If you’d tipped an hourglass upside down when Neil Lennon first left Celtic, it would have ticked to its end way before Dermot Desmond even had a clue who his replacement could be.
This has been a long and arduous few weeks for the Bhoys, who - try as they might - can’t seem to find a successor from anywhere.
What’s the word?
There have been several faces in line to become the new manager of Celtic. Roy Keane was among the early favourites after holding an interview but, after things went rather quiet on that front, he’s now back in contention.
Lucien Favre has been another option but Eddie Howe remains the outstanding candidate the Hoops hierarchy are reportedly after.
That being said, we’re now several weeks into the hiring process without nearing any form of announcement. This should be a worrying time for everyone associated with the football club, but a troublesome message from journalist Dean Jones on the Touchline Talk podcast should only add further concern.
He said: “So Eddie Howe, he’s there if they want him, but I think he’s just keeping an eye on what English jobs might crop up. I think he’s made been made aware that there might be a couple of openings coming for him and it might be better suited, but I do still think he’s in the frame at Celtic potentially. Roy Keane that just never goes away.”
Jones continued: “I’ve got to be honest with you, every time, every week I make calls on this and every time that message slightly changes and they just don’t seem to know what they want. It’s so important to decide what is the identity of your setup going to be from here? There’s changes all over the place at the top level of Celtic happening right now."
Clouded with doubt
Lennon left Celtic with the Bhoys in absolute peril. They were 18 points adrift of Rangers, yet he still had the support of the boardroom. Had he not resigned, it wouldn’t have been a great surprise if he was still sat in the dugout at Paradise.
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His exit may have caught Desmond and co unawares but it’s now nearly two months to the day that Celtic’s hunt for a new manager began. Therefore, to hear that the message is constantly changing and that the Hoops are unsure of what they actually want is quite damning.
It’s also sending out the wrong message to supporters. The Green Brigade have already held mass protests outside Parkhead, while they’ve staunchly questioned Desmond and his companions.
The majority shareholder has revealed that he won’t sell his shares in the club, but news like this will only add to the fury from supporter groups. Desmond hasn’t been overly competent this season when it’s come to behind-the-scenes matters and the prolonged manager search just about sums it up.
Howe may be the first name on their list but, with Keane sat in second place after taking part in an interview, it just shows they don’t know what they want.
The former is a reserved and calculated character but Keane is a hot-headed, no-nonsense type of individual; they couldn’t be more different if they tried.
With such a big summer of change potentially on the cards, Desmond needs to work out what the club actually needs. There cannot afford to be any more uncertainty at Celtic after the campaign they’ve endured.