‘Thinking Out Of The Box’ – Ex-Striker Tells Celtic To Consider Manager | OneFootball

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Gordon Dalziel believes that Motherwell manager Jens Berthel Askou should be on the shortlist for the next Celtic manager, as he is someone who constantly keeps thinking out of the box and can step up to the challenge.

The managerial job is likely to become a topic of discussion for Celtic again in the summer unless Martin O’Neill agrees to do another season.

Brendan Rodgers was in charge when the campaign began, but resigned and O’Neill has had spells sandwiched between the disastrous reign of Wilfried Nancy.

Now under O’Neill, Celtic have made progress in the Scottish Cup and are in with a fighting chance of retaining the Scottish Premiership title.

O’Neill, though, is only in the middle of his second temporary stint and is likely to leave at the end of the season.

Already talk has sparked over who might become the next Celtic boss if O’Neill does go.

Motherwell boss Askou has drawn eyeballs given the Steelmen’s good season and Tam McManus believes he should be on top of the list for the defending champions.

Dalziel seconds McManus’ opinion, insisting that the 43-year-old has the qualities to step up to the challenge and Celtic fans will get a glimpse of that today against Motherwell.

“I think he [Askou] should be on the shortlist [for the next Celtic manager]”, Dalziel said on Clyde 1’s Superscoreboard (1.14.09).

“I know that there are a lot of people that can say that St Mirren to Aberdeen is different pressure, going from a Motherwell manager to Celtic is massive.

“It is such a big step-up but it is just the way he plays his football.

“The way he thinks about football, everything about it.

“I think Celtic fans will get a good look at the way he sets up at the weekend.

“Because I imagine that Motherwell will go there and will have a bit majority of the ball, and even though at Celtic Park, I think it will be a difficult game.

“I don’t think they will go there and sit back and Celtic will have 65 or 75 per cent possession of the ball.

“I think Motherwell, when they get the ball, Celtic will find it very hard to get it off them.”

Dalziel is of the opinion that Askou can improve even average players and if he gets better quality players at his disposal, he will thrive even better.

“Their style of football is brilliant, he has improved and I am not being disrespectful here, average pros that play for say Motherwell, Hibs and whatever.

“He has improved them immensely and incredibly. He makes six seven changes sometimes and it doesn’t seem to affect their team.

“My thing is that if he could get a pre-season with the quality that Celtic are going to bring in, because I don’t think Celtic will mess up another transfer window.

“I watch him even in the warm-ups and this guy has got his coaching staff out there.

“I went up early when they played Rangers and I was sitting right where they were warming up and it is everything based on how they were going to play with the ball when the game started.

“And I thought to myself ‘this guy is thinking out of the box all the time’.”

Motherwell are well in the running to finish in a European place at the end of the season and the Fir Park outfit could find it tough to retain their boss into next term.