Thread: Peter Martin: Mowbray won't be manager next season

From the Evening Times

Tony Mowbray’s time at Celtic is almost at an end.

In my mind, he is a dead man walking as Celtic manager and the next 10 days look like determining his fate.

It won’t be the fans’ calls for him to go that eventually ends his eight-month association with the club, should he lose or draw against Dundee United or R*ngers.

No, the parting by mutual consent will come from a board panicking at the thud of season tickets being returned to the Parkhead door in disgust at Celtic losing the title for the second season in succession to one of the most mediocre R*ngers sides I can remember.

The buck stops with the manager for failure, but there are other culprits in this farcical situation the club is currently mired in.

They find themselves trying to claw back 10 points on a team that contains a 39-year-old veteran in defence, a workmanlike midfield, a Celtic reject and a £3.5million waste of money.

The catalogue of mistakes is damning on and off the field, and the performances and results are evidence enough that it is not working under Mr Mowbray.

During his stewardship, Celtic have played 39 games, won 19, lost 11 and drawn nine. When Mowbray arrived at Celtic, as second choice, in June 2009, the proclamation from chairman John Reid was: “The fightback starts here, today.

“And there’s nobody better to lead that fightback than Celtic’s own, and Celtic’s manager, Tony Mowbray”.

In Mowbray’s words, he wanted to make Celtic “feared and respected in Europe”.

“We’ll be trying to emulate good football,” he said. “Try to give the supporters a brand of football that they can be proud of; score goals, win trophies, play with a panache and style.”

Feared? No. Respected? No. Scared? Yes!

The defending has Celtic fans looking through their fingers in the stands or, for many ‘stay-away’ supporters, popping up from behind the couch with a quilt over their heads.

I’ve said all along that, with this defence, Celtic have to score three goals to win.

I am sorry, I was wrong, after last Saturday at Aberdeen; it’s five to win a game. Fifty goals scored, 28 conceded and a team now heading into the United game on Saturday without Darren O’Dea, Jos Hooiveld (injured again) and Glenn Loovens, not to mention the suspended Aiden McGeady.

Who’s to blame? Mowbray takes the brunt with a team that contains four loan signings, only one of whom has a realistic chance of staying on. Does that strike you as a long-term plan or short-term panic?

Hooiveld was signed while unfit and I’ve already gone over the complete lack of urgency to get more cover in central defence at the start of January rather than the end.

Defensive mistakes since the transfer window opened have cost Celtic 12 points in their last eight SPL games. There are no excuses.

Remember the bravado of some Celtic fans about the players brought in and what was going to happen in the title race?

Rasmussen has started one match and made three substitute appearances, Ki has had three starts and three sub appearances and Zheng Zhi hasn’t reached double figures in matches started since he arrived last September.

As if to add fuel to the fire – or in this case to try and put out the fire – Tony then appoints Scott Brown captain of Celtic.

Everyone thought the new captain was on his way out; we must have been misled? Could we have been wrong?

Tactical decisions have been bewildering, but since I’m not paid to make those decisions, I have elected not to dwell too much on Brown at left-back at Rugby Park or Robbie Keane’s substitution at Pittodrie.

The financial results released by Celtic this week show a drop in turnover from the last manager’s failings and the increase in debt shows the new boss has not spent it wisely or in the right areas.

You cannot fool all of the people all of the time.

Clueless, rudderless and by the time the final whistle goes at Ibrox on February 28, they will be SPL trophy-less.

Chief executive Peter Lawwell has stated: “We have strategies in place for the further development of the club.”

It won’t be with Tony Mowbray at the helm.

I am going to agree with Peter Martin this time and I hope he is right.

Can't argue with any of that.

Shouldn't have changed his name though to suit the funny handshake brigade.

Fuck that, I hope he won't be manager tomorrow

he wont walk away and we wont sack him, he will be here at the end of the season

Originally Posted by clagan

he wont walk away and we wont sack him, he will be here at the end of the season

He will walk if we get beat at Ibrox imo. The guy just lacks passion and is not a fighter, that will be the end for him. He does not even look like he wants to be here.

Originally Posted by Ryan 67

He will walk if we get beat at Ibrox imo. The guy just lacks passion and is not a fighter, that will be the end for him. He does not even look like he wants to be here.

i think his reputation is taking a battering by the week but i honestly dont see him walking away. why would any manager walk away anyway, if you get fired for being incompetent you get a pay off.

totally agree with what you're saying about his body language. those pics of him and grant on the bench at the weekend were embaressing.

Originally Posted by clagan

i think his reputation is taking a battering by the week but i honestly dont see him walking away. why would any manager walk away anyway, if you get fired for being incompetent you get a pay off.

totally agree with what you're saying about his body language. those pics of him and grant on the bench at the weekend were embaressing.

Good point but I don't think Mogga is a dignified guy and he would rather leave of his own accord rather than be sacked.

Aye I was gutted to see those pictures, especially seeing Grant sitting there motionless. I thought we would see his passion and battling qualities this season, obviously not.

Originally Posted by Ryan 67

Good point but I don't think Mogga is a dignified guy and he would rather leave of his own accord rather than be sacked.

Aye I was gutted to see those pictures, especially seeing Grant sitting there motionless. I thought we would see his passion and battling qualities this season, obviously not.

what happened to the peter grant that would have run through walls for the jersey?

the only way i see mowbray quitting is if/when the filth have won the league and the board have a replacement lined up, otherwise they wont sack him due to what we paid and the pay off we'll have to shell out to him and penis/venus. he probably thinks he has a 2 year plan but at parkhead you dont get 2 years.

Originally Posted by clagan

what happened to the peter grant that would have run through walls for the jersey?

the only way i see mowbray quitting is if/when the filth have won the league and the board have a replacement lined up, otherwise they wont sack him due to what we paid and the pay off we'll have to shell out to him and penis/venus. he probably thinks he has a 2 year plan but at parkhead you dont get 2 years.

Fuck knows and it is dissapointing.

You were right about the board as I do not see them sacking him either. If he does not resign then we will be stuck with him next season I think. 2 years ? He was on about a 5 year plan, he is deluded if he thinks he will be here at the end of that 5 year plan if this season is anything to go by.

Just remembered ; Mogga is on a rolling contract so compensation would not differ if we were to sack him now or if we were to sack him at the end of the season or anytime in his contract for that matter...

Originally Posted by Ryan 67

Just remembered ; Mogga is on a rolling contract so compensation would not differ if we were to sack him now or if we were to sack him at the end of the season or anytime in his contract for that matter...

nice one, hopefully he will get the boot but as i said earlier i just dont see it.

get lenny on the bench rather than the quiet man peter grant.

Originally Posted by clagan

nice one, hopefully he will get the boot but as i said earlier i just dont see it.

get lenny on the bench rather than the quiet man peter grant.

It was a big mistake shifting Lenny to the reserves. He should have remained where he was, that way we would have a bit of passion on the touchline.

Originally Posted by Ryan 67

It was a big mistake shifting Lenny to the reserves. He should have remained where he was, that way we would have a bit of passion on the touchline.

Aye and someone telling every player to pass back to the keeper when they get the ball.

I was expecting the Pointer to be going mental on the touchline…

He’s been really disappointing.

Would anyone want/trust him to take temporary charge?

Originally Posted by RK

I was expecting the Pointer to be going mental on the touchline…

always loved that nickname

Originally Posted by Hoopymo

Aye and someone telling every player to pass back to the keeper when they get the ball.

Never noticed that with Lenny but regardless he should still be on the touchline.

We should sack him as soon as possible, if we want to save our season.