Celticâ��s bill for Mowbray is �£25m

[ian1964 10,416]

Celtic fans were today counting the cost of Tony Mowbray�s disastrous nine-month spell in charge.

 

It could effectively cost the Parkhead side �£25million.

 

The club is potentially 16 points behind Rangers in the title race and this season�s failure to make it through the qualifying stages of the Champions League left a gaping hole in its finances.

 

Between �£8m and �£10m can be expected to be banked from the group stages of the Champions League and it is a problem Celtic will have to address again this summer. Even if the club hangs on to second spot in the SPL, it will face tough qualifying games to try and make it into the European group stages.

 

Celtic paid �£2m in compensation to West Brom to land Mowabray. It is believed he had a notice period in his four-year deal that means the club has to shell out only a limited level of compensation, but the tally to pay him off, as well as assistants Peter Grant and Mark Venus, has still added up to a further �£2m.

 

Mowbray has returned to his wife and three young sons in England after making a hasty retreat from Celtic�s Lennoxtown training ground yesterday afternoon. The fact his family never moved to join him in Scotland suggested his time at Celtic was always destined to be for the short-term.

 

Fans� favourite Neil Lennon will assume control, along with former Celtic defender Johan Mjallby, and the move has been welcomed by supporters.

 

ââ?¬Å?He is a guy who knows what the club is all about,ââ?¬Â said fan Paul Brady. ââ?¬Å?He has a bit of fight and heart about him and he might steady the ship until the end of the season.

 

ââ?¬Å?The big fear after the debacle at St Mirren was that we would not even be able to beat Ross County in the Scottish Cup.

 

ââ?¬Å?There is a question mark over Neil in that he has no senior managerial experience, but he knows Celtic inside out.

 

ââ?¬Å?He also knows the players and will be well aware there have been a few of them hiding this season.

 

I hope he will kick a few backsides and galvanise the side between now and the end of the season.�

 

The Celtic bus was met by an angry mob of around 100 fans on Wednesday night after their 4-0 defeat by St Mirren and while Mowbray jumped in his car, Peter Grant tried to offer an apology to the support for the shambolic display.

 

Another fan, David Beattie, believed Mowbray�s time was up and welcomed the changes.

 

ââ?¬Å?Management, in any business, is about results ââ?¬â?? itââ?¬â?¢s as simple as that,ââ?¬Â he said.

 

ââ?¬Å?Mowbrayââ?¬â?¢s results have not been good enough and that is why it was inevitable he would lose his job.

 

ââ?¬Å?The important thing is to get someone in this summer who gets time to organise his squad before the Champions League qualifiers.ââ?¬Â

 

Another fan, Paul Gillespie, 35, said at Celtic Park this morning:

 

ââ?¬Å?I was at the St Mirren game and for me it was the final nail in the coffin. Mowbray was not a good Celtic manager and it was time he went.

ââ?¬Å?If we get the right sort of manager we can still win the league.

 

ââ?¬Å?Mark Hughes would be my choice. He has the right character and with the right resources would be a good manager.ââ?¬Â

 

Celtic supporters� chief Peter Rafferty welcomed the short-term appointment of Lennon and was philosophical about Mowbray�s dismissal.

 

ââ?¬Å?It was inevitable,ââ?¬Â he said. ââ?¬Å?It is no surprise because of the way results have been going. The St Mirren result was just one too far for many fans and the manner in which we were defeated did not go down well.

 

ââ?¬Å?Lennonââ?¬â?¢s appointment gives the board the chance to get organised for the summer and get a manager in place who has plenty of time to prepare for next season.ââ?¬Â