By Kevin Corcoran
Speculation intensified this week that Roy Keane was about to be named as the new Celtic manager, with one bookmaker closing the book on the market.
The club have moved quickly to quell the rumours, putting out the word that nothing has been decided yet, but it is common knowledge that Keane is among the front runners to replace Ronny Deila in the Hoops hotseat.
It was as a Celtic player that Keane hung up his boots ten years ago, retiring as part of a side that won the Scottish Premiership and had a squad including John Hartson, Neil Lennon and Chris Sutton.
The following season Gordon Strachan’s side beat Manchester United in the Champions League group stage before forcing AC Milan to extra time in the knock-out round.
It is a distant memory and explains how far Celtic have fallen in the past decade. Deila’s side limped to the Scottish league title this season, their fifth in-a-row, and how Celtic could do with players of Keane’s ability and heart at the moment.
Last night’s defeat to a workmanlike St Johnstone side underlined their defensive frailties and lack of fight under the current regime.
Leigh Griffiths netted his 40th goal of the season in the game, Without his contribution this side would have struggled to win the title, almost unthinkable in a league without the presence of their greatest rivals. For most Celtic fans, the end of this season cannot come quickly enough.
Three Irishmen are among the favourites to take over in the summer.
Keane would be the highest profile appointment, but the fact that Celtic’s Champions League qualifiers start the week after Euro 2016 ends means that the new man will need to start sooner rather than later in order to change and inspire a squad that are in need of a major overhaul.
Keane’s involvement with Ireland in France may rule him out as Champions League qualification is vital for a club that has missed out on European club football’s showpiece event for the past two campaigns.
Brendan Rodgers would be a popular choice. He has already talked about being a Celtic fan growing up in Antrim and the manner of his departure from Liverpool won’t count against him in Scotland in the same way it would amongst bigger clubs in England.
The fact that Francesco Guidolin has been given a new two-year contract as head coach of Swansea means that Rodgers won’t be returning to the Liberty Stadium. Talks between Celtic and Rodgers are expected in the next few days.
Neil Lennon has also been mentioned and made no secret of his desire to secure the post for a second time.
In his previous time as Celtic manager, Lennon led the side to a famous win over Barcelona in the Champions League as well as pocketing three league titles in a row.
However, off the field, life was much more complicated. He was subject to death threats, had suspicious packages addressed to his home intercepted by the authorities and was physically assaulted in the city. It was the sinister side of Scotland’s Old Firm rivalry.
Lennon will be looking to restore his managerial reputation after a tough time at Bolton, but maybe the old adage of ‘never go back’ should apply to Lennon, for his own sake if nothing else.
Regardless of who the manager is, the big issue for Celtic is that the club need investment if they are to move forward. The amount of money the Celtic board are willing to invest in their squad will be the key factor in trying to entice a top quality manager to come to Glasgow.
The Deila experiment clearly has not worked and with Rangers returning to the top flight, the pressure has already been increased ahead of next season.
Celtic need to act quickly and get the right man to halt their slide and return to former glories. Former Celts David Moyes and Paul Lambert are still in the frame, but it is likely that the next boss will be an Irishman.
There is no doubt that the bookmakers that closed the book on Roy Keane will not be offended when I say my money is on Rodgers.
Expect movements in the next few days.
