Celtic are reportedly considering Motherwell head coach Jens Berthel Askou as a potential long-term successor to Martin O’Neill, according to TEAMtalk.
The Bhoys confirmed earlier this week that they had parted ways with manager Wilfried Nancy after just 33 days in charge. It proved to be a disastrous and brief spell for the former Columbus Crew boss, capped by an embarrassing 3-1 home defeat to fierce Glasgow rivals Rangers at the weekend.
Later that same day, Celtic announced that O’Neill had been reappointed for the second time this season, though this time on a longer-term basis. The experienced coach has been brought back until the end of the campaign, having previously been moved aside following his interim stint and replaced by Nancy.
Celtic Eyeing Appointment After Martin O’Neill:
According to TEAMtalk, Celtic are admirers of Motherwell boss Askou as they assess options for a permanent managerial appointment. Askou is highly rated within Celtic circles after having ‘transformed’ Motherwell into an entertaining and competitive side, one that recently managed to defeat the Glasgow giants.
Askou is understood to be a serious contender for the permanent role at Celtic Park, with O’Neill only in charge until the season’s conclusion. However, much is likely to hinge on how O’Neill fares over the coming months.
Celtic may already feel they erred by removing O’Neill to appoint Nancy, and they will be keen to avoid repeating a similar mistake in the future.
Askou, who has been described as a ‘genius’, took over as Motherwell manager at the start of the season and has so far guided his side to an average of 1.71 points per game in the Scottish Premiership, suffering just three league defeats. The 43-year-old also lifted the Danish league title with Copenhagen last season, underlining his growing credentials in recent years.
Celtic Must Regret O’Neill Decision:
When Nancy was appointed, O’Neill had just won all five of his Scottish Premiership matches in charge and appeared to be extracting the best from a group of players who had previously been underperforming.
The squad clearly embraced his ideas, and while O’Neill may not represent a long-term project appointment, retaining him until the end of the season would likely have been a sensible move.
With O’Neill now reinstated to replace Nancy, Celtic must, in retrospect, regret the decision to have appointed the latter in the first place.