Celtic trend breaks unwritten rule

There are plenty of regulations that football clubs must adhere to - laws that have to be followed. Some rules, though, are unwritten.

These are not set in stone; they are merely advisory. Teams can either choose to heed said warnings, or ignore them entirely. One of the cliches that slots seamlessly into that category is the cautionary tale of ‘never going back’.

Once success has been enjoyed in any given surroundings, it is considered sensible not to tread that path again. Reputations that were once glittering can quickly become tarnished when taking in a second spin around the block.

Fan favourite

Ange Postecoglou boasts plenty of credit at Celtic, and the Australian is seeing a retracing of steps to Parkhead mooted. He flopped spectacularly at Nottingham Forest, lasting just 39 days at the helm, with the Reds left in a precarious position when it comes to Premiership odds focused on basement battles.

Despite having European football on the agenda, Forest have tumbled to 9/4 in Premier League relegation odds and are already looking anxiously over collective shoulders. A calculated gamble on Postecoglou backfired in record-breaking fashion.

Celtic, though, would happily welcome a title-winning former fan favourite back to their part of the world. Many are of the opinion that turning to a familiar face during a time of need would be a sensible call.

Former Hoops striker Chris Sutton has said: “I think Postecoglou would be a really smart appointment. He was loved the first time round. His brand of football went down well in Glasgow. He’s out of work. I think that would be a pretty obvious choice, a good choice and bring a lot of positivity back to Celtic.”

If the Bhoys were to look to the past for inspiration in the present and immediate future, then a quirky trend would continue - one which defies supposed sporting logic.

The Glasgow giants have already turned to Martin O’Neill’s vast experience on an interim basis, with a man who once oversaw three title triumphs - including a domestic treble win in 2000-01 - making a surprising return to the dugout.

He has another ex-Bhoys star alongside him in the form of Shaun Maloney. They are, of course, following in the footsteps of Rodgers - who returned to ‘Paradise’ in the summer of 2023 having previously spent close to three years in the most demanding of roles between 2016 and 2019.

When Rodgers bid farewell for the first time, the managerial baton that he put down was picked up by Neil Lennon - with the one-time Celtic skipper agreeing to take on his own second stint in the dugout.

Repeat performers

With O’Neill added to the ‘second coming’ list, with the potential for Postecoglou to follow, it could be that four of the Hoops’ last seven bosses will have been repeat performers.

There has also been talk of Robbie Keane coming into the frame, and he is another with ties to Celtic from his playing days - having taken in a loan spell with the Scottish Premiership giants in 2010 that allowed him to briefly work under Lennon.

The Hoops clearly have a penchant for sticking to who and what they know, with there being no concerns on their part when it comes to breaking one of the more prominent unwritten rules in professional sport.