Celtic’s next manager search is going to come into more focus with each month.
With Martin O’Neill seemingly unlikely to take the team beyond this season, the Hoops have got plenty of time to mull over candidates for the summer.
Among the early contenders is Roberto Martinez, who knows current Hoops assistant Shaun Maloney from their time together at Wigan and the Belgian national team.
Robbie Keane and Craig Bellamy are two other candidates with obvious links to the club, having spent time on loan in Glasgow as players.
But much closer to home is the current Motherwell boss, Jens Berthel Askou, whose name is seemingly not going anywhere.
Would you take Jens Berthel Askou in the event that Martin O’Neill leaves Celtic in the summer?
Tom English on Jens Berthel Askou to Celtic
It’s not an overstatement to say that Askou has taken Scottish football by storm.
Playing an entertaining, dominant brand of football, Motherwell have lost just one league match in the last four months.
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Speaking on Off The Ball about his expected candidate, BBC man Tom English firmly believes that Askou is the early favourite.
He said: “I think there is one pretty obvious staring them in the face domestically, and that is Jens Berthel Askou, the Motherwell manager.
“He has performed wonders with this Motherwell team. He hasn’t signed many players, but he’s signed brilliantly.
“And the players that he inherited… he’s improved them dramatically. I’m friendly with a number in the BBC- there’s quite a few Motherwell fans in there – of different vintages.
“And they say they have never seen a Motherwell team play the quality kind of football Jens Berthel Askou has got them playing right now.
“They’re the best footballing team in Scotland, Motherwell. They play lovely stuff, it’s incredible, really. On a budget of tuppence ha’penny.
“This guy is getting this team to play fantastic football, and if Celtic were playing the kind of football that Motherwell are playing, Celtic fans would be happy.
“So, Berthel Askou with a bigger budget, bigger opportunity to build, better quality of player… for me, it’s a no-brainer.”
I want the next manager of Celtic to be…
Will Martin O’Neill stay at Celtic beyond this season?
Before Celtic worry about deciding on their permanent manager, Celtic need to address their football structure after it was decimated this season.
Paul Tisdale’s role as Head of Football Operations was akin to a Director of Football role, which now lies vacant.
Michael Nicholson continues to face calls to resign from the Celtic Fans Collective, but despite the departure of chairman Peter Lawwell, this doesn’t look to be on the horizon.
Whoever it is making the decision in the summer will find it difficult to look beyond O’Neill if he can lead the Celts to the Scottish Premiership title.
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