67 Hail Hail

Tottenham Hotspur’s possible relegation to the Championship could have an impact on Celtic this summer.

Less than 12 months ago, Celtic hero Ange Postecoglou was winning the Europa League with Spurs, but then he was sacked, and now they are sitting in the Premier League’s relegation zone with five games left.

But while Spurs panic and try to fight for their survival, the London club have been linked with a move for Liverpool defender Andy Robertson, but Ally McCoist states the reason why he would pick Celtic.

“If you are offering him the option of the Championship or Celtic,” said McCoist. “I think he would probably take Celtic.”

It has been well-documented that Robertson will leave Liverpool in the summer and become a free agent, as the champions of Scotland have long been linked to his signature.

Poll: Should Celtic sign Andy Robertson?

Ally McCoist lauds Celtic-linked Andy Robertson as ‘different class’

When Celtic were beating St Mirren in the Scottish Cup semi-final on Sunday at Hampden, at the same time, Robertson was helping Liverpool beat Everton in the Merseyside derby.

This is his last hurrah at a club where he won two Premier League titles and a European Cup.

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That’s why McCoist was right on talkSPORT to state that Robertson is ‘different class’, and according to him, still good enough for the first team.

But while Celtic will look to knock on the Scotland captain’s door in the summer, McCoist feels, even with Spurs going down, Robertson will still be wanted by the top clubs in the Premier League.

If that happens, then Celtic will probably have less chance to sign him because, as McCoist points out, even Spurs in England’s second-tier would be able to ‘pay more than anyone in Scotland.’

McCoist: “Logically, Tottenham, even in the Championship, would still be able to pay more than anyone in Scotland.”

Shebahn Aherne: “Would Robertson want the Championship?”

McCoist: “No, no. I think that’s a massive thing.”

Aherne: “Championship or Celtic? Where do you go?”

McCoist: “If you are offering him the option of the Championship or Celtic, I think he would probably take Celtic.

“But I still think there will be other teams in England’s top flight who would take him. He’s been absolutely different class. I can’t believe this. I have said this 100 times. I sound like a broken record. I can’t believe Robbo hasn’t had more game time at Liverpool. Kerkez has come on now.”

Many Celtic supporters would have been gutted to see how Ange Postecoglou was treated during his time at Tottenham Hotspur.

Even though Postecoglou won Tottenham’s first trophy in nearly 20 years by lifting the Europa League last season, he was still sacked by the club in the summer, and now things have become far, far worse in north London.

Many would have seen Celtic’s links with Andy Robertson in recent transfer windows, with Spurs seemingly leading the charge for his signature.

But the London club will only sign Robertson, who will leave Liverpool in the summer when his contract expires, if they avoid relegation to England’s second tier.

And on Sunday, life away from the elite started to become a dark and brutal reality because Tottenham are now sitting in the Premier League’s relegation zone.

Poll: Should Celtic sign Andy Robertson?

Tottenham enter relegation zone as Andy Robertson enjoys Liverpool win

Of course, Celtic fans are delighted with Kieran Tierney and what he has brought to the table this season following his return to Glasgow in the summer.

But with Celtic looking so abject all season long, you wonder how much value a character like Robertson would bring to the dressing room – focusing less on his on-pitch quality and more on his sheer off-pitch leadership.

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And if Spurs, who are yet to win a Premier League game in 2026 and are two points from safety, are relegated, then it will be interesting to see what Robertson does next.

It also needs to be noted that Robertson was linked with Tottenham in the winter, but he stayed put at Anfield, and he should be breathing a sigh of relief that he never moved.

Perhaps it will be a blessing in disguise for Robertson, who will captain Scotland to the 2026 World Cup this summer, that Spurs do go down and he doesn’t need to move to London, and instead, return to Celtic and live his boyhood dream.

Robertson will want to leave Liverpool on a high note, and after being outclassed by Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League in midweek, they secured a much-needed 2-0 win over Fulham in the Premier League on Saturday, with their flying Scotsman playing the entire match.

Mason Melia’s fast start at Tottenham’s academy has put an old Celtic frustration back into view, and what looked like a missed chance in February 2025 now carries far more weight.

Celtic wanted Melia and appeared to be in pole position for the teenage striker before Ange Postecoglou moved late to sign him for Spurs.

