Celtic part ways with Mowbray

(GSM) – Celtic have parted ways with manager Tony Mowbray after the Glasgow giants suffered a crushing 4-0 defeat at St Mirren.

The 46-year-old, who had arrived at Celtic Park from West Bromwich Albion last June, won 17 of the 30 league games played while struggling in Europe.

Having played two more matches, Celtic trail Scottish Premier League leaders and Old Firm rivals Rangers by 10 points.

With assistant manager Mark Venus and first team coach Peter Grant departing along with Mowbray, coach Neil Lennon will oversee first-team matters on an interim basis, with Kilmarnock visiting on Saturday.

Lennon, who has already played for Celtic between 2000 and 2007, returned as a coach in April 2008 and had been in charge of the Under-19 team during Mowbray’s time in Glasgow.

“Naturally I am very disappointed to be leaving Glasgow Celtic,” Mowbray told the League Managers Association.

“I am very proud to have not only managed but also played for a club with such great tradition and that has tremendous roots in football history.

“I would like to offer my sincere thanks to all of the players and also to my staff who supported me so well. Finally, I would like to wish the club every success in the future.”

A former defender with Celtic, Mowbray succeeded Gordon Strachan and had on his arrival that he lived by a code of “honesty, integrity, humility and respect”, hoping to bring those qualities to the Celtic team.

But his reign was far from satisfactory, as the Hoops were elimination from the Champions League by Arsenal, who have progressed to the last eight of the tournament.

Dropping into the Europa League, Celtic were expected to qualify from a group that included Hamburger SV, Rapid Vienna and Hapoel Tel-Aviv, but they could only muster six points from six games, with just one win.

The domestic season started brightly and Celtic were four points ahead of Rangers going into the first Old Firm derby of the season on 4 October, but they lost 2-1 at Ibrox.

And away matches proved to be Mowbray Achilles heel, with Wednesday’s 4-0 drubbing by St Mirren heralding Celtic’s sixth league defeat on the road.

“This is a very sad day for everyone at Celtic,” said chief executive Peter Lawwell.

“Tony is a very fine man and someone who I know is passionate about the club he served so well as a player.

“Clearly, we have had a difficult season and results have not been as we would have hoped.

“Tony is equally disappointed at some of our results this season but working so closely with him I know that throughout his period as manager he has always given the club his total and absolute commitment.”