Celtic will hardly be quaking at Neil Warnock’s comments

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So is the biggest threat to Celtic’s dominance actually Neil Warnock? No would be answer to that one.

The straight-talking Englishman has been quoted in the Edinburgh Evening News as saying he would fancy a role at Hearts or Hibs. The reason? He wants to challenge Celtic at the top of the Premiership with a lower side.

With both Craig Levein and Paul Heckingbottom suffering shaky starts to the season, you can see the reasoning for Warnock’s comments. Timing is everything in football, and both clubs’ supporters could be keen on him given his reputation.

And that’s something Warnock certainly has. He’s managed 17 different teams throughout his managerial career. He’s also taken the likes of QPR and Cardiff City into the Premier League.

But he’s hardly a name that Celtic fans will be quaking in their boots over after hearing about. After all, for all of Warnock’s successes in the game, he’s had plenty of failures too. Recent spells at teams such as Crystal Palace and Leeds, for example, ended badly.

It’ll take a lot more than a new manager for Edinburgh clubs to challenge Celtic

If the likes of Hearts and Hibs are to get anywhere near Celtic, there needs to be a massive change in recruitment quality than there has been in recent years.

As it stands, both of the Edinburgh clubs are as far away from the top spot as they’ve been in a long time.

Hearts, for example, have been playing eye-bleeding football under Craig Levein. They have yet to win in Glasgow against Celtic or Rangers since he was appointed too.

Hibs, meanwhile, have scored a couple of victories at Ibrox in recent years. However, Heckingbottom’s recruitment drive this summer looks like it will set them back a fair bit.

As it stands, Hearts and Hibs are shopping in the lower reaches of English football. The likes of Christian Doidge, Aidy White, Josh Vela, and Tom James, for example, all moved to Edinburgh from League One and Two of England.

But that’s where the Edinburgh clubs can afford to shop. Unfortunately for them, it’ll take a higher quality of player than that to ever challenge the Hoops for anything.

Warnock can make all the optimistic plans he wants, but if he ever does join, he’ll find it a lot tougher than he may imagine.