After O’Neill: Celtic make manager who’s “similar” to Rodgers a top target
A case study for how not to run a football club, Celtic are in such a mess right now, but can Martin O’Neill work his magic again?
From a relative position of strength at the end of last season, having secured a fourth successive Premiership title, the Parkhead hierarchy have made error after error, from failing to strengthen prior to Champions League qualifying, to hiring Paul Tisdale, to appointing Wilfried Nancy.
The only saving grace from that latter decision is that the Hoops have at least had the sense to nip things in the bud, bringing to an end a remarkable car-crash tenure that yielded six defeats in eight games.
The Frenchman might feel hard done by considering the litany of missed chances that he was forced to witness amid that losing run, although such results simply aren’t acceptable in Glasgow.
Nancy is gone then, with O’Neill back to pick up the pieces for the short-term – but what lies beyond for the Scottish champions?
Celtic's long-term managerial target after O'Neill
From seven wins in eight under O’Neill, to the misery of Nancy’s short-lived tenure, Celtic are in some ways back where they started, no doubt thankful that the gap to Hearts remains at just six points.
If the 73-year-old can recapture the magic of his prior interim stint, then this rollercoaster campaign could still end in glory, with the season not a write-off just yet.
Having seen the Nancy gamble backfire, O’Neill was undoubtedly the logical choice, although with such a move merely proving a stopgap rather than a long-term solution.
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With a permanent successor needing to be named in the summer, TEAMtalk reported that Motherwell’s Jens Berthel Askou is now a top target, having earned admirers following his fine recent work in the Premiership.
Indeed, the 43-year-old has steered the Silkmen to fourth in the table, just two points behind Celtic, having only taken charge back in June after a string of jobs largely back in Scandinavia.
As per the report, the Dane’s ‘tactical acumen and attractive style align with the club’s vision’, ensuring he is now a ‘strong candidate’ for the post.
Why Askou could be another Brendan Rodgers for Celtic
It would be fair to say that Brendan Rodgers was a symptom, rather than necessarily a cause of the chaos at Parkhead, with the Northern Irishman’s resignation coming after a dismal summer of recruitment that ended without a genuine, proven replacement for Adam Idah and Kyogo Furuhashi arriving.
Rodgers, of course, certainly wasn’t blameless, not least for failing to steer his side past Kazakh minnows Qairat in Champions League qualifying, yet it is hard to doubt his proven record as a Celtic manager.
Indeed, across two spells, the ex-Liverpool and Leicester City man won four league titles, including that remarkable ‘Invincible’ 2016/17 campaign, arguably rivalling O’Neill and Ange Postecoglou for the club’s best modern manager.
Can Askou be the next man on that list? Well, in the view of Tawanda Maswanhise – who worked under Rodgers at Leicester – the in-demand coach is “similar” to both the ex-Celtic boss and current free agent Enzo Maresca.
Maswanhise is currently part of the surprise Motherwell story at Fir Park, with ‘Well only recently securing a 2-0 win over Nancy and co, following another error-strewn display from the visitors.
Jens Berthel Askou – Manager record
Club
Games
PPG
Motherwell
28
1.93
IFK Goteborg
35
1.43
AC Horsens
90
1.39
HB Torshavn
33
2.45
Vendyssel
43
1.21
Stats via Transfermarkt
Askou’s 4-2-3-1 set-up and exciting, attack-minded brand of football has proven a revelation in Scottish football this season, having already won 15 of his 28 games in charge in all competitions.
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It is even more remarkable that he has been defeated on just four occasions too so far in 2025/26, having spent recent seasons as an assistant coach at both Copenhagen and Slavia Prague.
Like Rodgers before him, who had worked at the likes of Reading, Watford, Swansea City and Liverpool before arriving at Celtic at the age of 43, Askou has racked up a fair chunk of experience in Denmark and Sweden.
That ensures the Hoops would be landing a young, hungry coach on the up, but with a proven track record behind him.
Of course, it remains to be seen just how well Motherwell do in the remainder of the campaign, although Celtic would be wise to have their man lined up, ahead of O’Neill’s exit this summer.
Celtic sack Wilfried Nancy, Paul Tisdale and three first-team coaches
They’re cleaning house at Parkhead.
4 ByBen Goodwin