Celtic have won both of their matches with Martin O’Neill as the interim manager, after Brendan Rodgers tendered his resignation at the start of last week.
Following a 4-0 win over Falkirk in the Scottish Premiership, the Hoops beat Rangers 3-1 at Hampden Park in the semi-final of the League Cup.
Kieran Tierney, as shown in the clip above, came off the bench to provide an excellent assist for Callum Osmand’s first goal for Celtic, and he is a player who the next manager should look to get more from.
Why Celtic's next manager needs to make Kieran Tierney a priority
The Scotland international, who re-joined the club on a free transfer from Arsenal in the summer, should be a priority for the next manager because of his potential to be an elite attacking force down the left.
Tierney has delivered two assists in 12 appearances in the Premiership and European competitions, but he has also delivered two assists in three League Cup outings, per Sofascore.
The left-footed defender provided a regular threat at the top end of the pitch as a creator during his first spell at the club after coming through the youth ranks, as shown in the graphic below.
It was recently reported that Celtic are considering an approach for Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna, who has a £5m release clause, and he could make Tierney completely unplayable at left-back.
Why Kieran McKenna would make Kieran Tierney unplayable
The 4-2-3-1 head coach could make the Hoops star completely unplayable because he has done an amazing job with Leif Davis during his time at Portman Road.
McKenna swooped to sign the English full-back from Leeds in 2021, after he managed one assist in 14 games for Bournemouth on loan, and has turned him into an assist machine.
The Northern Irish head coach, whose work with Ipswich was hailed as “incredible” by Jermaine Jenas, leans heavily on overlapping runs from his left-back to create chances by playing out from an opposition press to create overloads on the flank.
That is not limited to Davis’ individual quality, as shown in the clip above, as Conor Townsend proved to be effective in that tactic against Bournemouth in the Premier League.
McKenna’s way of using his left-back to create chances consistently has proven to be an effective tool, as he won promotion from League One and the Championship in successive seasons.
25/26 (Championship)
13
3
1
24/25 (Premier League)
33
12
2
23/24 (Championship)
44
16
18
22/23 (League One)
45
12
14
As you can see in the table above, Davis has been unplayable for the majority of his Ipswich career under McKenna, with at least 12 ‘big chances’ created in all three of his full seasons at Portman Road, including in the Premier League last term.
These statistics show that the Ipswich manager’s tactics are effective and can allow an attack-minded left-back to truly thrive as a creative force at the top end of the pitch.
Given Tierney’s quality when he gets into advanced positions, as evidenced by his assist haul from his first spell, the Scottish defender could be unlocked under McKenna’s management.
The former Arsenal man, who has registered four assists in all competitions for the club this season, could become completely unplayable, just like Davis, because of his ability to provide overlapping runs and quality crosses.
Tierney, as shown in the clip above, has the quality to take players on to assist his teammates, so imagine how effective he could be in a side that is constantly looking to create space for him down the left.
The Scottish star could become completely unplayable for the Hoops, which is one reason why McKenna could be an exciting appointment for the club.