Celtic FC Opinion: Alex Neil – good manager option for Celtic?
Scottish champions Celtic are considering a summer move for Preston North End boss Alex Neil, as per a report from the Daily Mail.
The Hoops saw Brendan Rodgers leave the club, trading Parkhead for a move back to the Premier league to join Leicester City. Rodgers’ untimely exit was a surprise but the club have moved quickly, bringing Neil Lennon back until the end of the season.
Lennon will do everything from now on and until the end of the season to get the permanent job at Parkhead but Celtic should also look to other candidates – and Preston’s Alex Neil appears to be on the wish list.
Alex Neil, born in Bellshill, became Hamilton Academical’s player-manager in 2013 and led them to promotion to the Scottish Premiership in 2014. His fantastic work with Hamilton Academical landed him the job at Norwich City in January 2015.
Norwich had endured a poor start in the 2014-15 Championship season that led to Neil Adams resigning from the managerial post. The Canaries were in the midst of a crisis and took a gamble by appointing Alex Neil.
The gamble paid off handsomely and despite missing out on automatic promotion back to the Premier League, victory in the 2015 Championship play-off final secured an immediate return to the top-flight. But it was only temporary relief as Neil’s Canaries suffered relegation at the end of the season.
Neil was sacked midway through the 2016-17 season after a run of poor results but ahead of the 2017/18 campaign, the 37-year-old was appointed by Preston North End. The Scotsman has done very well at Preston, guiding the club to a seventh-place finish.
He is operating on a very tight budget at the Deepdale and is getting the best out of his players, playing an attractive and dynamic brand of football. Preston
Conclusion
Neil has done extremely well so far in his short managerial career and remains on course to guide Preston to the playoffs this season. He clearly boasts plenty of experience for a manager of his age and continues to impress with his work at Deepdale.
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Rodgers’ departure certainly was stunning but it’s understandable due to the Premier League’s pull. Come summer, the Hoops should appoint Alex Neil as the permanent boss, who has all the makings of a very good manager.