Tom Boyd says there has not been as much enthusiasm about a new Bhoys manager since O’Neill.
Former Celtic captain Tom Boyd has compared the enthusiasm surrounding Brendan Rodgers’ appointment at Celtic to the reaction to the arrival of Martin O’Neill but has warned supporters that they will have to be more patient this time around, as quoted by BT Sport.
Rodgers was named as Ronny Deila’s successor at Parkhead last month amid great fanfare as the former Swansea City and Liverpool boss replaced the Norwegian whose popularity had been waning as a result of underwhelming performances throughout last season.
The Northern Irishman’s arrival has been heralded by players and pundits alike as optimism spreads that the 43-year-old can be the man to both maintain the club’s dominance over Scottish football and bring back an enterprising, exciting brand of attacking football.
Boyd has suggested that there has not been so much excitement about a new Celtic manager since the appointment of Martin O’Neill in 2000.
However, the man who captained the Hoops in the early days of O’Neill’s reign has warned that Rodgers’ arrival is unlikely to produce the same instant effect as his compatriot’s did 16 years ago.
Boyd said, as quoted by BT Sport: “We’ve not had this level of enthusiasm at the start of the season since Martin [O’Neill] came in. Hopefully we’ll have the same kind of feelings come the end of the season like we did back then.
“Back then, the impact Martin had was instant. But he was afforded the chance to bring in players of the highest quality from down south. Guys like Chris Sutton were championship winners in England. Do the fans need to be more patient this time? Only time will tell on that.
“It all depends on the reaction the manager gets from the players. Will they respond to the challenge of playing for a new manager and the fresh opportunities? I’m a supporter like everybody else and we all want it to be like the Martin O’Neill years. We want instant success.”
Boyd’s point is a fair one; O’Neill was allowed to spend big money on star signings such as Sutton, John Hartson, and Neil Lennon to turn a team which had fallen behind Rangers back into the dominant force in Scotland at the turn of the century.
Though he will undoubtedly be backed, Rodgers is unlikely to have the same instant impact, although Celtic will surely spend this summer in a bid to stay ahead of arch-rivals Rangers next season.
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