The ex-Scotland international discusses potential replacements for Matin O'Neill at Celtic, as well as Scotland's upcoming World Cup campaign.
Former Celtic player and Scotland international Paul Lambert believes current Motherwell boss Jens Berthel Askou could step up to the job at Celtic Park, amid growing speculation over who will succeed Martin O’Neill.
Despite winning the title on the final day against Hearts, there is still uncertainty around whether O’Neill will be kept on at the club. But Lambert, who coached Berthel Askou during his time at Norwich, thinks he could be the ideal candidate to take over.
In our exclusive interview, Lambert also discusses Scotland’s upcoming World Cup campaign as they look to progress beyond the group stage for the first time in their history. They are currently 150/1 in World Cup betting odds to win the competition, which marks their first appearance in the tournament since 1998.
Do you see John McGinn lighting up this World Cup? Can he prove to be a player who is key to Scotland finally qualifying from a group, and why?
From experience of the World Cup, you’ve got to have most of your teammates on their game or else you’re not going to get results. John, along with a number of lads, are going to have to perform to the highest level to get us through the group.
I don’t think it’s just John McGinn that’s the key. There’s going to have to be a nucleus of players for every game. I think you need about eight or nine players to hit their maximum to get a result. If we can do that then it’s going to be great.
No doubt he’s [McGinn] going to be a big player for Scotland. But I’ve been there and I know what it’s like, you don’t just want to turn up. I think that’s important for us as a nation. I think everybody has to turn up for the tournament.
Should the SFA be pulling out the stops to keep Steve Clarke or could this actually be a good parting time for both?
100% they should try everything to keep him because he’s got us to three major tournaments now. It’s been an incredible time Stevie’s had with Scotland, so I think the SFA would be silly not to try and get him to stay. I think the guys at the SFA are quite clued in with what they want to do.
I think he’s done really well and got the group together to play like a club team. But it’s whether Stevie wants to carry on and whether he wants to go back into club management.
I’m pretty sure he misses working with players every day and what that brings. But coaching the national team has given him a lot of joy and a lot of major experiences. I think one aspect of it would be if Stevie wants to carry on and the other will be if he wants to go back into club management.
I’m pretty sure the SFA will be talking, or they’ll probably know at this minute what they’re going to do.
Who do you think should be Scotland’s main striker for the World Cup?
That’s the big question for us. They’ve tried numerous ones. Lyndon Dykes to be fair has always done pretty well for us every time he’s started. He might not be the most prolific goal scorer, but he works ever so hard and that’s what we’re going to need.
We’re going to need people that can move around the pitch and cause trouble. As I said, he [Dykes] might not be the prolific goal scorer that everybody’s looking for, but I’m not sure we’ve got one at a national level. That’s no slant on the guys themselves, it’s just the way it is.
We have Lyndon Dykes, Shankland, Che Adams as well. But I don’t really know who Steve Clarke is going to play.
I think Ben Gannon-Doak is going to be a big player if he’s fit. He can make things happen. But it’s a tough question. I like Lyndon Dykes because of his work ethic. He might not score as much, but he can bring people into the game.
You were part of the last Scotland team to reach a World Cup. What are your memories of that tournament and how does Steve Clarke’s side compare to the one Craig Brown had in 1998?
The ‘98 World Cup was a fantastic time. We drew Brazil in the first game, and I always say if you can’t win the World Cup, you may as well open it against Brazil – especially that team that we played against. They had Cafu, Roberto Carlos, Rivaldo, Ronaldo, and Dunga, they were all playing and they were a terrific, terrific team.
They had arguably the best player in the world at that time in Ronaldo. France ‘98 was great because it was in one country as well. It wasn’t spread over Mexico, Canada and America like this one coming up. But France was great.
To play in the Stade de France was great, to play in the World Cup against Brazil was a great experience too. But we were unlucky against Brazil. They just beat us with an own goal.
The only game I think we let ourselves down in was Morocco. Craig Burley got sent off, but I don’t think it would have mattered. We’d have still lost because we never turned up in that game.
Against Brazil, I thought we played really well. Norway, I thought we were excellent and should have beaten them. We drew 1-1, but we absolutely gave Norway a right torrid time that afternoon in Bordeaux, and we should have won.
If we’d won that one, then it might have might have just sent us through, but the Morocco game we just never turned up, and we deservedly lost the game.
But I played with some great players in the Scotland team. A lot of lads were playing with huge clubs in the top leagues. I won the Champions League the year before and played with Borussia Dortmund, then I joined Celtic, won the league with them and played in big games.
But all the guys were like that. The Rangers guys were all there, the Celtic guys were there and then we had big players from down south. We lost Gary McAllister at the wrong time which was a big blow. Ally McCoist obviously wasn’t there as well.
But we were still a really good side, and a tough side to play against. But football is about eras. You never compare any era. You can only compete with the era you are in and who you’re against.
