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| Tony Mowbray - Is it Over? |
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| Written by Eddie Pearson |
| Thursday, 11 March 2010 21:15 |
 On Saturday Celtic travel to Rugby Park with more than just a victory at stake. Despite statements suggesting otherwise it is clear that this tournament is now make or break for Tony Mowbray. Less than one month ago I posted a piece up on this site entitled "Cool Heads Must Prevail." In it I said that I believed in Tony Mowbray's vision of the club and that he needed time to make that vision a reality. I still believe that. However, rumours are flying around the club which would suggest that this faith is not shared by the custodians of the club and sadly cool heads have not prevailed at the boardroom level.Now before we begin it should be said that these pieces of information could well be wrong as rumours often are. However...
We hear that a series of meetings took place at Celtic Park and Lennoxtown in the week following the defeat by the huns. The purpose of these meetings was to evaluate the direction the club is moving in under Mowbray's stewardship. It would suggested that a mutual consent deal has been agreed between the club and the manager and a parting of the ways is coming. The timing of this is not clear. Indeed Tony Mowbray may well survive long enough to lift the Scottish Cup. Regardless of that potential success it would seem that Mowbray's time as manager will not last longer than this season.
Concern has been expressed about the decision to invite Neil Lennon to become part of the first team coaching set up only to remove him from the first team bus for the visit to Ibrox. This story, which was first revealed on the huddleboard by Heliotrope, is apparently being held up by some at the club as an example of Tony Mowbray's "flip flopping" and his "lack of strong leadership." The decision to bring Lennon into the the first team set up was welcomed by many in the dressing room and the suggestion that he was removed because a member of the coaching staff's nose was out of joint has not been denied. Indeed the decision which led to Lennon running the gauntlet of the hun hordes outside Ibrox was said to have shocked some at the top of the club.
It is rumoured that Neil Lennon has knocked back six managerial job opportunities in the past year and a half and this recent snub has caused him to question the wisdom of those decisions. Apparently Lennon was spoken to by someone from the non footballing side of the club and by a former employee of the club and both advised him to sit tight as change within the first team coaching set up may well be coming. It has previously been rumoured that Peter Grant may rejoin his former West Ham colleague Alan Pardew and, while numbers aren't our strong point we don't think it's too much of a stretch to put two and two together.
There also continues to be talk that Tony Mowbray's family have not settled in Glasgow and that he is missing his new child.
There are also those at the club who are asking what is going wrong with the coaching of the defenders when four of them are currently out injured, all suffering from hamstring injuries. This has left players such as Thompson (on £5,000 a week by the way) to assume a role far above that which they are ready for, despite the high regard in which he is held by the reserve coaching staff.
Perhaps the most damning rumours are the suggestions that two months after a significant revamp of the squad the dressing room has lost faith in the manager. It has been said that Dermot Desmond has questioned Tony Mowbray's plans for the club three times since December. Whilst money has been spent during the January Transfer window it would appear that more was taken in that was spent. As such, money would be available in the summer for further change if required. Indeed we have apparently cut the wage bill by approximately £150,000 over the past two transfer windows.
The recent article by Lachiemor regarding Willie McStay has sparked some debate among Celtic fans as to the merits of the former centre half. We've been told not to be surprised to see the former reserve team coach return to the club this summer if not sooner. Why did McStay agree to head off to the far reaches of Europe if not to develop as a manager with a view to a return to Celtic at some time in the future? Meanwhile in Newcastle there is talk that Alan Thompson is willing to return to the club in a coaching capacity should he be required or should certain parties ask him to help make up a coaching team. Thompson completed his coaching badges with Neil Lennon in Belfast recently and is currently Reserve Team coach at the Tyneside club. It would take an attractive offer to make him move from his boyhood heroes which makes the talk of him coming back to Celtic intriguing to say the least.
Now it may well be that not a single one of the above rumours is correct. It may well be that Tony Mowbray has the complete support of every member of the board and the first team. It may well be that individuals on the first team coaching staff are more than happy for Neil Lennon to join the team. And it may well be that Tony Mowbray will be given the time needed to implement his vision of the club. However, to the outsider it looks like there are just too many stories swirling around the coaching team at the moment. There are too many potential "must win" games for Tony Mowbray to overcome. Sadly it would seem that we are witnessing his managerial death by a thousand cuts. As much as I want the manager to succeed and as much as I believe that if given time he can succeed it would appear that the fates have conspired to ensure that he will not survive into the next season.
Last year I posted a song for Gordon. Sadly I think this one is appropriate for Tony: |
| Last Updated on Friday, 12 March 2010 09:33 |
Comments
Not keen on the Willie McStay thing though, too early, we need somebody to go into that dressing room and be respected for what they have achieved in the game, knock heids together and kick erse.
