NEW CELTIC MANAGER SEARCH: THE LONGSHOTS
- BY LIAM CARRIGAN
- Oct 31
- 5 min read
I wrote the other day about the top five candidates that I believe Celtic will pursue most intently in their search for a new manager.
So, today, let’s flip that on it’s head and instead let’s take a look at some longshots. These are five managers that I, personally, think could be in the running for the Celtic job, but have, as of yet not been seriously discussed in the press.
Again, much like the list I compiled the other day, some of these guys are people I would absolutely love to see as the new Celtic manager. Others, not so much.
Anyway, let’s get into it.
The New Celtic Manager May Not Even be Under Consideration, Yet...
So, let’s get the most controversial one out of the way first.
Kevin Muscat
Ok, I know it’s difficult, but just for a moment, forget that he played for Rangers (Requiescat in Pace) for about 10 minutes back in the early 2000s. Muscat is basically Ange Postecoglou 2.0. He was mentored by Ange, has a very similar approach to how the game of football should be played, and, despite his on-field reputation as a borderline psychopath, is actually a very intelligent and articulate manager.
Rangers tried and failed to get him a few weeks ago. I think they were hoping for an “Angeball” style revolution over at the Stadium that John Brown played for. It would be the most beautifully twisted irony, if Celtic went for him, offered him the deal Rangers clearly were unable or unwilling to do, and in turn he masterminded a major smackdown of the Sevconians in the New Year Derby.
I took a fair bit of flack at the time, but shortly before Brendan Rodgers returned in the summer of 2020, I stated publicly on a number of occasions, that if Celtic wanted as close to a continuity of Ange Postecoglou’s playstyle in their next manager, then Muscat was their man.
Then, as now sadly, his 22 appearances for the now deceased Rangers made him persona non grata for many. If Alfie Conn can be rehabilitated after a spell with “them” then surely Kevin Muscat can too?
Wilfried Nancy
I’ll be honest, I spent the best part of an hour earlier today reading up on this guy. Despite seeing several reports supposedly linking him with Celtic over the last couple of days, I had honestly never heard of him.
Turns out, he’s actually built quite a decent CV for himself over in North America.
Like many great managers, Nancy had an indifferent playing career. Playing as a defender, he moved around a series of lower league sides in his native France before relocating to Canada under a college scholarship in 2005. He worked his way up from coaching at various youth levels, first with provincial sides in Quebec and later with FC Montreal, eventually becoming head in 2021.
He enjoyed his first taste of managerial success as the coach of FC Montreal, replacing Thierry Henry as head coach. They won the 2021 Canadian championship and then went on to reach the quarter finals of the CONCACAF Champions League the following season.
This caught the interest of higher profile sides in the MLS pyramid, and Nancy was hired by Columbus Crew for the 2023 season. The following season he became the first, and to date only black coach to win the MLS Cup.
Nancy will, I think inevitably coach in Europe at some point in the next few years, but I think it might be a bit too early for him to take on a job as big as Celtic. However, some said the same about Big Ange and we all know how that turned out. Also, his extensive knowledge of the North American league set up could open up a new source for player recruitment if he is backed appropriately.
A long shot, but not one that should be dismissed out of hand.
I can’t, unfortunately, say the same thing for our next candidate though.
Steve Clarke
Now, I’ll preface what I’m about to say by stating my total respect for Steve Clarke and what he has achieved with Scotland. We hadn’t been to a major tournament in over 20 years when he first took charge. We’ve now been to the Euros twice, and we have fairly decent chance of making it to next summer’s World Cup. For that, Clarke deserves immense credit.
However, his achievements with Scotland have come about by playing some of the most turgid, hard to watch and frankly depressing football I’ve ever seen.
He knows how to get results; there’s no doubt about that. But as we all know, simply winning isn’t enough to succeed as a Celtic manager. You need to win playing football the right way, and I don’t think Clarke’s approach to the game allows him to do that.
Considering recent frustrations about Brendan Rodgers’ possession based, but often hard to watch, style of play, I think it’s essential the next manager has us back to playing progressive, attacking, high tempo football.
So, I thank Steve Clarke for what he’s done for Scotland, but for Celtic, it’s a no from me.
Edin Terzic
This one is long shot simply because of where this guy comes from. We’re talking about the former Borussia Dortmund manager. That brings with it a certain level of salary, financial commitment in terms of recruitment, and expectations and standards in terms of club infrastructure. Celtic may struggle to meet his requirements, in a number of regards here.
There’s no denying though that Terzic has the pedigree that would see him do well at Celtic. The Croatian/German coach started out as scout and part of the backroom coaching staff at Borussia Dortmund’s academy, serving his apprenticeship under the great Jurgen Klopp way back in 2011.
He then moved onto Besiktas and then West Ham, serving as an assistant to manager Slaven Bilic. He returned to Dortmund in 2018 as part of the backroom team, becoming interim first team coach for a time in 2021, winning the German Cup, before assuming the job permanently in 2022 following the departure of Marco Rose.
Terzic has been without a club since summer 2024, leaving Dortmund of his own accord after guiding them to the Champions League Final.
He is said to be awaiting his “next big project”. Could Celtic be that project? Maybe but it would need big changes behind the scenes for someone like Terzic to take any Celtic offer seriously.
Gareth Southgate
When you talk about a manager punching above his weight, few have done it more consistently in recent years than Gareth Southgate. He took a decent, but not exactly world-class, England team to the World Cup semi-finals in 2018, the Final of Euro 2021, the quarter finals of the 2022 World Cup, and a second consecutive Euros Final in 2024.
Now, success in international football does not necessarily translate to success in club football. But everyone who has worked with Southgate talks about his excellent man-management skills, his ability to motivate players and class with which he conducts himself publicly.
Unfortunately, the rabid sense of entitlement that afflicts many supporters of the English national team means that his lack of a major trophy, something that no England manager has won for 59 years, means he does not get the respect down south that he deserves.
Personally, I like the guy, and I think he got a raw deal despite doing very well with a mediocre England team. As to whether he would be a good Celtic manager, I don’t know. But I’m not going to rule it out. I think he would warrant at least an interview if he was interested.
Ultimately, I don't think any of these guys will end up as our next Celtic manager, but I hope someone at the club is at least considering them.