The Scotland team at the minute are a nice football team and they’ve got the country’s backing, which is great. I think we lost that a few years ago and Stevie’s brought that back again. There’s the same feeling with the national team now to what it was when I played. The fans were right behind us.
The team I played in had a lot of leaders and a lot of guys who were strong-willed and loved the challenge. I think the two teams are pretty similar in the way the spirit is. I think Steve has created a really good club spirit, and I think Craig Brown created that with us as well.
Clarke has surpassed the legendary Brown in terms of games in charge of the national team and he’s now led Scotland to 3 major tournaments. When he eventually moves on, how will Scotland remember him as a gaffer?
If he gets us through the group stage, it’s the first Scotland team in history to do that, which would be fabulous. But to get us to three major tournaments is unbelievable, especially when we were in a bad place a few years ago. We didn’t have players coming through and we just weren’t performing.
Just like Craig Brown did, he’s managed to pull it all together and make it a club atmosphere.
What have you made of the work O’Neill has done this season, with Celtic winning the title on the final day. Do you think he needs to be retained by Celtic in some capacity next season so that he can still have an impact on the club?
I said at the time if there was anybody who was going to rescue them from the predicament they were in, it would have been him [Martin O’Neill].
Is it top-level standard – no, it’s not. It’s in your face that the level is not the top standard, but I think Celtic have to improve, as everybody knows.
There was obviously turmoil throughout the season, but Celtic have to improve for Europe without a doubt. But even for the league, they have to improve, let alone Europe. They simply have to get better, which I’m pretty sure they will. I think for them and Rangers, this season has been an eye-opener. Celtic and Rangers will not let that happen again.
The two teams were pushed to the limit, but the best team always wins the league.
That’s the crux of the whole thing, and I don’t think there’d be another manager to do what O’Neill’s done. He knew the club and how it worked, he knew how to get people to play for him, and importantly how to get people to run.
The Celtic players were not performing for Wilfried Nancy or at the start with Brendan Rodgers, so I don’t know what happened there. But then the manager came in not once but twice and gave them a new lease of life.
For me, he was the only one that could go in there and turn that situation around. Will the club keep him on? I don’t know whether the manager wants that or whether he thinks it’s time to leave. Or whether he wants to stay at the club in some capacity and help that way, I don’t know.
But whatever happens, I think Jock Stein will always be revered as the greatest Celtic manager because of the European Cup. But I would put Martin O’Neill just slightly behind him, and that’s the biggest accolade I can give him. Not just because of what he did for us when we were there, but what he’s done for the guys now too.
Celtic is a difficult place to play when things are against you, but when there’s unity at the club, it’s an incredible place to play. So when they had that divide this season, that was certainly detrimental to them. But all credit to the team, they stuck in and got the title.
Can you comment on the dressing room dynamic between O’Neill and Neil Lennon during your time at Celtic?
It’s the same as what it was with everybody. Martin was never a manager you would ever get close to, he always had that distance from you and would tick anybody off if he thought they weren’t performing. So Lenny [Neil Lennon] was no different.
What we did have was an absolute brilliant dressing room. It was strong and full of guys that knew how to win. That was in Europe as well. That’s why I said the current Celtic team has to improve in Europe, not just Scotland.
That Celtic team I played in could compete easily in Europe. It didn’t matter who we played against, whether it’s home or away, we competed brilliantly. We came down to England a few times and beat a few English teams, so we could hold our own.
But we had big, big players at that time. But the dynamic with the manager in our dressing room, everybody knew he was the boss. There was never any arguing back. We did what we were told and that’s the biggest compliment I can give him. He had everybody on side and if the manager wanted to take anybody off, Lenny included, he would.
There was a lot of interest for Arne Engels and Celtic even rejected multiple bids – how highly do you rate him and his importance for Celtic?
It was a good bonus for them when he came back from injury. He’s been in Scotland now for a couple of years, and whether he wants to move is another question altogether. But I think he gave them a little boost when they needed it as well.
He’s coped great with the pressure as well. He obviously scored against Hearts, and that was a huge penalty for him.
He may have another year at Celtic. Or if somebody comes in for him and the board think they can invest it better elsewhere, then they’ll go and do that because no player is bigger than the club.
The club’s always going to be there and it’s an incredible club. So, Celtic have to weigh up if there is somebody better than Arne Engels, or whether he’s the best option at the time for the team.
Do you expect Celtic to cash in on the likes of Daizen Maeda, Arne Engels and Benjamin Nygren if big money offers come in this summer?
They either keep them and get better players around them to help, because they can’t have another inconsistent season like that.
For me, to be a Celtic player you have to be consistent. They’ve done that over the last number of years, but this season was just too close for comfort for them. They’ve had a fright this season and they’d be silly not to think that was a fright because in football you can sleepwalk into things.
Maybe they needed that fright because it made them think this can’t happen again. That’s why I think everybody at Celtic, the board, the manager, they’ll be analysing what type of player they need.
