Eddie Howe and the ‘no grand plan’ admission revisited as Celtic deal collapse puts spotlight on manager motivation
Eddie #Eddie
It was the moment everyone willing the deal to go ahead wanted to avoid as finality was provided in the long-running Eddie Howe to Celtic saga.
But Parkhead diehards weren’t treated to the 43-year-old standing smiling with a green and white scarf above his head as instead it was a hushed silence after talks collapsed between the leading candidate and the club.
It’s been a chase that’s often moved at a glacial pace since Neil Lennon left in February but the pursuit of a new boss will need ramped up with Ange Postecoglou the new favourite.
But Celtic supporters are still coming to terms with the deal for the 43-year-old hitting the skids before they can fully focus their attention on the Yokohama Marinos manager.
Many outstanding questions surrounding Howe remain unanswered and it’s likely they never will be with club and former top target heading in different directions.
But, perhaps, Howe’s own words can shed light on what makes him tick and why he isn’t consumed by what comes next in his career.
Speaking on the The Big Interview with Graham Hunter podcast back in 2016, the former Bournemouth boss said: “I don’t really have any grand plan.
“This is just me, trying to my best today, I don’t have a vision to say ‘right, that’s what I want to do, I want to achieve this’, never have done since I set foot on this journey into management.
“I’ll take the future as it comes, that’s how I’ve managed so far.”
Howe then offered a firm response when asked if he had stopped to dream what it would be like to manage in the European football’s premier club competition.
He added: “I’ve never thought about the Champions League – the only time I’ve thought about the Champions League is in response to this question.
“People may think ‘well, you’re managing in the Premier League, you should be thinking about things like that’, but the reality is, I’m at Bournemouth and we had a very clear aim, this season, and the season before, it’s very important we hit those objectives.”