It is sad to see how Brendan Rodgers' run as Celtic manager ended after he resigned from the post, having overseen the Hoops fall eight points behind Hearts in the title race. And it is safe to say that there won't be a third spell at Parkhead after the statement that Dermot Desmond released in the aftermath of his exit. On a rare positive note, it is good to see Martin O'Neill back at Parkhead. He will be joined by Shaun Maloney in interim charge.
It has been suggested that Mark Fotheringham is set to return to join O'Neill and Maloney's backroom team as well. It is good to see all these familiar faces back in the dugout. That being said, one can only hope that this run is only for a few weeks and not the rest of the campaign.
O'Neill is an absolute legend. There is zero doubt about that. But he is 73 years of age and has been out of management since 2019. On the other hand, Maloney has never succeeded as a manager despite earning a lot of plaudits as a coach early on. In fact, he lasted less than four months in the Hibernian job.
The next permanent manager, whoever it is, needs to be in place before January to rebuild this squad over the winter transfer window. And one of the candidates for the role has been named.
Sky Sports confirm Celtic interest in English manager
As reported by Sky Sports, Kieran McKenna is among the candidates to replace Rodgers at Celtic. O'Neill believes that the Hoops will be searching for a "young manager with proven ability who has got a bit of a track record".
McKenna does fit that description. He has exceeded all expectations during his time at Ipswich Town. He took charge of them while they were in League One and guided them to the Premier League with back-to-back promotions.
Right now, they sit in 12th in the Championship but have a game in hand, and if they win that, he will go up to 6th. So, there is no doubt that McKenna has done a great job at Ipswich Town.
That being said, succeeding at Celtic is very different to doing the same at Ipswich Town. At one club, every win is worth celebrating. At the other, it is the mere expectation. Even if you win every game, there will be people who criticise the manner in which it was achieved. Not every manager can deal with that constant pressure.