Celtic Football Club is about winning, they’re not a developing club, and the club has to win games of football. It doesn’t matter if they play nice football, the fans want to see winning football – and that’s what the manager gave them when he came in.
But I think they need to bring a few players in to help them, without a doubt.
Callum McGregor has discussed his future while being linked with a move to Saudi and a reunion with Brendan Rodgers. Would it be the right time for Callum to move or would you like to see him remain at Celtic?
I can see him staying. I don’t know how old Callum is at this minute but one thing Callum will never beat is age – age is undefeated. But again, Celtic’s job is to figure out if they can get better players and take the club to the next level.
What I would say about Callum, whether he’s going to play as many games next season or if somebody better comes in, that is a football decision. But to have his experience and the Celtic know-how around the club is invaluable. He’s got that in abundance, and you need to have that there.
He’s done great but he’s not getting any younger. But again, Celtic’s job is to bring in players that they think are going to enhance the club. But 100%, it would be great for him to stay for the football club, but is he going to play for the next 10 years? No, it’s not going to happen.
A new player going in would have to fight with Callum to get his position. But if you’re talking about somebody being a cornerstone of the club, then you would definitely want Callum to stay.
What areas would you like to see Celtic strengthen in this summer? Any players in particular who you would love to see the Hoops try and sign?
I think they need to go across the board. The club needs a little bit of help. They need three or four players coming in there to enhance several positions, but the players have to be top level.
They should be players that help Celtic make a mark in Europe. Kasper Schmeichel looks like he’s going to leave, so they’re going to have to look at a goalkeeper as well, even though the lad Sinisalo did really well, they may look to improve on that position.
Carter-Vickers is going to come back at some point. I think Celtic will need a few players, but they’ll need players that are ready made. You might get away with one or two younger ones coming in, but you need that core as well that know second place is last – and certainly third is way off the scale. We just don’t finish third.
Robbie Keane has been mentioned as a managerial contender – does you think that would be a good choice? If not him, who would you like to see take on the role?
Obviously, Robbie played for the club and knows what the club is all about, but that counts for nothing because the fans will want to win games.
I know they speak about Jens [Berthel Askou] who is at Motherwell. I had Jens at Norwich, and I think he’s done a fabulous job at Motherwell and done great getting them into Europe. He knows the Scottish game as well.
Could Jens handle Celtic? I think he could because he’s a nice lad. I only knew him a little bit when I was at Norwich, he was with me when I first went there so I know what type of lad he is. But he’s done terrifically well.
Robbie knows the Scottish game from being a player there. But whoever gets the Celtic job, one bit of advice I would give them is you have to win games. There’s no two ways about it. You have to win – as you saw what happened to Wilfried Nancy, and what happened to Russell Martin at Rangers as well.
If you don’t win games at Celtic and Rangers, then you find yourself in a bit of hot water.
How much did Martin O’Neill’s management impact you as a player at Celtic, and what specific lessons from that period stayed with you throughout your playing and managerial career?
I was really lucky because the greatest manager I played under was Otmar Hitzfeld. Otmar was an incredible manager and did it at the highest level with Dortmund and Bayern Munich.
I then went to Celtic and I had a great manager in Wim Jansen. He was a fantastic manager as well, and then Martin came in. We never knew what to expect, but he took to the club right away and he knew it was all about winning.
He never got too close to us because he wasn’t that type of guy, but what you did do was run through a wall for him. I’m pretty sure I won’t be the only one to say that, and that’s the key to it. You’ve got to have people that work for you.
We all knew the game, and what roles to play. We never needed him to tell us where to go. We all knew how to play. What we did need was a manager we could follow and who could lead the club.
I think the leadership from him is second to none, and to do it at his age shows he’s got the enthusiasm and knowledge of the game – he’s been absolutely brilliant. He’s been a saviour for Celtic this season, that’s for sure.
What do you think Borussia Dortmund need to do to challenge Bayern next season and how have you assessed the current campaign?
When you look at Bayern this season, they’ve been relentless. But Bayern’s finances are way ahead of everybody else’s in the Bundesliga before a ball is even kicked. But what Dortmund do is they compete, and when the Dortmund-Bayern game fixture list comes out, everybody wants to see them play.
It’s a great game to play in, and it’s great that Schalke are back in the league as well because that’s going to be a huge derby. But the only thing Dortmund can do is keep going, because at one stage it got to about five points difference during the season, so it’s not a massive thing that they can’t do. It’s just that consistency level of bringing Bayern back into shooting distance.
But Bayern, as everybody knows, is financially incredibly strong. The goals that they score, the bench they have, they’re so experienced. Dortmund’s model is a little bit different.
But what I would say is, Bayern know when they play Dortmund, it’s their toughest gig. They had a good finish to this year, but if Dortmund as a club can bring Bayern back into their sights a little bit next season, it’ll be close because they are the two biggest clubs in Germany.