If Mowbray plays Brown and Nguemo in the middle on Saturday we are in bother. Guess at least it would be better than playing him at left back..
First time on here. Turned onto it by a few other posters. Great site.
I think Tony's time is up and we all know it. In goldfish bowl of Glasgow in the year 2010 you don't get 2 seasons to see through footballing visions. Le Guen found that out over at Rangers. Mowbray has found that out at Celtic. Considering the superior resources and that we lost the league on the last day of the season last term to be 13 points behind is pretty shocking.
Really don't know who I'd have in. Certainly no outstanding candidates.
Keep up the good work.
Tony
Perhaps if we win the Scottish Cup we can stick up this video;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IM39yIKoSo4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHxgWvZV0Uc
??!!
"The Greatest Power is often simple PATIENCE"
That's certainly one way to look at it. As I said at the start of the piece I want Tony Mowbray to stay and be given the opportunity to put his vision into place. I don't think that the 8 months or so that he has had are sufficient. However, based on the information I have been told and have presented above it is fairly clear that Mowbray will not be given that time. I sat on this for a week or so swithering whether to publish it or not. I have no desire to contribute to Mowbray's downfall (in even a small way such as posting a wee article on a wee website) but let's not kid ourselves that this is going to end well for the man.
Based on the conversations I have had it is all but agreed that he will leave in the summer if not sooner. As I said I think that someone is going to inherit a team that will require only a little tinkering to become capable of winning plenty.
I always think that the anti - Mowbray camp have been far more respectful.
Their words can't take away the hurt and disilusionment we feel. After all they are only words, from people who represent minority opinion.
If only we still had O'neil.
After Ibrox game I was told from a usually reliable person that it was when and not if Tony Mowbray is replaced. Sad for Tony, but inevitable. It would be good if the board came out and admitted they made a mistake and apologised to the support for this season (pigs may fly!).
Obviously they are anticipating a haemorrhaging of the season ticket money in summer 2010 but yet gave him the free rein to make radical changes not less than 6 weeks ago. Cynically, they may be impressed with his eye for a player and used him to assemble a team of gifted players but in parallel recognising that he isn't the guy to get us within any respectable distance of the promised land.
I think that it's a shame what has happened as I had a lot of hope when he replaced the turgid crap that we put up with in the previous couple of seasons. However, he does cut a haunted figure and the look of someone who isn't in control of his own destiny. Can't see it picking up as there's no passion visible.
robson, killen, mcdonald, caldwell have been sold, with mcmanus and flood away on loan. braafheid, keane and kamara's respective loan contracts will be finished. n'guemo is only here on loan and it would appear that we are not signing him. naylor's contract is finished in a few months. scott brown's contract is up in a year's time and therefore you'd have to assume that he'll be sold or at least for sale. likewise, brouc has a year left-if he doesn't sign, you'd have to assume he'll be sold. if he does sign, then we might try and sell him anyway at a marginally higher price. also, i doubt it would be a huge surprise to us if aiden decides to leave.
therefore we could have a squad of zaluska, cervi;
wilson, hinkel, o'dea, loovens, rogne, mcmanus, thompson;
crosas, ki sung, flood, zheng zhi, maloney (if ever fit), mccourt, mcginn, mizuno;
samaras, fortune, rasmussen
i accept this is hypothetical, but frankly, for me this is a complete mess of a squad-albeit one which can be improved upon with a money coming in from the possible sales of brown, boruc and/or mcgeady...as well as the freeing up of money to be used for wages.
I am sad to hear there are pro and anti Tny Mowbray camps. I certainly only consider myself to be a Celtic supporter and that includes the current manager. That is why I was so let down by the article and your own comment. All rumours are best left just as that...unsubstantiated gossip. Unless, of course, the specific source is revealed.....
Well that'll not happen. Not least because these suggestions have come from three different sources. Maybe rumours are best left as just that. However, the storm of rumour which surrounds Mowbray strikes me as one that he sadly cannot escape from.
Hopefully he will survive but it looks to me, based on the people I have spoken to, that this is very unlikely.
Rumours aside, Tony Mowbray's record give no confidence for the season/s ahead. Like yourself and thousands of other supporters I was delighted at his appointment. If wishes were fishes he's be a howling success.
But his leadership is shaky. His decsion making flawed. His uncertainty contaigous.
I am not one for calling for heads. It goes against the grain. But we cannot ignore what is in front of us. Tony Mowbray should not enjoy the confidence of the players or the board. For his sake and for ours I hope he goes of his own volition. And soon.
i still believe he should have another transfer window to see what he can do. hes been very unlucky at times with injurys and events out with his control!!!
I want him to get another chance next season & we'll see come what results are like next January
I don't think our midfielders can tackle - if they don't intercept a pass they cannot gain possession.
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