Biggest trick Celtic have ever missed, not getting Jens Berthel Askou
Charlie Mulgrew and Kevin Thomson have been discussing Martin O’Neill’s time at Celtic after a run of only three wins in ten matches has left the legendary manager facing calls from some supporters for him to stand aside…
And Thomson, speaking on The Breakdown podcast, made a very interesting point on what he regards as a huge opportunity Celtic missed out on during the summer when they passed on the chance to bring former Motherwell manager Jens Berthel Askou into the club to replace Martin O’Neill.
Mulgrew pointed out that Martin O’Neill was just a stopgap and would give the club time to sort out all the issues in the background, including sourcing a Head of Recruitment, improving the stadium and so on.
Thomson explained his point: “I do think, and it’s easy viewpoint on how it looked last year, I did think how dramatic the last day of the season was, he should’ve just up sticks and left. But I still felt the club would be missing a trick.
“I think Martin would’ve been a brilliant foil, mentor or sounding board, somebody to speak to, somebody to confide in as part of whatever that looked like for Celtic, for the new manager coming in.
“Now he’s been the manager; he’s had it for a longer period of time rather than just short-term, you kind of feel as though Martin O’Neill wouldn’t work because he’s now attached himself to being the manager.”
Charlie Mulgrew added his own thoughts saying: “If he walks away then, Celtic still weighed him in with good money because he deserved that because of what he did with the title and then gave it to a Jens Berthel Askou and let Martin O’Neill be director of football or be on the board or whatever.”
Thomson agreed and was emphatic in his assessment on Celtic passing over Askou and instead offering the job to Martin O’Neill for one year with a second year option. “It’s the biggest trick Celtic have ever missed, not getting him,” he said.
Mulgrew picked up on that, pointing out that : “It’s a big one, isn’t it? I think he would have been desperate for it. He was always at Celtic Park.”
Thomson noted: “You think of the resources that he would’ve had at his disposal and the type of players. He would be as close as getting a replacement that I think Celtic fans have been pining for since Ange Postecoglou.”
Have a listen below…
