We are heading into the Glasgow Derby. On top of that, it is also a Hampden Park date with Celtic and the Rangers vying for a place in the final of the Scottish League Cup. It is safe to say that the stakes are very high, especially with both clubs needing a confidence booster badly. The issue is, the bigger story surrounding Parkhead over the last few days has been their search for a permanent manager.
Martin O'Neill and Shaun Maloney have been put in interim charge following Brendan Rodgers' exit, after the Northern Irishman resigned, having seen his side fall eight points behind in the title race. How long the duo will hold the Parkhead position is unclear. A lot will depend on the result of this Glasgow Derby.
O'Neill has already ruled himself out of the running for the permanent job though. That is understandable, considering he is 73 years of age and was pretty much retired until Celtic came calling in an emergency situation.
Over the past week or so, we have seen the club being linked with a variety of managers. Some names have captured the imagination of the supporters. Others have not. Robbie Keane is someone who falls somewhere between both.
'He is a top manager' - 45-year-old tipped for Celtic job
Keane has shown signs of being a brilliant manager, having delivered league titles at both Maccabi Tel Aviv and Ferencvaros. That being said, many are uncertain whether he is ready for the magnitude and pressure of the Celtic job.
Jamie O'Hara seems pretty convinced about Keane's qualities as a manager though. As reported by 67 Hail Hail, he said:
"I know Celtic fans probably think, ‘he isn’t right for us yet. Maybe he isn’t the guy.’ He has gone and done his management, where probably you wouldn’t expect people to go. He has won the league. He has won a cup. Then he has gone to Hungary and won the league again.
“So, he has won two league titles. We talk about Graham Potter at Ostersunds. You would say, ‘who are Ostersunds?’ And he goes and gets a really good job. Don’t write Keano off.
“Robbie, I know him as being a player and a captain, a proper leader. Whether he is right for Celtic yet, I don’t know. He is going to be a big manager. He is a top manager, and he is a leader in the dressing room."
Keane will know what life is like at Celtic Park. He had a brief loan spell at the club, where he scored a bunch of goals in a short span of time.
There have also been suggestions that Keane would be interested in discussing the job if Celtic came calling. It remains to be seen what will happen in that regard.