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Old Firm Comment: Tony Mowbray & Celtic Need A Result Against Rangers - Not For This Season, But Beyond
Parkhead manager's rebuilding project faces huge test in Sunday's derby...
| Bet: | Returns: | Rangers £15.00 | Draw £35.00 | Motherwell £60.00 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Rangers £15.71 | Draw £35.00 | Motherwell £70.00 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Rangers £14.00 | Draw £43.30 | Motherwell £85.00 |
|
Feb 26, 2010 5:00:00 PM
By Andrew Southwick & Steven Saunders
February began with Celtic fans swarming Parkhead to welcome high-profile loan signing of Robbie Keane.
Should they lose to Rangers in the Old Firm derby on Sunday – and fall 10 points behind their bitter rivals in the Scottish Premier League title race – then March could start with crowds pressed up against the entrance gates again, only this time demanding the exit of manager Tony Mowbray.
Hiring Keane from Tottenham was supposed to herald a new phase for Celtic. Out had gone a stream of players (including club captain Stephen McManus to Middlesbrough on loan) and in had come the likes of loanees Edson Braafheid from Bayern Munich, Diomansy Kamara from Fulham and Keane. This is now Mowbray’s team, full of the men he wants rather than the remains of predecessor Gordon Strachan’s squad, and results have been underwhelming.
Lowly Kilmarnock defeated Celtic on Keane’s debut, Dunfermline led 2-1 before wilting in the Scottish Cup and Aberdeen, a team who had scored just eight goals at home all season in the league, managed half that amount in one afternoon in a crazy 4-4 draw at Pittodrie.
Celtic dare not lose Sunday's Old Firm derby. However what will scare the life out of the Bhoys manager this week is that he must overcome the league leaders on their own patch with a side that, if they replicate their defensive form of the Dunfermline and Aberdeen matches, could be humiliated.
Mowbray’s men have dominated both derbies so far this season. It has netted them just one point, and the blame cannot solely be put at the door of the referees in charge, despite a meeting between Celtic officials and the Scottish Football Association to that effect which was leaked to the press this week.
Mowbray’s team can't put away its chances, lacks bite in the middle, struggles defensively, and yet needs to pull off victory at Ibrox against the champions. And not because they need to overhaul Rangers in the title race, though of course that would be nice, but to buy Mowbray the time he needs to prove the doubters wrong.
And it is there for a reason. It was recently announced that the SPL has lost a Champions League spot for its runners-up as of the 2011-12 season, putting a be-all-and-end-all status on the domestic title race as of next term.
Rangers may be runaway leaders at present, but manager Walter Smith’s future is uncertain beyond the end of the current campaign as he is working without a contract, while the club’s finances are in a parlous state. It could well be a case of the tortoise against the hare; Celtic going into their shell this season only to time their run perfectly next term.
But can Celtic fans accept letting let their rivals have this one as long as future seasons are all about the Hoops?
Rangers are the club in a mess financially, desperately needing Champions League revenue to save themselves from having to flog stars in a summer fire sale. As Celtic flashed the cash in January, Rangers fans could only look on in anguish, watching Pedro Mendes leave for Sporting Lisbon and letting out a collective sigh of relief when top scorer Kris Boyd didn't follow.
Yet on Sunday, it is Rangers who are hot favourites, have all the experience, and are looking to exploit the many weaknesses their visitors possess. Mowbray can perhaps be seen as the SPL’s equivalent of Arsene Wenger at Arsenal – too tied to seeing football played in the right way to be pragmatic enough to win when it matters most.
And like Wenger, he favours youth. Josh Thompson and Thomas Rogne, 18 and 19 years old respectively, could be at the heart of the Celtic defence in the cauldron of Ibrox, but it should not be this way.
Defeat on Sunday and his principles may be the only thing left intact.
Should they lose to Rangers in the Old Firm derby on Sunday – and fall 10 points behind their bitter rivals in the Scottish Premier League title race – then March could start with crowds pressed up against the entrance gates again, only this time demanding the exit of manager Tony Mowbray.
Hiring Keane from Tottenham was supposed to herald a new phase for Celtic. Out had gone a stream of players (including club captain Stephen McManus to Middlesbrough on loan) and in had come the likes of loanees Edson Braafheid from Bayern Munich, Diomansy Kamara from Fulham and Keane. This is now Mowbray’s team, full of the men he wants rather than the remains of predecessor Gordon Strachan’s squad, and results have been underwhelming.
Lowly Kilmarnock defeated Celtic on Keane’s debut, Dunfermline led 2-1 before wilting in the Scottish Cup and Aberdeen, a team who had scored just eight goals at home all season in the league, managed half that amount in one afternoon in a crazy 4-4 draw at Pittodrie.
Celtic dare not lose Sunday's Old Firm derby. However what will scare the life out of the Bhoys manager this week is that he must overcome the league leaders on their own patch with a side that, if they replicate their defensive form of the Dunfermline and Aberdeen matches, could be humiliated.
Mowbray’s men have dominated both derbies so far this season. It has netted them just one point, and the blame cannot solely be put at the door of the referees in charge, despite a meeting between Celtic officials and the Scottish Football Association to that effect which was leaked to the press this week.
Mowbray’s team can't put away its chances, lacks bite in the middle, struggles defensively, and yet needs to pull off victory at Ibrox against the champions. And not because they need to overhaul Rangers in the title race, though of course that would be nice, but to buy Mowbray the time he needs to prove the doubters wrong.
Star signing | But Celtic have struggled with Keane
And it is there for a reason. It was recently announced that the SPL has lost a Champions League spot for its runners-up as of the 2011-12 season, putting a be-all-and-end-all status on the domestic title race as of next term.
Rangers may be runaway leaders at present, but manager Walter Smith’s future is uncertain beyond the end of the current campaign as he is working without a contract, while the club’s finances are in a parlous state. It could well be a case of the tortoise against the hare; Celtic going into their shell this season only to time their run perfectly next term.
But can Celtic fans accept letting let their rivals have this one as long as future seasons are all about the Hoops?
Rangers are the club in a mess financially, desperately needing Champions League revenue to save themselves from having to flog stars in a summer fire sale. As Celtic flashed the cash in January, Rangers fans could only look on in anguish, watching Pedro Mendes leave for Sporting Lisbon and letting out a collective sigh of relief when top scorer Kris Boyd didn't follow.
Yet on Sunday, it is Rangers who are hot favourites, have all the experience, and are looking to exploit the many weaknesses their visitors possess. Mowbray can perhaps be seen as the SPL’s equivalent of Arsene Wenger at Arsenal – too tied to seeing football played in the right way to be pragmatic enough to win when it matters most.
And like Wenger, he favours youth. Josh Thompson and Thomas Rogne, 18 and 19 years old respectively, could be at the heart of the Celtic defence in the cauldron of Ibrox, but it should not be this way.
Defeat on Sunday and his principles may be the only thing left intact.
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