Kris Boyd believes that Eddie Howe could turn out to be another footballing fantasist- just like Tony Mowbray.
It’s not often that someone with five years EPL experience shows interest in life outside of the English bubble with Celtic’s move for the former Bournemouth boss a genuine show of ambition and intent.
Back in 2009 Celtic paid West Brom compensation for their newly relegated boss with Mowbray lasting less than a season before Neil Lennon was called in as caretaker following a 4-0 defeat at St Mirren.
Howe has five times the EPL experience that Mowbray had and survived in the top flight while experienced, tried and tested managers suffered relegation.
A fantasist wouldn’t last five months among the sharks of the EPL but that doesn’t stop Boyd from thinking aloud to Sun readers:
CELTIC fans will be hoping Eddie Howe brings them as much success as Brendan Rodgers but for me he could just as easily be the next Tony Mowbray.
Those supporters seem to be welcoming this appointment as the second coming. But there’s a real danger this job is too big for someone who has never worked for a club where the only thing that matters is winning.
Howe did a good job at Bournemouth — but there is no comparison with Glasgow and the intensity of working in that environment.
Does Howe know what he’ll be letting himself in for? Is he prepared for the expectation and intense level of scrutiny he’ll be under?
It’s one thing to say his teams play good football, but when it comes to the cut and thrust of life at the Old Firm — when titles are at stake — that comes a poor second behind getting three points.
Mogga had been a Celtic player, but he didn’t get that. His head was in the clouds when he was manager and my worry is that Howe could be the same football fantasist.
Should Celtic offer the manager's job to Eddie Howe
Yes, absolutely. Howe is the perfect fit
No, what has he won?
As an experienced, qualified coach Howe will have put plenty of thought into the proposal from Celtic, part of his due diligence will have been to expect a hostile reaction from sections of the local media. Boyd doesn’t disappoint on that score.
Doing a Mowbray, or a Warburton or a Caixinha would destroy Howe’s reputation. After going on gardening leave from Celtic, Mowbray managed at Middlesbrough, Coventry and now Blackburn which is a decent but hardly stellar management career.
Weighing up the Celtic option carefully the non-fantasist that is Howe will decide whether or not such a move fits in with his career ambitions, a phone call to Boyd is unlikely to be part of his due diligence!