With every passing day, we seem to have a new candidate for the top job at Celtic. There is no doubt that Neil Lennon is the favourite to take over the mantle permanently, but some Celtic fans want to see a fresh and exciting face coming in. According to the latest reports from the Daily Record, former Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas’ odds on becoming the next Celtic manager has been slashed.
Villas-Boas has been out of football management since November 2017 when he left the Chinese club Shanghai SIPG. The manager took part in Dakar rally where he suffered an injury. However, now it seems like he wants to return to football in the upcoming season.
Rise of Villas-Boas
The Portuguese man is one of those rare managers who doesn’t have any playing experience at any level. His lucky break came when he was living in the same apartment as Sir Bobby Robson who was then the manager of Portuguese heavyweights Porto. Following a discussion, Sir Robson appointed Villas-Boas to Porto’s observation department.
Villas-Boas got a chance to manage Porto in 2010, and he achieved unprecedented success in his first season itself. He guided them to a Europa League triumph in 2011, and went the whole domestic season unbeaten winning the title by more than 20 points, having conceded only 13 goals all season.
Such remarkable work didn’t go unnoticed, and he was snapped up by Chelsea. The club sacked him within a year, but we wouldn’t blame Villas-Boas too much for that as the Blues have often played merry go round with the managers. It was clear that he wasn’t yet big enough to handle a dressing room which was full of star players.
His move with Tottenham was a successful one initially as he guided them to 72 points in the 2012/13 season. The team struggled in his second season, and he was shown the door from the club in December 2013.
Good move for Celtic?
Celtic have often laboured to victories under Neil Lennon, and the team have often looked devoid of any ideas. We don’t really think Lennon has the potential to take Celtic to the next level. Therefore the club should consider someone like Villas-Boas who has taken up some of the top jobs in Europe and has done relatively well. He has had some tough times, but one needs to remember that he is just 41. After a break from football, he might be hungry to prove his worth once again.
