In a move remarkably similar to our own Pedro Caixinha experiment, Celtic seem intent on adding players that have been approved by their now departed director of football Nicky Hammond and manager Neil Lennon.
Their infamous “what a window” message will live long in the memory with only David Turnbull and Mohamed Elyounoussi making any real impact for them last season, not that it was anywhere near enough to cause us problems though.
With Ange Postecoglu having to make do with a coaching team that was already in place, he could now face having a director of football arrive who has far from a track record of success in the role – Martin O’Neill.
Speaking to Football Insider, former Ger, Alan Hutton reckons that it could be a good move for Celtic:
“He’s obviously a very popular figure at Parkhead. As a manager, he did really good things while he was there.
“Now, at his age, it would be something that he feels he can now go in and do. He knows the club is in a bit of a dip at the moment and they’re going through a rebuild.
“He obviously feels with his experience through club football and international football that he can offer something. I think he could.”
The biggest difference between the two clubs last season was the quality of the squads and the fact that Rangers bought players to add depth and fit into a game plan, we have a director of football in Ross Wilson who was highly regarded in his role when he was at Southampton and was lauded for their buy low, sell high strategy that served them so well.
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He also has an extensive contacts book from spending so long at the sharp end of English football, O’Neill might be well known as a manager, but he is miles off Wilson’s level of competence in the more specific role of overseeing recruitment and negotiating with clubs and agents.
It’s almost like they’ve seen our model, realised it works, then tried to copy it, the reason ours works is because we have an incredible coaching and management team, aided by one of the best in the business working wth them to get the squad right – you almost feel sorry for Big Ange…