Now, after making his debut for the Spurs academy, Melia is already showing why that decision was taken. The early signs only sharpen the focus on what Celtic passed up.

Ange Postecoglou showed the kind of transfer decisiveness Celtic did not when the chance to land Melia was there. The contrast between the two approaches is now much clearer.

Who is that one player Celtic never signed that they should have gone all out for?

Celtic’s recruitment failure comes back into focus

There is a difference between wanting a player and doing what is necessary to sign him. Celtic were linked with Melia in February 2025, but Tottenham completed the deal on deadline day for a record fee, and that is the part that matters now.

Postecoglou has his critics among Celtic supporters after the way he left, but when it came to recruitment, hesitation is rarely part of the former Hoops boss’ process.

Tottenham identified the talent, accepted the cost, and got the player through the door. That clarity is what separates interest from execution.

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Celtic did not reach that point, and the decision now sits under closer scrutiny. Melia’s early impact only sharpens that focus.

Celtic now watch the outcome unfold elsewhere

Melia scoring three minutes into his debut does not confirm long-term success. It does, however, underline how quickly a player can begin to justify a club’s decision.

Tottenham now have the platform to develop that potential further, while Celtic are left reflecting on a missed opportunity. That is where the real problem lies.

This is not an isolated situation, but it is a clear example. Once a Premier League club commits to a deal, the margin for hesitation disappears quickly.

Celtic failed to sign Mason Melia in February 2025, while Tottenham acted. The early evidence now points clearly to which approach delivered.

Tottenham’s move for Roberto De Zerbi has shifted the managerial landscape. It leaves Celtic in a stronger position around one familiar name.

Spurs are moving quickly after Igor Tudor’s exit. Their focus is now clearly elsewhere. And that focus could impact Celtic’s hunt for one contender for the manager’s position when Martin O’Neill leaves this summer.

That matters when looking at how the market is shaping. It also sharpens attention on Robbie Keane and Celtic after the Irishman was said to be in the frame for the top job at Parkhead and at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The links are back again… Would you welcome Robbie Keane as Celtic manager?

Tell us why…

Robbie Keane has been on a shortlist to become Celtic manager in the past. His name has continued to surface when long-term options are discussed.

Those links are rooted in more than sentiment. Keane has built experience in managerial roles at Ferencvaros and Maccabi Tel Aviv, and has remained connected to Celtic through his playing history.

That background keeps him relevant whenever the conversation turns to future appointments. It explains why his name continues to reappear around Celtic.

However, Celtic fans are split on Keane as many want a manager who has more experience due to the size of the rebuild that faces the club this summer.

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That reaction puts more pressure on the Celtic board who simply cannot afford to get the next permanent manager appointment wrong, especially after the Wilfried Nancy debacle.

Celtic now face less competition at the top end of the market

Tottenham want Roberto De Zerbi as their next permanent head coach. That decision follows a short and unstable spell in north London.

De Zerbi is understood to be open to the role, even if timing remains a factor. That underlines where Tottenham’s attention now lies.

This shift matters because it narrows the field. Clubs operating at that level are no longer competing across the same names.

For Celtic, that creates a clearer picture. It increases the space around options like Keane without added pressure from elsewhere.

That does not mean Keane automatically becomes the front-runner, but it changes the context in which decisions will be made.

Celtic’s next move will still depend on their own process. What has changed is the competition around it.

The focus at Tottenham is now fixed. That leaves Celtic in a stronger position if Keane remains part of the conversation.

One man who has been disrespected far too much in recent times is former Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou.

The English media enjoyed verbally taking Postecoglou apart during his stint at Tottenham Hotspur, and some even mocked his achievements at Celtic.

One man who has constantly backed Postecoglou in the English press is Celtic’s legendary striker Chris Sutton.

And after Thomas Frank’s Tottenham were beaten again, this time at home to Fulham on Saturday evening, Sutton made sure to send those critics a reminder.

Martin O’Neill and Thomas Frank compared. How would you analyse the assessment?

Chris Sutton defends Celtic hero Ange Postecoglou after Tottenham lose to Fulham

Given the struggles Frank is now going through at Spurs, failing to win eight of his 13 Premier League matches, Sutton stated that his predecessor, Postecoglou, should ‘never have been sacked.’

