Celtic will not press the panic button by rushing into appointing Ange’s Postecoglou’s replacement.
The Parkhead club have been rocked internally by Postecoglou’s decision to quit the club and sign a four year deal with Spurs. And the Aussie’s sudden departure has piled fan pressure on owner Dermot Desmond to recruit a new manager well ahead of the new season. But Record Sport understands the club’s top brass will not be spooked into moving too quickly as they sift through the credentials of their leading candidates. That means Postecoglou’s successor is unlikely to be decided upon, far less anointed, in the coming days.
In fact, the recruitment process is more likely to run for weeks rather than days. It’s understood bookies’ favourite Brendan Rodgers is also taking time to consider whether or not to throw his hat into the ring. As Record Sport revealed on Tuesday, Rodgers would first have to be convinced that the time is right for him to make a sensational return to his old club - having previously advised friends and family he intended to take a year out of the game following his sacking from Leicester.
While Rodgers ponders on his own next step, Celtic’s hierarchy have been putting together a raft of post-Postecoglou contingency plans. The likes of former Chelsea boss Graham Potter and Pep Gaurdiola’s right hand man at Manchester City, Enzo Maresca, are also among the early front runners with Ipswich’s Kieran McKenna emerging as a left field candidate –as revealed by Record Sport yesterday.
But Desmond wants to personally assess all the available options before selecting his own preferred candidate. And that means Celtic’s supporters look set to be kept waiting before discovering the identity of their next boss.
Record Sport columnist and former Parkhead striker Chris Sutton, meanwhile, reckons Guardiola’s seal of approval must make Maresca a serious contender for the job.
Sutton admits he’s also undecided on his own No.1 choice for the role. But he says Guardiola’s glowing references of his assistant at City could tip the balance in the Italian’s favour. Guardiola has insisted Maresca has the managerial attributes to make as big an impact in a top job as his previous No.2 Mikel Arteta, who is shining at Arsenal.
Sutton - who is heading to Istanbul on Saturday to see the pair attempt to lead City to Champions League Final glory over Inter Milan - said last night: “I read that Guardiola said he is going to make an extraordinary manager like Arteta. With that in mind, I can see a lot of reasons why Maresca would appeal.
“I’ve no idea whether he could handle the environment in Glasgow, or whether he’s cut out to be a manager in his own right. But the fact Guardiola got him back to be his assistant after the job at Parma didn’t work out for him suggests he rates him.
“And, let’s face it, if Pep phones you up and says he’s got a guy who’s pretty damn good at coaching players, you are going to listen.”
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