An “incredible” attacking manager has emerged as a leading candidate to replace Martin O’Neill in Celtic’s dugout this summer.
Hoops planning life after O’Neal
After a last-gasp win against Kilmarnock earlier this month, O’Neill revealed his team’s habit of leaving games late needed to change, saying: “It’s unsustainable. There’s no question about it. Absolutely. No, personally speaking, I think we showed spirit.”
“I think they keep going. But at the end of the day, it seems like that’s what you’re planning. It’s not. It’s not. And it’s not good for my heart at all.”
Since then, the Hoops’ luck has run out, with a 4-1 defeat at home to VfB Stuttgart in the first leg of the Europa League play-offs, followed by a 2-1 loss to Hibernian at Parkhead on Sunday.
The team, who have won the Scottish Premiership 55 times, are still in contention for the title, but their current squad clearly does not compare to the strong teams of yesteryear. That means whoever replaces interim O’Neal in the summer will likely have a big job on his hands.
According to a report from Football Insider, Celtic have now started narrowing down their list of candidates, with Motherwell manager Jens Bertel Askou and Portugal manager Roberto Martínez as two potential candidates.
The aforementioned duo are ahead of the likes of Graham Potter and Robbie Keane in their senior thinking, with Askou emerging as the front-runner after receiving high praise for his work in his first season in Scotland.
Ask is an ‘incredible’ potential successor to Mr O’Neill
Celtic writer Ryan McGinley wasn’t the only one impressed with Motherwell, with East Kilbride manager Mick Kennedy saying: “Once you spend time in his company, you quickly realize what an incredibly talented coach/manager he is. This is his character as a person, he has an aura about him.”
This season’s Scottish Premiership has been extremely competitive and given that the Steelmen currently sit in fourth place, just four points behind the Hoops, it is unlikely that they will be able to fight for the title just yet.
Jens Berthel Askou’s record at Motherwell | |
|---|---|
game | 36 |
victory | 20 |
draw | 11 |
loss | 5 |
Points per game | 1.97 |
The Dane has also had a successful career as a manager, winning four trophies with Danish clubs AC Horsens and FC Copenhagen, as well as Faroese side HB Torshavn.
Admittedly, unlike Martinez, who has extensive Premier League experience, the 43-year-old is yet to prove himself at the highest level, but Askou could be an exciting, more left-field addition for Celtic.
Celtic bosses are currently discussing bringing in the international manager who has won 47 Premier League titles.
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