Why Celtic must let first-team coaches depart the club

The sun has set on Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic tenure after two years.

His departure to Tottenham Hotspur, however, has left many questioning the future of Celtic both on and off of the pitch, such as who is going to eventually replace him in the hot seat, and what players are going to stay when the new manager is in place?

These queries will be answered in due time, of course, but the collective futures of Celtic’s backroom staff are perhaps more of a pressing issue at this point in proceedings.

As things stand, John Kennedy, Gavin Strachan and Harry Kewell are all still employed by the club following the departure of the previous manager. Out of those three names, only Kewell was brought in by Postecoglou, arriving ahead of the 2022/23 season last year. The former Australia international replaced Stephen McManus, who joined the B team setup in the process.

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Kennedy and Strachan were both essentially inherited by Postecoglou and have clearly made an impression on him. It has been reported that he wants to bring them down to North London to join him at Spurs, with Celtic seeming reluctant to allow the former to leave, having been at the club since his playing days. This is understandable, due to the amount of time the former defender has been at the club.

Indeed, Kennedy has been in numerous roles since his career was tragically cut short by recurring injuries in 2009, first as a scout and then as a youth team coach. His first big coaching break came in 2014 when he joined Ronny Deila’s coaching team alongside John Collins. He continued in this role under Brendan Rodgers, before being appointed as assistant manager when Neil Lennon made his return to the club on a permanent basis in 2019.

Strachan, meanwhile, joined in 2020, experiencing both the lows of the 2020/21 season under Lennon and the highs of working under Postecoglou’s reign of dominance over Scottish football. The son of former Celtic manager Gordon Strachan, he took charge of two games in 2021 following a COVID outbreak on the now-infamous Dubai trip.

It is clear that both Kennedy and Strachan are highly rated by those at the club, but it must now be time for them to spread their wings and move on to pastures new, especially if an offer is on the table to go elsewhere.

This development could be a blessing in disguise, and one which should be considered by the hierarchy of Celtic moving forward.

By clearing the decks of all existing coaches currently at the club, the vacant role at Celtic becomes a lot more attractive for potential suitors. Any new manager arriving on the job will essentially have free reign to appoint their own assistant and coaches, rather than work with the individuals already in place.

For many so-called “elite” managers and head coaches, the ability to bring their own people into a new job is a potential dealbreaker. This was the case with current Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe, who was linked with the Celtic job back in 2021.

Howe was unwilling to take the position for many reasons, but one was because of his failure to entice coaches he was familiar with up north to assist him. When negotiations were scrapped between the two parties, Postecoglou was drafted in, who was willing to work with the coaches already present at the club.

This was a lucky break for the board, who could put plans in place straight away without having to negotiate deals for any of Postecoglou’s potential entourage, but this trend cannot continue in future appointments for the good of the club.

This is because the higher echelons of managers available to Celtic will likely not stand for being lumped with any existing coaches already working there. Managers adopting this attitude may in turn help the club in the long run, forcing those in charge to fully buy into their philosophies or risk missing out on their top candidates for the job.

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The case of Kewell, however, is a curious one, with no word as of yet regarding his future at the club. Reports have mentioned Kennedy and Strachan potentially making the move down south, but nothing has been speculated on the former Liverpool and Leeds United player.

He would arguably bring much-needed Premier League experience to Postecoglou's backroom staff, but Spurs may insist that current interim coach Ryan Mason is used in this capacity, having done so previously under Antonio Conte during his time as manager.

In this case, Kewell may decide to also depart Celtic and try his hand again at management. He will have learned a lot under the guidance of Postecoglou, and this experience may make him better equipped to tackle upcoming vacancies, following three failed stints at Notts County, Oldham Athletic and Barnet respectively.

Overall, if they want to retain these coaches, then they must issue that notice to Spurs, but in doing so they may fail to attract some of their biggest managerial targets in their latest recruitment process. If Celtic chooses to let them go, however, then they allow themselves a better chance of securing their top candidates.

Whatever avenue they decide to go down, it is key that Celtic sort this situation out swiftly, regardless of their lack of a manager currently employed.

Time is of the essence, and Celtic need to get their house in order ahead of the new season.

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.

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