King Billy To Celtic? Let’s Hope Not

Various media sources are today reporting that Nottingham Forest manager Billy Davies will be leaving the club, to join SPL boys Celtic.

Rumours began surfacing at the weekend, when The Mirror announced that he was a shock contender for the role at Celtic. That news has had a bit more meat put on the bone today, by two separate articles in the The Guardian and The Times.

The Times article comes complete with quotes from his ‘adviser’ Jim Price, stating that Davies wouldn’t be averse to a move to Celtic, despite his former ties with their fiercest rivals Rangers. “I think the idea that Billy is an out-and-out Rangers man is a bit of a myth. I advise Billy on different football matters and my remit with him is simple: when there is any club out there who is interested in having Billy as their manager, we sit down and discuss it.’

Both the Times and The Guardian state that the Glasgow club have sounded out Davies and his possible interest in the job, which is currently being carried out by former Red, Neil Lennon in a stand in capacity. Davies’ managerial credentials would stand him in good stead if he wants the job, even if his religious and political views might not. The question is, will he take it? There’s possibly more reasons why he shouldn’t, bearing in mind the current state of Scottish football, both financially and also in terms of the quality available and that which it can attract. European football would certainly be a draw, but would it be enough?

This of course all plays very well into the hands of Billy Davies himself and he will hopefully see it as a means of strengthening it. He’s had a few well documented fall outs with the board at NFFC, as he has at previous clubs’ before. But, he does at least still get on with Chairman Nigel Doughty despite this. Hopefully Davies will see his job at Forest as being unfinished, wherever we end up playing our football next season. He still feels the need to prove people wrong over his time in the Premiership with Derby and his best chance of doing that is with Forest, either this coming season or next.

Although it would be nice to hear the manager come out and say he’s staying, I don’t think he will, simply because it doesn’t help his case in his arguments over the much maligned acquisitions panel. Speculation, rumour and uncertainty over his future will only add to his case and hopefully make the people at NFFC towers realise that we have the best manager in years looking after team affairs at the City Ground.