Chelsea legend Pat Nevin has given his verdict on who the new Celtic manager should be as he touted Steve Clarke for the role.
Clarke is currently preparing for the summer’s Euro 2020 competition. He’s also set to to begin a new World Cup qualifying campaign also as he looks to make history with Scotland once again. Clarke’s qualification for the Euros ended a 22-year wait to qualify for a major competition for Scotland.
However, he also achieved success at West Brom and Kilmarnock during previous stints in the dugout. It’s also worth noting he was Jose Mourinho’s assistant manager between 2004 and 2007, securing two Premier League titles in the process.
And Nevin feels he would be Celtic’s best fit as he took stock of the situation.
As quoted by the Scottish Sun, Nevin said: “Every manager knows the job they are in can go pear-shaped very quickly. Suddenly, maybe the one chance you have to get a very big job is gone. I’m not saying Steve Clarke has got a chance of getting this one but he’ll just be getting his head down at the minute.
“He is working out his plans for Scotland’s qualifiers coming up, then he will be looking at the Euros in the summer. Celtic would probably like someone who can take the job relatively soon and at the moment, Clarkey clearly isn’t available.
“But the one thing I would say is I think he would be a great Celtic manager.”
Celtic’s person specification may not match what Clarke brings
Nobody can deny both Clarke’s achievements and experience. But there are some major concerns about what he would bring to the table.
No matter where he’s gone, he’s been the underdog. West Brom, Kilmarnock, and Scotland have all been jobs that have seen him swim against the tide. That therefore allows him to integrate a brand of football that you can’t associate with successful Celtic teams.
Clarke looks to set up his sides with two deep and aggressive banks. He ideally likes a target-man to play up top as we’ve seen with Lyndon Dykes. In other words, it’s a slow or direct style of build-up that Celtic fans don’t want to see at Parkhead.
In order to be Celtic manager, you have to come with a more positive style. Clarke has experience aplenty at several clubs. However, hasn’t proven he can be his own man whilst using an attractive style of play.
One of the key remits for any new manager, along with winning back the title, will be making Celtic good to watch again. That’s something we haven’t been for some time. Is Clarke truly the man to change all of that?
Yes, he’s going to be a name mentioned for the role. It’s difficult to see whether his footballing philosophy aligns with Celtic’s.
In other news, this Celtic star dismissed any talk of a Parkhead exit on live TV as he aimed for another treble.
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