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Daily Record
Daily Record
Sport
Ben Banks

Graham Potter named next Celtic manager 'box office' choice as Dermot Desmond told he must show ambition

The Celtic hiearchy have been told to pull a Brendan Rodgers stunt and go for Graham Potter as Ange Postecoglou's replacement.

There's set to be an emotional break-up at Parkhead with the 57-year-old Aussie on the brink of being named Tottenham manager. Talk will soon turn to who comes next and for ex-midfielder Kris Commons, Potter is the man to go for as he looks to regroup following a disastrous stint at Chelsea.

He had been hailed one of Europe's brightest emerging coaches but now needs to rebuild his stock. Commons sees similarities to when former Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers arrived in Glasgow, and tells the Daily Mail that Celtic powerbroker Dermot Desmond has to get a big name replacement for Postecoglou. He writes: "Thanks to the work of the Australian over these past couple of years, the job of being Celtic manager is now a highly attractive proposition once again. This will be the first big test for Michael Nicholson as chief executive. Ange will be a tough act to follow, but it will fall on Nicholson to find Celtic a new leader.

"As they draw up a list of possible candidates, Celtic have a lot of good going for them right now. They should be shooting for the stars and aiming for a box-office appointment.

"Dermot Desmond loosened the purse strings and went big to entice Brendan Rodgers to Glasgow in the summer of 2016. Why shouldn't the club be looking to hire a similar calibre of manager now? They have to show ambition and imagination.

"Rodgers had taken Liverpool to the brink of the Premier League title just a couple of years prior to pitching up at Parkhead. He probably wasn't viewed as a realistic target. But Celtic pushed the boat out and got their man. They have to try to get another A-list boss.

"Looking through some of the names currently in the running if Postecoglou does leave for Spurs, a few jump out at me. Only 12 months ago, everyone was raving about Graham Potter. He was viewed as the best young coach in the Premier League after his outstanding work at Brighton.

"Forward-thinking, tactically astute, innovative, an advocate of possession football; he was everything you would want in a modern manager. He eventually got the Chelsea job, only for the whole thing to go sour after barely six months. But I don't think Potter is actually damaged by that.

"Anyone who knows anything about football will look at what's happened at Chelsea over the past 12 months and recognise just what an absolute basket case they have been. A new owner coming in, spending a crazy amount of money, handing out eight-year contracts to umpteen new players, and binning a manager prematurely.

"Trust me, given the bloated squad that was thrust upon him due to all the new signings, there would have been better managers than Potter who would have failed at Chelsea this season. It was nigh-on impossible given the circumstances and I really don't think his reputation will have taken much of a hit.

"If Celtic can land an ex- Liverpool boss like Rodgers, then they certainly would have a chance of getting someone like Potter. It would be daft not to at least ask him the question, if and when Postecoglou does depart."

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