Celtic have been tipped to land a juicy managerial appointment after Martin O'Neill calls time at the club. O'Neill's position as head coach is currently in the balance due to a difficult run of form that has led him to reconsider his current position.
The Bhoys will not sack O'Neill, but the veteran boss says he will evaluate the team's performances over the break and try to come up with solutions. If he cannot, he has hinted he might walk away from his job.
O'Neill is under contract until the end of the season, and both parties have the option of extending by a further year if they can agree it is for the best, but at this point, it looks very unlikely O'Neill will want to extend his stay.
The 74-year-old has already dealt with a health issue this season, and he has also been let down by the board, who have not delivered on recruitment promises, leaving Celtic very short in the midfield, in particular.
Celtic will hope they don't have to find a new manager during the season, but they should already be considering their options ahead of the summer to get ahead of the situation, which they failed to do before the end of last season, leading to the Robbie Keane mess.
Steinhousemuir boss Marvin Bartley, who played for Eddie Howe at AFC Bournemouth, believes the former Newcastle United boss could be interested in the Parkhead gig.
He told Clyde One Superscoreboard: “I wouldn’t be as surprised as others if Eddie Howe ended up at Celtic.
"Yes, he’s from the south of England, but he loves that big club feel. When he went to Newcastle, I don’t think he realised how big they were.
“Celtic are a different level to them. I think that sort of thing could interest him. I don’t think his next move will be based purely on finances, it will be the size of the club and the project and if he’s going to be given all the keys to go and sign the players he wants and not be told who to sign.
“He needs to be a manager; he won’t accept being a head coach. He already spends a lot of time in Scotland playing all the golf courses.”
Howe left Newcastle late this summer after the Magpies sold three of his best players, and he is now understood to be taking a break after admitting the intensity of the last few years have become difficult to manage.
But the English boss will almost certainly get back into the game in the not too distant future, and he would be some appointment if Celtic can pull it off, but Howe is also likely to have some glamorous options down South.
Add us as a preferred source on Google