Jens Berthel Askou faced the Celtic question head on Thursday, but he was not about to pour fuel on it. The Motherwell manager has been heavily linked with a summer move to Hoops, yet his focus, at least publicly, remains on the job in front of him.
They have been structured, calm in possession and difficult to break down. That kind of profile will always draw interest when Celtic are being discussed.
Askou did not shut the door, but he did not open it either. He kept the focus on his current role and the run-in ahead. For Celtic supporters, it was measured rather than dismissive.
He said: (Daily Record), “I don’t know if it’s disrespectful, but I don’t think it [speculation] is anything you can avoid. It’s not something I need to comment on or anything, it’s something that we cannot stop.
“There is a little bit of noise and speculation about stuff, but the good thing is that I’m here, I’m really pleased with that.
“Celtic, they have a job to do as well, and that’s why I don’t feel any need to comment on these things. Everyone needs their peace and quiet to finish the season strongly.
“It’s an environment that we’ve pushed from day one, that we don’t want to get too obsessed or excited or affected by what happens around us. We focus on what we can control.”
For Celtic, the wider question has not gone away yet. The club will need something new in the dugout before long. Whoever steps in has to handle scrutiny from day one and still keep a dressing room steady.
Askou’s calm tone will not decide anything on its own. Results and long-term planning will matter most. But how a manager speaks under pressure tells you something about how he might cope at a bigger club.
There is also the matter of fit. Celtic need someone who can impose a clear way of playing and work within the recruitment structure already in place. That balance has not always been comfortable in recent years.
For now, it remains talk. The season still has many games to be played. Yet every measured answer, every composed press conference, adds another question to the conversation around who will lead Celtic next.
