAR.
Bankie – front page news indeed. Check out the front cover of today’s DR.
Any decent person would find it pitiful.
Talk about pandering to the lowest common denominator.
I can’t see them appointing Gerard, I hope they do
Yesterday he was talking about why he failed at Villa and in Saudi and put it down to not being able to put the right back room teams together. It’s a bit confusing, he failed in Saudi with Beale with him. It’s reported he’ll take the Hun job if he can get his back room team right, if that means Beale again, who even the Huns came to think was the brains behind their “success” they’ll be bringing back another loser who got chased out of Ibrox and shown up as a bullshitting fraud and responsible an incredibly damaging transfer window.
Appointing Gerard also goes against all their strategic aims. They know they’ll only compete mid term with a sensible, normal, recruitment model and a manager who will work with the players he’s given. Accept the realities, develop and sell. Gerrard won’t wait for success, you would imagine his ego and his understanding of the football world will mean he’ll still think he needs to prove himself in the old way. Appeal to the limited minds out there while the owners with a vision for their club have an understanding of what’s needed to succeed today
Appointing him makes no sense, but it’s the same people who thought Martin would do well so you never know
Ziggydoc1 @ 12:59 pm,
Our Covid story is a poor excuse.
We had our rainy day fund and the STs were sold out and we still failed miserably.
Did Nicola Sturgeon need to clearly explain to Bolingoli-Mbombo what his duties under Covid rules were?
Did Nicola Sturgoen book the Dubia jolly?
Did Nicola Sturgeon sign Albian Ajeti instead of Ivan Toney?
Poor excuse after poor excuse.
The organisation I work for and all the employees had to really step up and make many sacrifices during Covid.
As many organisations did.
Celtic PLC were given special rights under Covid as were many football clubs and they failed in that undertaken in many ways.
The blame culture with this Celtic Board is appalling and still goes on to this day…
Hail Hail
Sounds to me we achieved the square route of fek all at the meeting last night.
We simply must or cannot let this go
kingLUBO
BANKIEBHOY1 on 8TH OCTOBER 2025 1:02 PM
Whoever thought Maryin wasnt a dud is a dud. Which is nice.
CELTIC40ME on 8TH OCTOBER 2025 1:14 PM
I hope they go for Gerrard; I hope they don’t go for Muscat. Either way, they’ll get a short term bounce so we just need to keep winning games. If we do that, it won’t matter what they do.
I would say who cares, but lots of people obviously do.
GEEBEE1978 on 8TH OCTOBER 2025 1:24 PM
If it’s the Mob thats deciding theyre done for
They brought in Russell Martin as a cheap option. Can’t see them paying the sort of wage SG would be demanding.
They’ll settle for someone like Craigan.
https://x.com/zeshankenzo/status/1975856915247718646?s=48&t=pLERKYVBy2vfK2Cym_B3Tw
Slippy G before Covid
KINGLUBO
What meeting last night?
bankiebhoy1 on 8th October 2025 1:02 pm
If we’d subjected our manager / the team bus……like the berserking currants did….
we’d still be frontpage news and a summit or summit else would have been demanded for the guid o’ scoddish foo’baw………..
—–
Am sure we did a few years back when the players were trying to leave the car park
Chairbhoy on 8th October 2025 1:16 pm
Ziggydoc1 @ 12:59 pm,
—
👍
I only made reference to the COVID season as two recent lead articles had done so. Agree with what you say .
Some on the Huns forums seem to think that the answer to them being 9 points behind Hearts is to take their manager
Long may that sort of thinking continue
Tom McLaughlin on 8th October 2025 1:38 pm
They brought in Russell Martin as a cheap option. Can’t see them paying the sort of wage SG would be demanding.
They’ll settle for someone like Craigan.
__________________________________________________________________________________
Craigan the tactical genius, Tom? Well he certainly sounds like during co-commentary for Premier Sports after pointing out after numerous replays of a set piece or goal what happened and why it shouldn’t have happened!
I saw this headline this morning and realised that parody is dead!
‘Former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has said his generation of England players failed to work well together because they were “egotistical losers.”
Who cares?
There will be lots of noise and speculation leading up to an appointment.
… followed by lust ridden hagiographies about the appointee – whether he be Pep Guardiola or Tommy the toilet cleaner.
Then reality will set in for an indeterminate but terminable period of time.
… then the whole circus will start again.
Zzzzz
Ziggydoc1 @ 1:42 pm,
Thanks…
Apologies for the tone of the comment, it wasn’t an easy time for many.
Hail Hail
Talks have already broken down between the Huns and Gerrard as apparently they can’t guarantee his demands.
Apparently he’s asking for a global pandemic.
What happened to the old ‘covid scuppered the recruitment ‘ one…….
The press is terribly myopic, perhaps even conditioned to look backwards. They look for the obvious answer.
Whatever else the new guys running the show at Ibrox are, they’re not known well enough to be predictable, let alone retrogressive.
Purely on the basis that last time out they appear to have shortlisted young coaches – Martin, Farioli and Ancelotti – it would be sensible to think they’ll look at similar profiles this time. After all, whoever they appoint needs to be a good fit with the football operations structure they have put in place. The coach is one element of that, not the entirety of it.
I’d expect the sports journos’ best friend in the coming weeks will be Google, trying to answer the question… Who the hell is that?
Gerrards need not apply.
Martin was attempting to turn the Hun into a modern football team who play to a set style of play. Early doors this was going to be really difficult given the previous approach and existing playing staff. It could have worked but needed a bunch of luck in the free transfer market shopping in the English Championship.
If the owners go for a Gerrard like appointment then seems to me they are ripping up that model , attempting a quick fix. Their personal experience of the Hun up close will be an eye opener , there are easier ways to make money.
Heyivegotabridgetosellcfc
A police probe has been launched following a “liquid” attack at a Rangers pub in Rutherglen
—
it was a stink bomb 😄
however even though the cops have confirmed this to be the case, they are still investigating.
why?
ffs man, its only a fkin stink bomb.
go do some proper work.
A Brendan vs Gerard rematch doesnt exactly make the SPFL look like the most progressive league out there, especially with Hearts sitting top of the league with Tony Bloom in the door 5 minutes ago.
‘ Walter’s Bar attacked with air freshener ‘