Martin O’Neill has backed the work Jens Berthel Askou has done at Motherwell, but the Celtic interim manager also made clear why succeeding at Fir Park and handling the dugout at Parkhead are two very different things.
Askou has emerged as an early name in the conversation around Celtic’s next permanent manager after an impressive first season in charge of Motherwell.
The Dane only arrived last year, inheriting much of the same squad, but quickly put his stamp on the side with a style built around aggressive pressing and quick attacking football.
Motherwell’s improvement has been obvious across the campaign.
They currently sit fourth in the Premiership, three points clear of Hibs, and remain firmly in the fight for European football heading into the closing weeks of the season.
That progress has naturally led to speculation around Askou’s future, especially with Celtic expected to make a major decision in the dugout this summer.
O’Neill has clearly been impressed by what he has seen. He said (TCW):
“I think he’s done really well, really well.
“Yes, they play a nice brand of football as well too, but yes, he deserves a lot of applause.
“I think that they still want to try and qualify for Europe, I’m sure. But essentially, they’re not playing under that sort of pressure at Motherwell. You can do this, and you can play, and you can lose some matches and still have a really good season.
“It doesn’t happen at this club.”
That last point is the one that matters. Managing Celtic is not remotely comparable to managing Motherwell, no matter how well a coach performs in Scotland outside Glasgow.
Askou opened the league season with five consecutive draws. At Motherwell, that gave him time to work, build his ideas and settle into the job.
At Celtic, that kind of start immediately brings scrutiny. Questions start early and the pressure ramps up quickly.
The expectation is constant. Winning the league is the minimum requirement. Anything less is failure, regardless of style, process or long-term vision.
That does not mean Askou lacks quality – quite the opposite.
His team play with purpose, they move the ball quickly, and there is a clear structure to what he wants. Players look improved under him, and Motherwell have become one of the most watchable sides in the division.
Those are all traits Celtic supporters want to see from any manager. Still, O’Neill knows better than most what the Celtic job demands.
Every result gets magnified. Every poor performance becomes a debate. There is nowhere to hide when expectations are built around trophies and titles every single season.
The speculation around Askou will continue as long as Celtic’s managerial situation remains unresolved.
For now though, his focus stays on Motherwell’s push for Europe.
A win on Wednesday night would set up a massive final-day clash with Hearts, with Fir Park hosting one of the biggest matches of their season.
Sky Sports will show the game live, with kick-off at 8pm.
