Celtic manager choices that don't hit the lofty Postecgolou benchmark

The Ange Postecoglou era has come to an end at Celtic, and far too soon for most fans' liking.

It was a trophy-laden tenure for the former Australia manager, in which he restored the team to the pinnacle of Scottish football. It promises to be a period that will be fondly remembered for years to come in the hearts and minds of those who aboard the good ship Celtic. 

The comfortable position the club was in with Postecoglou steering the ship has now diverted off-course, and the hunt for a new boss to take the reins in his place has already begun.

The resolve of fans has already been tested with Brendan Rodgers rumours, and the most recent news may suggest that Manchester City assistant manager Enzo Maresca may be the man for the job. Furthermore, the mention of David Moyes' name has not surprised anyone, given the club is linked seemingly every time they need a new manager.

Some names have piqued the interest of fans, whilst others have flattered to deceive. With the betting odds constantly changing, the Celtic managerial situation is something of a whirlwind of rumours at the moment, with some names receiving differing opinions and others being met with division from those associated with the club in any capacity. 

These are three of the names who would be the most divisive and Celtic should be wary of choosing to appoint them.

READ MORE: Four Celtic managerial candidates who would maintain success

Brendan Rodgers

Rodgers being revealed as the bookies' favourite, coinciding with the unearthing of an old clip of the Northern Irishman saying he would return to Celtic given the opportunity, led to an absolute hell-storm reaction from fans.

The rumour mill continued to spin with talks of Rodgers potentially being Celtic's no.1 candidate, which would go down with some fans like a lead balloon. Simply put, fans have not forgotten how Rodgers left the club back in 2019, turning his back midway through the season with the league title and the Scottish Cup still to play for and thusly securing a historic "treble treble".

Of course, it must be documented that Rodgers did deliver seven trophies out of seven as manager, in an unprecedented period of success in Scotland. His record speaks for itself, and a repeat of this dominance would not be out of the question if he returned.

However, if the club were to turn back to Rodgers, there is no doubt it would lead to a toxic atmosphere emerging, a stark contrast to the positive one Postecoglou built up in his two years at the club.

Unfortunately for him, the support would not buy into anything he said like they did before. What were once famous stories and passionate speeches now just feel like empty words. Time is a healer, but Rodgers has shown in the past that trust would be an issue.

David Moyes

Whenever the Celtic managerial position has been vacant, it is to be expected that David Moyes will be heavily linked with the role.

The current West Ham manager is on the verge of securing a UEFA Europa Conference League trophy with a final against Fiorentina. However, Moyes' style is not the most attractive, a far cry from the swashbuckling, high-tempo football Celtic fans have come to know and love under Postecoglou.

It could be argued that Moyes has to implement this style of football at a club like West Ham because of the quality of the team they are competing against, but his infamous spell at Manchester United failed to impress and is his only spell at a side where he is expected to dominate and challenge for titles.

In particular, not being able to get the best out of high-profile talents such as Lucas Paqueta and Gianluca Scamacca at West Ham suggests he struggles to get the best out of more technically-gifted players, a problem which could arise again in charge of Reo Hatate and Jota.

This in turn leads to the argument over whether Moyes would be the man to provide the continuity needed to ensure this Celtic team upholds the standards set by Postecoglou, an argument Celtic will surely want to avoid altogether.

READ MORE: Celtic's critical Ange Postecoglou contract error LAST season

Enzo Maresca

Maresca is held in high regard by the Celtic hierarchy. Currently the Manchester City assistant manager to Pep Guardiola, there is no doubt Maresca has been learning from the best in the business.

He was previously linked with the Celtic managerial position back in 2021 before Postecoglou was given the job, and he seems to be another recommendation from the City Group, a link which has been used to good effect in the recent past.

Seeing success as manager of City's development squad where he was tasked with implementing Guardiola's style of football onto the younger players, Maresca won the Premier League 2 title in the 2020-2021 season. He took his first foray into senior management in May 2021 moving back to his homeland to take on Serie B side Parma. He was gone from the post by November with a 28 per cent win record.

Although it is natural for a young manager to not see instant success, a gamble on someone so inexperienced would backfire quickly if the current dominant hold over Scottish football showed any sign of slipping during the inevitable settling in period.

This piece is an extract from the latest Celtic Digest newsletter, which is emailed out every weekday evening with a round-up of the day's top stories and exclusive analysis from The Celtic Way team.

To receive our full, free newsletter including this analysis straight to your email inbox the day BEFORE it appears on the website, click here and tick the box for The Celtic Digest