Former Celtic midfielder Shaun Maloney has plenty of expertise.
The Belgium assistant, who made 132 appearances over two spells with Celtic, has been linked with the manager’s job. While it might be too early for wee Shaun, now 38, there’s certainly a strong future in management for him.
Not only is he Roberto Martinez’s right-hand man, he’s also an occasional pundit. Born in Malaysia but raised in Aberdeen, Maloney and his interesting accent appeared on last night’s BBC Sportscene.
Maloney made insightful comments about zonal marking, defending and Celtic’s movement against Motherwell. One of his former charges with the Celtic development side, Stephen Welsh, brought particular praise from the ex-Scotland international. Indeed, it was Welsh’s goal that helped Celtic take the lead against the Steelmen.
However, with links to the Celtic job lingering, Maloney offered his take on restructuring at the club. Dominic McKay will soon be the club’s new CEO. However much he will delegate duties and modernise the club is yet to be seen.
The former Celtic midfielder said:
“It’s really difficult to say. You kind of feel there’s going to be structural change, and it might not be down to him to make every decision. They might bring in a Technical Director to alleviate some of the pressure from him. So, until that structure is actually in place…
“It’s impossible to make these decisions now. From the team’s point of view, they just have to try to close that gap with Rangers. And fight for the Scottish Cup, if that goes ahead.”
Former Celtic man Shaun Maloney brings up a “Technical Director”, but what is that exactly?
So, what’s a Technical Director?
According to the English FA:
“The role of a technical director is dynamic and multi-dimensional with the ultimate aim of continued success through the creation of a high performance culture supported by an aligned vision and strategy.”
To those who don’t speak in marketing cliché, that essentially means that a Technical Director is someone who can work between the board and the squad. Someone who builds a team of staff around the manager, helps to dictate transfer policy, and assist the Director of Football.
That’s a general definition. It changes from club to club. In some cases, it’s a title that’s just as easily described as a Sporting Director, or Director of Football. It all of this sounds made up, welcome to the world of business.
These kinds of staff do have a clear purpose, though, and they’re well worth investigating. By the end of his reign, it’s become clear that Peter Lawwell was spread too thinly across multiple departments. For more on how a Celtic restructuring might look, this article is an excellent place to start.
Is Shaun Maloney part of Celtic’s future?
While it might be too early for Shaun Maloney to take up his first managerial job, he could watch this situation unfold with great interest.
Maloney’s “football brain” has seen him graduate from the Cruijff Institute, and win favour with top coaches. He’s already worked at Celtic, and if a first-team management role doesn’t suit him at this point, his knowledge could be used elsewhere.
Listening to him talk, specifically on Sportscene, he has a clear vision of how the game should be played. High press, width, pace. Midfielders with technical skill, adaptable wingers, ball-playing centre-halves. Essentially, he’s a proponent of the Celtic Way of the Lisbon Lions.
With his knowledge of European football, it’s possible that a role behind the scenes would be right up Maloney’s alley. While an experienced Director of Football might the new CEO’s preferred choice, there’s certainly a good relationship between Maloney and Celtic.
So, watch this space.
Elsewhere on the site: Does Leigh Griffiths deserve a new contract?
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