New Celtic Manager Thread - Coyle and Mowbray top Celtic's manager list

Celtic have launched their search for a new manager after Gordon Strachan quit yesterday. The club missed out on a fourth successive Clydesdale Bank Premier League title on Sunday, and are believed to have shortlisted Owen Coyle and Tony Mowbray as possible successors to Strachan at Celtic Park.

The 42-year-old Coyle could face a dilemma between taking his place in the world’s richest league and enjoying a £60 million budget after his Burnley side defeated Sheffield United in the Coca-Cola Championship play-off final at Wembley yesterday, or coming back to his native city to manage the team he supported as a boy with the bonus of European football.

Mowbray’s credentials are also strong in Scotland. Having once played for Celtic in the early 1990s, his management of Hibernian between 2004 and 2006 is still recalled as one of the most impressive reigns by an outsider coming into the SPL. Mowbray is certainly on the Celtic board’s radar, despite having just suffered relegation from the Barclays Premier League with West Bromwich Albion.

Coyle’s man-management skills at modest Burnley, and their style of football, have impressed Celtic and he has backers inside the deposed Scottish champions. Peter Lawwell, the club’s chief executive, confirmed Strachan's departure yesterday and said: “We have got people in mind as a replacement, but nothing is in place at the moment.”

However, after Burnley’s victory yesterday, their highly-rated manager indicated that he will not walk away from the Lancashire club.

“I didn’t know there was a vacancy at Celtic,” Coyle said in the post-match press conference at Wembley. “It’s flattering that people mention your name, but I’m with Burnley. I’ll concentrate my job on what I’m doing here and long may that continue.”

Two other managers who earn a living in the Scottish top flight, Mark McGhee, of Motherwell, and Craig Levein, of Dundee United, may also be among the contenders, though Strachan will be a hard act to follow, at least on the pitch.

The 52-year-old former Coventry City and Southampton manager never won over the hearts of the majority of the Celtic supporters after he succeeded Martin O’Neill in June 2005, but he certainly won where it counted. Strachan delivered six trophies in four years — three league titles, one Scottish Cup and two League Cups — and steered the club to the last 16 of the Champions League in 2007 and 2008.

Strachan brought in more than £36 million in Champions League cash, which coincided with the club’s record profits of almost £20 million in 2006-07, yet at the same time helped the club pursue their goal of driving down the wage bill from the O’Neill era to the point where Celtic have virtually no debt. His success required an average of net spend of just £4 million in each of his seasons at Celtic Park.

“I have enjoyed my time immensely at Celtic and clearly I will be sad to leave this great club,” he said yesterday in a statement on the club’s website. “As I have said before, Celtic is a special club, with special supporters. There is no club like it and it has been an absolute honour and privilege to be the club’s manager for the past four years.

“We have done all we can to bring success to the club and we were delighted to deliver three Premier League titles, other domestic silverware, as well as making some great progress in Europe.

“It is just disappointing that we did not manage the fourth championship. However, the players can hold their heads high in terms of what they have done for the club. I would like to thank the Celtic board for all the support they have given me, in particular Dermot Desmond, John Reid [the chairman], Peter Lawwell and former chairman Brian Quinn — I could not have asked for any more.

“I thank the fans too for the tremendous support which they have given both myself and the players.”

Desmond, the Irish millionaire who is the club’s principal shareholder, was the man who recruited Strachan in 2005. “Gordon Strachan has done a remarkable job for Celtic over the last four years, winning trophies every year,” Desmond said. “I am extremely grateful for his contribution to the development of this great club.We will endeavour to find a replacement to continue Gordon’s good work.”

Although reports claimed yesterday that Strachan is a contender for the vacant post at Sunderland, where Steve Bruce is now the favourite to succeed Ricky Sbragia, the outgoing Celtic manager has no plans for a quick return to the game and is presently enjoying a holiday with his wife, Lesley, and family.

The Times

They both achieved success in the Scottish League and then have achieved success in the English league. I think both would do an excellent job for Celtic.

Mowbray took Hibs into the SPL's top four for two consequetive years for the first time since the 1970's. He then rebuilt West Brom after relegation from the English top flight, reaching the play-off final firstly before losing to Derby, and then at the next attempt won the Championship title. Despite relegation at the first attempt this term, he has gained many plaudits for the type of football he plays. He has connections to the club having spent four years at Celtic Park during the 1990's.