Remember, Postecoglou had to deal with a mountain of injury issues last season, yet he still helped Spurs win the Europa League – their first major trophy in nearly 20 years and first European honour since the 1980s.

‘Spurs should never have sacked Postecoglou…’ wrote Sutton on social media.

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Thomas Frank and Postecoglou’s first 21 games in charge of Spurs compared

There is always this perception that, just because Postecoglou won trophies at Celtic, it was a gimme and undervalued by those down south.

But as the Treble-winning hero made it clear time and time again during his many entertaining press conferences, he delivers silverware, and he produced that for a pretty ungrateful Spurs.

Nonetheless, with Frank having managed 21 games in all competitions so far, this is how his record looks compared to Ange’s first 21 matches, and remember, he had just lost Harry Kane to Bayern Munich.

Thomas Frank was the man selected to replace Celtic hero Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham Hotspur in the summer.

Despite Spurs winning the Europa League under Postecoglou’s stewardship, he was still booted out, and now there are already question marks over Frank after his arrival from Brentford.

Whilst Martin O’Neill was helping Celtic win away in the Europa League on Thursday night, it was another defeat for the London club, this time at the hands of the European champions, Paris Saint-Germain.

It’s understandable to lose to a team of PSG’s calibre, but it’s what has been laid out in the opening months that has led to Frank taking verbal hits and then being compared to Celtic hero O’Neill.

Poll: Will Celtic win the league?

Tottenham boss Thomas Frank slammed after being compared to Celtic hero Martin O’Neill

O’Neill is Britain’s oldest active coach, and at the age of 73, he has brought back life and that winning feeling to the champions of Scotland after an abject start to the campaign.

When O’Neill was speaking in Rotterdam about Celtic’s Europa League clash against Feyenoord, he mentioned how ‘the performance is secondary to the result’, and it caught the eye of Spurs critic Ramon Vega.

The former Tottenham and Celtic player wrote on social media that Frank, whose defensive style of play has been questioned, needs to ‘learn’ from O’Neill.

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Vega noted O’Neill’s winning attitude, as Spurs recently lost to their London rivals Arsenal 4-1, in what was a humiliating performance.

Martin O’Neill and Thomas Frank compared. How would you analyse the assessment?

“That’s the difference between a winning coach mentally, like Martin O’Neill and Frank,’ said Vega.

‘A winner says, “The performance is secondary to the result”!

‘Well, Frank, get that attitude and learn from it. Well done, Martin, for today’s Win! Brilliant job, he has done again for the @CelticFC legend! Hail Hail 🍀🍀🍀”

It’s interesting how Spurs have gone from being critical of Postecoglou’s all-action attacking style to now questioning Frank’s defensive ways.

When teams are sacking managers for winning trophies, when that team in question doesn’t win much anyway, then you have serious problems.

Weeks don’t come much better than the one Troy Parrott has just had for Ireland.

The national side came into the week as outsiders, needing to win against Portugal at home as well as away to Hungary if they wanted to stay alive and make the play-offs for the World Cup.

Up stepped Parrott. He firstly sunk the Portuguese with a brace in Dublin, with the first goal being set up by Celtic’s Liam Scales.

Then, their task was simple: beat Hungary in Budapest. They did it the hard way, falling behind twice in the first half, but Parrott was the hero once again. He scored a hat-trick as Ireland won 3-2, sealing it with the last touch of the game.

He is also in red-hot form for AZ Alkmaar in the Netherlands – but things could’ve been very different.

Ireland hero Troy Parrott rejected Celtic for Spurs after trial

Parrott’s name has been known for a number of years; he was seen as a prodigious talent as a teenager.

He was on the books at the famed Belvedere youth academy in Dublin when clubs across the water started to clamour for his services.

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One of them, he revealed, was Celtic. The Hoops have a long history of signing young Irish players, and were interested in Parrott’s signature.

But he told LondonNewsOnline in 2020 that he felt ‘at home’ at Tottenham, where he ended up being on the books for seven years before moving to AZ for eight million Euros.

He said: “I like to think they [Belvedere] are one of the best schoolboy teams in Dublin. I was in trials for some other clubs as well.

