Martin O’Neill’s unlikely return to Celtic got off to the perfect start on Wednesday.
O’Neill became the oldest manager in the UK when he accepted an offer to replace Brendan Rodgers on an interim basis on Monday.
Rodgers’ stunning resignation sent shockwaves through Scottish football, as did the extraordinary statement released by Dermot Desmond afterwards.
O’Neill is assisted by former Celtic men Shaun Maloney, Stephen McManus and Mark Fotheringham, giving him some more youth in his dugout.
And it certainly worked in Wednesday’s win. For one former Premier League manager, it says something about ‘snobbish’ attitudes towards senior managers.
Alan Pardew on Martin O’Neill’s return to Celtic
Despite protests taking place prior to the game at Celtic Park, the match was a hugely enjoyable one once it got underway.
A first half brace from Johnny Kenny will do him the world of good, and summer signings Benjamin Nygren and Sebastian Tounekti got in on the act after the break.
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For former Newcastle boss Alan Pardew, O’Neill is a genuine candidate to permanently replace Rodgers after the Falkirk rout.
Speaking with Sam Matterface on TalkSPORT, Pardew called modern attitudes towards senior managers ‘a shame’.
He said: “Next Celtic manager? I think they could do a lot worse than just keeping Martin for the rest of the year, in my opinion.
“It’s a tough one for Kieran [McKenna], would I leave Ipswich with Hearts top of the league and Tony Bloom and all the resources that he possesses?
“But I do think that senior managers get discarded in this country. It’s a shame.”
Asked by Matterface if he feels that football has become ‘snobbish’ in that regard, he said: “I do think they’re under-utilised.
“I mean, the excitement that Martin must’ve felt… you could tell that he was happy doing the media. He’s enjoying it, and you can see that in how he’s managed it all.
“It’s brilliant that he got that call. I’m absolutely delighted for him. And I’m talking about an ex-Sunderland manager here. I never thought I’d say that. But there you go.
“But I really hope he does well, it was a brilliant result for him last night. Well done.”
How much does age matter for a Celtic manager?
Some managers, such as Neil Lennon, are trusted to make Celtic their first ever senior job in management. But most have to earn it with experience.
Prior to the return of David Moyes to Everton last season, Ange Postecoglou was the oldest manager in the Premier League. He had built up 20 years of experience before joining Celtic.
Rodgers was 50 when he made his return to Celtic, but had built up almost 700 matches on his managerial CV prior.
Should O’Neill’s hunch about Desmond hiring a ‘young and upcoming’ coach to be correct, we may be about to see a shift.
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