Dermot Desmond and his Celtic interview yesterday didn’t appease many supporters, but it may have put to rest a key Jesse Marsch concern.
Speculation over Marsch to Celtic was hot last week. This came after the RB Salzburg manager told the BBC that he was “honoured” and that he would be “interested” in the Celtic job.
We were left feeling deflated of course after German journalist Christian Falk reported that Marsch had told Celtic he wouldn’t be available in the summer.
However, that’s not the tune he was singing when speaking to the BBC. In fact, the only doubt he appeared to have was whether he would have the time to put his project in place. In that interview, Marsch said the following:
“Would we have similar ideas in how to build it the right way, invest in the academy, invest in young players and create this development process that I’m talking about? And not just focus on winning. Obviously I know that when you’re the coach of Celtic, winning is the most important thing.”
Desmond was asked yesterday about his hopes for the new season. And he confirmed to Celtic’s in-house media-team that the candidate will indeed be given time to put his plans into place at Celtic Park:
“That we recruit a manager that plays football the way that all Celtic supporters want and that we give that manager the time to implement their own plans. After that, I am sure much more success will follow.”
Dermot Desmond appears open to a long-term plan; Jesse Marsch would get the time he needs
Interesting to hear Desmond state that “after” a manager has implemented his own plans would we see much more success. That suggests he’s expecting a rebuild that will take both time and patience.
Marsch’s key concern is clearly to do with the demand of winning getting in the way of putting in place a long-term project that focuses on youth development to help breed the club’s own elite players.
Whilst there would still be question marks over how the club want to go about the next few years, the new manager has been promised time. He wouldn’t have the same pressure on him as the club did this season as we chased 10-in-a-row.
Make no mistake, Marsch would be expected to be comeptitive. We would still be expecting Celtic to fight for the league title just as he managed when he went straight into RB Salzburg. But Marsch has proven he can put his plans in place at a club whilst winning domestic success at the same time.
It may mean having more patience with youngsters than we’re used to. And it may mean it takes a year or two to see Marsch’s Celtic truly come together. But if he would be promising a strong focus on the academy, that’s something Celtic fans could get behind.
And with Desmond confirming a new manager won’t be rushed into quick success, that’s one of the American manager’s key concerns wiped away.
In other news, an Everton defender has admitted that he watches Celtic “a lot” as he gave his verdict on the club and one of its centre-backs.
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