Owen Coyle reached the semi-finals of the Scottish League Cup and Scottish Cup during his first season at St Johnstone. In 2006-07 he lead the side to second place in the second tier, only beaten to the title on the last day by Gretna. Coyle was Bolton chairman Phil Gartside's second choice for the Bolton job prior to the appointment of Gary Megson. But in November 2007 it was Burnley he chose to move on to. In his first full season in charge, the Clarets reached semi-finals of the Carling Cup, after 'giant-killing' Chelsea and Arsenal before being knocked out in extra time by Spurs. Yesterday, having been fifth favourite for the drop at the beginning of the season, Coyle's side won 1-0 at Wembley to win the Championship play-offs and win promotion to the Premier League.

Mark Mcghee

Was listening to 606 last night, and they were saying that Celtic fans like the team to play smooth passing football. So it wouldn't surprise me if they went for Tony Mowbray.

Celtic would have to pay about £1m in compensation to prise Tony Mowbray from West Brom, BBC Sport understands.

The 45-year-old has been installed as favourite by some bookmakers to replace Gordon Strachan, who left on Monday after four years in charge of the club.

But it appears that West Brom's demand could put him out of Celtic's reach.

And, although Mowbray is believed to be interested in talking to his former club, he would not speak to them until a financial package had been agreed.

The ex-Celtic defender is regarded as a man of principle and, as he has two years left on his contract, would not walk away without some form of compensation deal being reached.

Celtic are searching for a new manager after Strachan quit following his side's failure to win a fourth Scottish Premier League title on Sunday.

Former Celtic defender David Moyes is many fans' choice to take over at Parkhead but is highly unlikely to be tempted away from Goodison Park.

And any hopes the Glasgow club might have had of appointing self-confessed Celtic fan Owen Coyle as their successor are likely to have been diminished by Burnley's promotion play-off victory on Monday.

While Coyle expressed his desire to test himself in England's top flight, where his club will take the place of the Baggies, Mowbray could have become a more realistic target after his club's relegation.

The Midlands club were dismissive of the suggestion that Mowbray could be a target for Celtic.

"Tony Mowbray is under contract for the next two years and we fully expect him to be our manager next season," West Brom said in a statement.

"Further than that, the club feels there is no need to comment on speculation."

West Brom told the former central defender - who spent four seasons with Celtic, sandwich between spells with Middlesbrough and Ipswich - last week that he must trim the size of his senior squad for next season from 31 to 20 players.

And he had been informed before the end of the campaign by Baggies chairman Jeremy Peace that there will be no new funds available for transfer dealings as he looks to reshape his squad.

However, Mowbray has publicly insisted he is happy with the parameters he has to work within West Brom.

Mowbray led the Baggies to promotion from the Championship 12 months ago during his first full season in charge.

They were, however, then instantly relegated from England's Premier League for the third time in seven years on 17 May.

Yet Mowbray has retained the support of the majority of the Baggies supporters as he refused to compromise his beliefs and continued to play a passing game despite poor results.

It is the kind of football that is also likely to please Celtic fans, who were critical of the style of play under Strachan, despite his team's success on the field, and will appease those who felt the former manager needed to be more "Celtic-minded".

Strachan, for his part, has recommended his former Aberdeen team-mate Mark McGhee, the former Celtic striker now managing Motherwell, for the job.

Other names being linked with the post are Dundee United's Craig Levein, Ipswich's Roy Keane, Croatia's Slavan Bilic, former Celtic midfielder John Collins, who has quit as Charleroi coach, and Lech Poznan's Franciscek Smuda, whose claim that he had already been lined up as Strachan's successor was recently rubbished by the Parkhead club.

Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell was in London on Tuesday as his search for a new manager continued, but no appointment is imminent.

BBC Sport

Updated odds (skybet):

Owen Coyle (4/5)
Tony Mowbray (5/2)
Mark McGhee (6)
David O'Leary (10)
Craig Levein (12)
Steve Bruce (14)
Roberto Martinez (14)

Can't believe Sean O'Driscoll isn't on the shortlist.

Better manager than any of them cunts.