Celtic reach out to hire “tactically unbeatable” manager

Never a dull moment at Celtic, is there? Earlier this week, Brendan Rodgers tendered his resignation and within hours, Martin O’Neill was back at a club where he enjoyed so much success.

“I’m only here for a few weeks”, he reiterated time and time again. We’ll have to see whether that’s the case.

An Old Firm on Sunday could change the mood but the Irishman’s second spell at Parkhead has already started triumphantly.

O’Neil jumping up and celebrating a goal at Paradise in 2025? Who’d have thought it? Not us, that’s for sure.

That said, even if he does enjoy an unbeaten second spell in Scotland, it’s unlikely he’ll be here for very long.

The latest on Celtic’s managerial hunt

Two primary names have been in the conversation to become the new Celtic manager; Ange Postecoglou and Kieran McKenna.

Sadly for the Hoops, they’ve been met with two roadblocks. Reports indicate that McKenna is keen to stay with Ipswich Town for the time being, while Postecoglou is keen to continue to test himself in the Premier League.

Ange enjoyed a great deal of success the last time he was in Glasgow and even if he did win the Europa League with Spurs, his time south of the border has been unconvincing.

Sacked by Tottenham Hotspur after finishing just outside the relegation places, he then endured a sticky winless period at Nottingham Forest that saw him given the boot after a matter of weeks in the hot seat.

Ange’s stock, therefore, has arguably never been lower.

So, who do Dermot Desmond and Co turn to next? Reports indicate it could be a manager in Belgium.

According to Voetbal Nieuws, via Sport Witness, Celtic have made initial contact in a bid to hire Club Brugge manager Nicky Hayen.

Hayen has emerged on the Bhoys’ radar in the last few days but now it’s thought talks have taken place, with Celtic set to offer what is described as a ‘huge’ salary to tempt him away from Brugge.

That said, it’s noted that a hefty compensation fee will be required in order to bring him to Scotland.

Hayen is rated highly and drew 1-1 with Celtic in last season’s Champions League.

What makes Hayen such a good manager

Celtic fans may dream of a Postecoglou return or for McKenna to come to Paradise, but in Hayen then would find an extraordinarily good young manager.

Aged 45, the coach is still very much in the infancy of his career but he’s begun turning heads in Brugge after an interesting rise up the ladder.

After being relegated with Waasland-Beveren in 2020/21, it was with Welsh part-timers Haverfordwest County where the Belgian rediscovered his mojo.

How that move came about was strange. He wasn’t just the manager but he was also the technical director.

While their marriage lasted less than a year, he left quite a mark on the Welsh side, largely due to his footballing philosophy.

In Wales’ top-flight, not many favoured an attractive and passing style of football in such a physical league but Hayen certainly made it work.

Before Brugge faced Manchester City last term, Haverfordwest’s owner, Rob Edwards, noted: “We just went into games expecting to win. We felt we were going to win every game, despite the position we were in. We broke our [records for] biggest away win and biggest home win in the same week. We became a really ruthless team that tried to play football in a different way to what the league is used to, playing out from the back, possession-based. Cymru Premier League is a very direct, physical league.”

Now at Brugge, he ironically replaced Ronny Delia in the hot seat and very quickly led the capital club to the Belgian top-flight title. Unlike Ange, whose struggles in England are well documented, Hayen is currently at the top of his game; his stock has never been higher. Postecoglou, on the other hand, well his reputation is on the floor.

In Hayen, Desmond would be hiring a forward-thinking manager, one who employs attacking and attractive football, someone who would suit Celtic’s principles. It may sound like Postecoglou but the 45-year-old has recent form on his side; Brugge sit second in the Belgian top-flight.

One analyst on social media has already described him as “tactically unbeatable” and a “man made for the elite level of football”.

His results don’t lie either. Last season, Club Brugge defeated Aston Villa and Sporting CP in the league phase of the Champions League. They drew with Juventus and then beat fellow Italian side, Atalanta, over two legs in the play-offs to reach the last 16 where they eventually came unstuck against Villa.

While Desmond’s initial ambitions will be built on winning the title, improving in Europe certainly wouldn’t go amiss. Hayen looks like he could improve Celtic in a whole host of areas.