“I don’t know who came from Tottenham to scout me but then I got told by Belvedere that they wanted to take me.

“I had been on trial at Celtic and they wanted to have me back. But as soon as I went to Spurs I felt at home.”

Parrott spent time on loan at five different clubs before his move to AZ – he only ever made four senior appearances for Tottenham.

But 2017 wasn’t his only chance to join Celtic.

Troy Parrott could have joined Celtic on loan

Three years later, Parrott was seeking first-team experience and Celtic were interested.

The Hoops made an approach for Parrott, but the striker rejected them once again, instead moving to Millwall in the Championship.

This could well have been because he wasn’t expecting sufficient game time in Glasgow, with Odsonne Edouard, Leigh Griffiths and Albian Ajeti on Neil Lennon’s books at the time.

Parrott reportedly now has admirers from all over Europe, and is probably out of Celtic’s reach for now.

Martin O’Neill isn’t shy to say what he thinks, whether that was as a manager or now in the punditry world.

Perhaps the Celtic hero isn’t as vocal or confidently arrogant as Jose Mourinho, but you can probably cut them from the same cloth.

One man whom O’Neill wanted to mention alongside the Portuguese great is Ange Postecoglou, after he was sacked by Nottingham Forest over the weekend.

This is the second time Postecoglou has been sacked this year, after Tottenham Hotspur booted him out in the summer, despite winning the Europa League.

Postecoglou has never gone down without a fight, and O’Neill was keen to defend the Treble-winner at Celtic.

Celtic hero Martin O’Neill’s brilliant Ange Postecoglou and Jose Mourinho comparison

In the press conference in the lead-up to Postecoglou’s final game as Forest manager – a 3-0 home defeat to Chelsea – he defended himself, his record, and winning a trophy at Spurs.

Speaking on talkSPORT, O’Neill wanted to compare it to Mourinho, and how he once, whilst walking out of a press conference as the Manchester United manager in 2018, shouted ‘respect, respect, respect’, whilst informing the journalists of how many Premier League titles he had won.

“The first point is that he does this monologue,” said O’Neill about Postecoglou’s presser before his sacking.

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“And do you know sometimes as a manager you feel that you have to almost defend yourself, and that went on a long time, I believe, and probably too long. On reflection, I’m quite sure he thought, “Oh, listen, I shouldn’t have said this.’

“But I remember Jose Mourinho, who’s a serial winner, great, great, great manager. If the world ended tomorrow, he would go down as one of the greats. And him having to defend himself one time. I remember him shouting ‘respect, respect, respect’ as he left the press conference. Sometimes, it does get to you as a manager.

“If you had said to Tottenham Hotspur last year, you will actually be in the Champions League the following year, you would have taken that all day long.

“Now, they didn’t know what circuit of route they were going to get into the Champions League. Losing a load of league matches, but still ending up winning the Europa League.

“I still have to try and come to terms with this here, the results were very, very poor from Tottenham, they lost a lot of matches, but they still won a trophy that got them into the Champions League. I thought that’s what you were in the game to do, which is actually win some trophies. Balancing it out.

“The pressure came with him not being wanted (by Nottingham Forest) to begin with, so you are on the back foot immediately.”

That famous Mourinho ‘respect’ press conference

Mourinho has had many legendary moments, and he has always backed it up with trophy after trophy after trophy.

When under pressure as the manager of Manchester United in 2018, after losing a game 3-0 to Tottenham, he proceeded to tell the room what other significance the number three had.

“What was the result?” asked Mourinho “Do you know what this means? (holds up three fingers)? 3-0. But also means, three Premierships and I won more Premierships alone than the other 19 managers together.

“Three for me, and two for them. Respect, respect, respect, respect man, respect.”

Ange Postecoglou is a free agent again, so fans can restart those Celtic rumours.

After Postecoglou was sacked by Tottenham Hotspur in the summer, some questioned whether a return to Celtic could be on the cards, especially with Brendan Rodgers’ contract expiring.

But on Saturday afternoon, Postecoglou was sacked again, this time by Nottingham Forest, after their 3-0 home defeat to Chelsea.

The treatment of the Celtic hero has been slammed, including by former Forest centre-back Michael Dawson.

