Gary Caldwell had one reason for why Tony Mowbray failed as a Celtic manager

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Tony Mowbray’s time as manager of Celtic didn’t go to plan.

While Mowbray is responsible for creating the Celtic huddle, the former player couldn’t bring the same success as manager.

He lasted nine months after replacing Gordon Strachan in the dugout at Parkhead, and hasn’t managed in Scotland since.

Gary Caldwell was one of the players who played for him at Hibernian and Celtic, so saw the highs and lows.

Caldwell knew how he operated better than most, and the defender thinks there was one reason why his boss failed.

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Tony Mowbray couldn’t handle the pressure of being Celtic manager

Taking the reins at Celtic Park is a daunting feat for anyone who becomes the manager and can be too much.

This is where Caldwell felt Mowbray struggled and that the weight of expectation didn’t help.

Speaking to the Glasgow is Green podcast in 2017, he said: “Where did it go wrong? I think pressure.

“I think at Hibs he had a young team who could play an open, expansive game and lose and you get plaudits for doing that, for playing that way and it wasn’t that important.

“But at Celtic, winning was so important that no matter how you played, and quite often we did play well in games but didn’t win, it brings pressure and then it becomes difficult.”

Gary Caldwell wanted to stay at Celtic forever

Mowbray’s arrival also signalled the end of Caldwell’s time at Celtic after he failed to agree on a new contract with the Bhoys before eventually moving to the Premier League to join Wigan Athletic.

It was bittersweet for the former Scotland international, who admitted that his goal was to stay at Celtic for the rest of his career.

“I would have stayed the rest of my career at Celtic,” he added.

“I felt I had a value to the team, Celtic felt I had a value and it didn’t quite match.

“And when I heard the opportunity that I might have that option to come to Wigan and play in the Premier League I had to take it because I didn’t feel that the club really valued me at that time.”