CHRIS SUTTON almost writes like he’s in the know about the next Celtic manager as he continually brings it back to Eddie Howe.
Speaking about Leigh Griffiths, the former Celtic hero believes the decision to stick or twist on the Scottish striker has to be taken as soon as possible.
But doubts over Eddie Howe or any other manager hanging their hat on the frontman seem like a long shot.
Chris mentions the fact Brendan Rodgers and Neil Lennon didn’t trust the frontman as much as Leigh would have liked.
The likelihood of a new man taking Griff under their wing next season seems small.
Writing about the situation on RecordSport, and the overall position Celtic find themselves in, Sutton puts patience at the top of the list.
“A decision will need to be made about Leigh Griffiths but I don’t think anyone would be surprised to see him being allowed to go.
“I know that we’ve had our differences in recent times but I’ve always said he’s the best natural finisher in the country and a fit and firing Leigh Griffiths is a huge asset for Celtic.
“But how often have we seen that in recent years?
“He turned the season around in three impressive months last year but it’s not happened this term.
“Griffiths has been a tremendous servant to Celtic but the writing has been on the wall for a while and football is a ruthless game.
“Will the new manager be able to hang their hat on him? The last few haven’t.
“Howe will have his own ideas anyway and I’m sure he’s analysing the squad from afar. As for interest from other clubs, it’s his right to keep his options open, anyone else in that situation would do the same, and all Celtic can do is hope they sell him on the club.
“I know there’s a lot of talk about the director of football role but I don’t think it should be a problem.
“In the long term the director of football might have a hand in selecting managers, rather than the other way around, but this is the start of an entirely new project and you’d want a team that has history or working together to be in at the ground level.
“There will be massive changes this summer and if it is Howe, then he’ll need all the help he can get, while he’ll also need patience from the support.
“It could well be a year of transition. Celtic managers don’t usually get to finish second but – as we’re seeing with Patterson – the normal rules don’t apply these days.”
Celtic need to recruit a lot of players this summer, getting rid of another striker seems like a step too far but it has to come down to merit.
Has Leigh been good enough over the last two and a half years to warrant another year?
The striker has been dining out on his 40 goal season with the club, but that is a distant memory now.
The director of football decision is also as important and Celtic bringing in someone they’re comfortable with will be vital.