Celtic hero Ange Postecoglou was ‘never going to change’ after Nottingham Forest sacking

Everyone saw at Celtic that Postecoglou’s teams play one way, and one way only. That’s on the front foot, and with the fullbacks acting like number 10s.

That continued at Spurs, which resulted in them winning the Europa League, and Dawson wanted to make it clear that Postecoglou was ‘never’ going to change his way.

That’s why, speaking on Sky Sports, Dawson found it more puzzling that Forest went from playing under a defensive style with Nuno Espirito Santo to the all-action Postecoglou.

“Am I surprised it has happened now? Probably not on the back of his eight games, and 18 goals conceded,” said Dawson.

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“I sat on Sky Sports News on Monday and said, ‘give the guy time.’ How long was this going to carry on for? Marinakis (Forest owner) has brought this on himself.

“People at Nottingham Forest, when Ange got the job, were thinking, ‘why him?’ So much of a contrast with Nuno, and what he did and the way Ange played last year. Yes, he brought a trophy for Tottenham. Magnificent.

“But Ange, what we saw at Celtic, what we saw at Spurs, he was never going to change. Do I feel for him? I certainly do. Ange hasn’t shirked anything.”

Sean Dyche replaces Postecoglou

Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis has made some crazy calls, and now he has gone back to employing a defensive-minded coach.

There was talk of Sean Dyche possibly being the next Rangers boss, as well as Brendan Rodgers being linked with the Forest gig.

But instead, the Midlands side, who are sitting in the Premier League’s relegation zone, have turned to Dyche as their new manager.

That will shut up the noise around Rodgers going to Forest, but his future at Celtic looks more and more like it will end next summer.

Ange Postecoglou will always be a hero at Celtic and Tottenham Hotspur despite being sacked by Nottingham Forest last week.

Postecoglou was dismissed by Forest owner Angelos Marinakis after the former Celtic boss oversaw the worst start to a Premier League season by anyone in the history of the competition.

In fairness to Postecoglou, he had players at the club who were not used to the style of football Celtic supporters loved when the Australian was in charge at Paradise.

And he was also only given 39 days to try and implement it. But that didn’t stop Gabby Agbonlahor from making this strange comment just under 48 hours after Ange left Nottingham Forest.

Gabby Agbonlahor says Celtic hero Ange Postecoglou is not ‘a great coach’

Postecoglou’s sacking will hopefully mean the Australian will end his fascination with the Premier League. Almost from the get-go, journalists and the media had it in for him.

And after Agbonlahor’s strange take, the former Aston Villa man appears as clueless and arrogant as the English media men.

Stelling asked Agbonlahor on talkSPORT, “Look, he’s great character. But is he a great coach?”

Agbonlahor replied, “I don’t think so, mate. Listen, he’s done some great things at Celtic. Fantastic winning the Europa League with Spurs.

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“But 22 Premier League defeats, eight without a win so far before he got sacked. Sorry, at Nottingham Forest, doesn’t look right.

“You have to change the formation. Didn’t name the same team twice in a game which is wild.

“Chris Wood was fantastic leading the line last season with 20 Premier League goals, and can’t get a game.

“It just seemed a bit shambolic, didn’t it at times?”

Agbonlahor’s verdict just typifies the English arrogance to any manager who doesn’t make it in the Premier League. And the way he just discarded Postecoglou’s achievements, not only at Celtic and Spurs, but at every other club just shows that he is no better in his views.

Ange Postecoglou’s overall managerial record including Celtic makes a mockery of Agbonlahor

There are literally no words to describe what Agbonlahor has just said about Ange Postecoglou so 67 Hail Hail will just leave his managerial record and list of honours here for the talkSPORT pundit to chew on.

National Soccer League: 1997–98, 1998–99

Oceania Club Championship: 1999

A-League Championship: 2010–11, 2011–12

A-League Premiership: 2010–11

J1 League: 2019

Scottish Premiership: 2021–22, 2022–23

Scottish Cup: 2022–23

Scottish League Cup: 2021–22, 2022–23

UEFA Europa League: 2024–25

OFC U-17 Championship: 2001, 2003, 2005

OFC U-20 Championship: 2001, 2002, 2005

AFF U-20 Youth Championship: 2006

AFC Asian Cup: 2015