As the dust finally settles on Neil Lennon’s departure, the dawn of a new era is on the horizon. Names like Owen Coyle, Roy Keane, Michael Laudrup, Davie Moyes, have all been mentioned recently as favourites to land the Celtic job. However Malky Mackay has been lurking in the shadows of the bookmarkers but maybe not the Celtic boardroom. What does MacKay bring to the job? What does Celtic give Malky?
Well first off he’s a former Celt. Always a great thing, he knows what to except at Celtic. He understands the pressure from the board and the terrace. Not only do the supporters want success but also attractive football.
One thing about his current situation you have to remember is that Mackay is free, unlike Jackie McNamara or Henrik Larsson. Mackay also never rejected Celtic before like Coyle or Moyes. Mackay stayed at Celtic through some troubling times in the nineties as a player when others were quick to jump ship. Already tried and tested in the strains of playing for such a demanding club, can Mackay transfer that commitment over to a managerial role at Celtic?
How could there be troubling times ahead at Celtic? Quality team, financially strong, optimism about Europe. However the board might find a new young manager like with Lennon troubling. The board could look at Mackay as young(ish) and not as experienced as Moyes for example. So then, he has no ‘right’ to demand £20 million plus transfer fees.
Peter Lawwell won’t want to be giving big cash to anyone, especially a novice manager, who spent £8 million on a striker who flopped at Cardiff. If Lennon felt undermined by the Georgios Samaras fiasco, the board could tell Mackay if you don’t make the CL group stage we will have to sell Fraser Forster or Virgil Van Dijk. Something that wouldn’t have happened if Martin O’Neill was in charge. Losing the likes of Forster would infuriate a lot of fans and also show the next manager whether it be Mackay or anyone else that they won’t have total control of the team.
The Champions League. Ah yes the lure of the Champions League, as we saw last season Malky knew how to scalp the big boys in England, Manchester City and Manchester United for example. If he was to come up he could hope that a good Champions League could tempt teams from down south.
Let’s be fair recent players have done it, it could possibly spread to future managers. A good Champions League campaign would help bury the demons haunting Mackay since his falling out with Cardiff owner Vincent Tan. What manager can say they are really experienced until they have tested themselves in the Champions League?
Even tougher for the next manager as Celtic will be playing the home ties of two qualifiers at Murryfield rather than Celtic Park. As seen on so many occasions, the dying moments in Celtic Park is when the fans are able to push the team that extra yard, James Forrest’s goal last season against Shakhter Karagandy for example. Without Celtic Park the next manager is going into battle without an extra vital weapon.
Of course is winning the league only going to be seen as a success by anyone? Without the ‘pressure’ having to win the league, Mackay will be free to tinker more often with the team rotating youths and resting the experienced players for more important games. The league will be the priority and winning it with style will be the main objective but delivering the Scottish League Cup or the Scottish Cup are also going to be critical for the man who replaces Lennon.
The fans and board will be expecting a lot of the squad giving the current state of some clubs in Scotland. All fans will be saying they deserve a domestic treble having last seen it happen 14 years ago. But is it out of reach? Are the fans aiming too high? Celtic enter the Scottish Cup at the fourth round meaning they have to play four games without replays to reach the final. In the League Cup Celtic have to play three games without replays to reach the final. With more freedom in the league fans will be expecting greater importance placed on these matches. The next manager unfortunately will never be as loved as Lennon, and will have to deliver the league and one if not both domestic trophies to be regarded as having a successful first season.
Conclusion, we could see former Celtic defender emerging through the doors of Celtic Park in the next few weeks as the new manager. He suits the bill for the board who won’t want to spend big and will also want control over transfers.
The fans already respect him for his commitment to the club during the 90s, as we saw with Cardiff last season he had them playing good football while claiming a few scalps. Celtic suits MacKay, there’s a lack of opposition to win the League rather winning it in style is the main objective. He will be given a shot at Europe and will have a big chance at claiming either or both of the domestic trophies next season.
