McLeish: Celtic manager decision is imminent after Howe twist
Alex McLeish has claimed Celtic have hit a crossroads over their pursuit of Eddie Howe.
The former Scotland boss, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, suggested the Bhoys would need to make an imminent decision on whether they are going to go all out for the 43-year-old amid growing rival interest.
As revealed by Football Insider, Howe has emerged as a possible target for Brighton, with Graham Potter’s position by no means secure.
The Seagulls have joined Celtic and Crystal Palace in the hunt for the ex-Bournemouth boss.
It is understood Howe reached a verbal agreement with Celtic following talks in London but has since had second thoughts.
Meanwhile, he has also held discussions with Palace about succeeding Roy Hodgson in the Selhurst Park dugout.
With Howe’s representative stating he will not return to management until the summer, Celtic have approached former Borussia Dortmund boss Lucien Favre as an alternative option.
As such, McLeish admitted Celtic need to make a decision whether to wait for Howe or move on.
“They have to make that decision,” McLeish told Football Insider’s Russell Edge.
“The decision would be to say: ‘Okay, we’re waiting for Eddie or Eddie’s out of the equation, we’re going to go for somebody else.’
“They need to get the wheels turning again and those are the options. It’s not so much heads or tails but they have to make one of those decisions. If they’re going to wait, then I’m sure things might be kept under wraps at the moment.
“We’ve seen things like this before. We’ve heard things like managers being linked and then it goes away, then all of a sudden it comes back again.
“Celtic fans are continuously impatient over who’s going to be the new manager. If they see that maybe in a month or two Howe has finally come then I’m sure they’ll be delighted. They will forgive Celtic for all the waiting time that had to happen.
“We’ve seen these things happen a lot. What’s out in the ether there is Eddie’s going to wait until the summer to make a decision. Does that mean he’s got options? Again, he’s possibly waiting to see the Premier League and how it finishes.”
In other news, Celtic are on the verge of appointing Hoops-mad figure in senior role.