Hugh Keevins Delivers Brutal Verdict On Celtic-Linked Managers

The question of who should take Celtic forward next season continues to circle, and two very different names have entered the conversation. John McGlynn and Jens Berthel Askou come from different backgrounds, and that contrast makes the debate more interesting.

McGlynn has built his reputation over time. His Falkirk side plays on the front foot, with full-backs pushing on and midfielders joining attacks. He’s shown he can organise a team and get results across a full campaign. The question is how that would look at a club where dropping points quickly becomes a problem.

Askou is newer to this level. At Motherwell, he’s taken a group that looked ordinary at times and given them shape. They press with purpose and look more settled in possession. That change has come quickly, which is why his name has come into the discussion.

Speaking about both candidates, Hugh Keevins weighed up the strengths and concerns around each option as Celtic look ahead to a key decision.

He said: (Clyde 1 Superscoreboard), “John McGlynn has done a fantastic job. But in the modern-day world. People will look at John McGlynn, man of 64.

“But Martin O’Neill had a body of work behind him that John doesn’t have, with respect.

“I don’t think John McGlynn would be regarded as box office for the Celtic supporters.

“Jens Berthel Askou has had a fantastic season with Motherwell. He has made journeymen players play the best football of their lives, and therefore, he is a talent.

“Is he, though, enough of a talent to get the job after one season at Motherwell? Everything now has to be seen in the wake of appointing Wilfried Nancy, an utterly stupid mistake on Celtic’s part. Arguably, the worst decision the club has ever taken.

“So, they have to think very carefully before Jens Berthel Askou’s one good season at Motherwell is enough for the Celtic job.”

That’s where the decision becomes difficult. Celtic need more than a coach who can organise a team. They need someone who can deal with matches where the opposition sits in and space is limited.

McGlynn’s sides tend to control the ball, but he hasn’t been tested in that environment. Askou has improved players quickly, though over a shorter period.

Whoever gets the job will be judged early. There’s no time to build slowly, and no space for another misstep.