CHRIS SUTTON has been having his say on some of the more prevalent names being linked with the Celtic job. The BT pundit focused in on three potential candidates to take over permanently in the summer and he appeared to have a favourite.
- SEAN DYCHE
- ENZO MARESCA
- JOHN KENNEDY
Chris is never shy with his opinion, he appeared to lean towards Sean Dyche, currently at Burnley and claimed it’s time for the manager to get a bigger job.
Enzo Maresca is a name that carries a lot of risks as far as the former Hoops man is concerned. Sutton questions if Maresca would have the right temperament and profile to make a success of things at the club.
As for John Kennedy, I think Sutton follows the same line like everyone else, there’s a lot of respect for John out there but it’s not his time to be a permanent Celtic manager.
The bhoys need a new direction and someone to come in and galvanise them. If we learned anything from the Dundee Utd game, it was the same old at Tannadice. Yes, the team is more organised but there are no fringe players getting a go and he’s sticking with a similar side to Neil Lennon.
On Sean Dyche, the former Celtic striker told RecordSport:
“He’s a really interesting one because he gets tarred with this brush that Burnley are just a lump-it team, but he has worked wonders on a small budget.
“I know they went down, but they bounced straight back up and he’s built and structured a club who are now regulars in the Premier League.
“That’s an amazing achievement and the fact is he has organised the team so well, so he needs eventually to be given an opportunity at a bigger club.
“He is not a daftie. He’ll understand about brands of football and whatever, but give him the correct tools, then I’m sure he would do really well at Celtic. We know the job Michael O’Neill did with Northern Ireland working with average players and getting the most out of them.”
On Enzo Maresca:
“It’s a big ask for Maresca to step up into the Glasgow environment and take over a club of Celtic’s size.
“Would he be able to have the personality and character to cope with that being his first job? Now it’s not impossible. He may be a brilliant coach. But at the moment that’s a big ask with the current squad or the shape it will be in at the start of next season.
“There are different traits you have to put into the mix. Does he have the character, does he have the personality, does he have the coaching ability? He may be a brilliant coach, but other things are important.
“For Maresca to come in would represent a huge risk. Having said that we still don’t know who the director of football will be. Maybe there is a thought process there will be a combination there.
“The manager’s profile is so important. I’m not saying he’d do a bad job and maybe Celtic could utilise the relationship with City.
“That’s an option. But the reason I signed for Celtic was Martin O’Neill. When Rangers sign players now, the first thing they say is they signed because of Steven Gerrard.”
On John Kennedy:
“It just can’t happen. Listen, John is a good club man and a good Celtic man, but what message would that send to the supporters?
“John has been part of the Neil Lennon regime and a loyal servant to the club and him, but that would be such an underwhelming appointment.
“With the greatest of respect to John, and he may end up managing Celtic in future years, but he can’t manage Celtic next season.
“That’s a no-no appointment. Now is not the right time.”
There are plenty of more names in the frame like Eddie Howe, Frank Lampard and Davie Moyes. Ultimately, one man will make the final decision and his name is Dermot Desmond. Nobody can quite tell which way the majority shareholder is going to lean.
