CELTIC yesterday strode into a new era with Kenny Dalglish and John Barnes forming a new power axis at the Parkhead helm and pleading for time to make their revolution a reality.
Dalglish was formally confirmed as director of football operations with Barnes replacing Jozef Venglos as head coach.
The veteran Slovakian departs his post after less than a year after being unable to guide the team to any silverware and now reverts to the much less high profile role of European technical adviser.
For Barnes, management follows a distinguished playing career primarily at Watford and Liverpool gaining 79 England caps and while untried as a coach, Dalglish has no doubts about his potential.
When asked whether the appointment represented a major gamble, Dalglish, with his trademark humour, shrugged in response: “It’s a gamble getting up in the morning.
“John was a magnificent footballer and I’m sure he will transfer those attributes.
“This is his first job, but Liverpool was my first job and I won trophies with the help of Bob Paisley.”
ooooooooooooOOOOOoooooooooooo
ARMAGH shuffled their Championship pack to face Donegal with Crossmaglen’s John McEntee making the starting line-up, but Diarmaid Marsden is only fit for the bench again.
The prolific Marsden, who has been struggling with a bad groin injury since a league semi-final replay against Dublin, is a major blow to Armagh’s hopes. But McEntee’s inclusion will bolster the Orchard county’s attacking options in Clones on Sunday.
Armagh (SF v Donegal): B Tierney, E McNulty, G Reid, J McNulty, K Hughes, K McGeeney, A McCann, J Burns, P McGrane, A O’Neill, J McEntee, J Rafferty, D Wilson, P McKeever, O McConville.
ooooooooooooOOOOOoooooooooooo
DONEGAL manager Declan Bonner will back on the touchline for this Sunday’s Ulster Championship first round replay with Armagh after sitting in the stands for last week’s 2-9 to 1-12 draw in Ballybofey.
During that match Bonner used a walkie talkie to communicate his instructions to the bench.
Bonner was banished to the stand for incurring the wrath of the Ulster Council during last year’s Ulster Final in Clones, where repeated encroachments onto the field of play got him banned from the line for one championship match.
But the Donegal manager expressed no real problems with last Sunday’s arrangement. “We would normally have someone watching the game from a higher level.
From a vantage point of view I could see a lot more and had a better angle to see what was going on. I was able to get my instructions down to the sidelines with no great problems, so it wasn’t that bad.”
Donegal (SF v Armagh): T Blake, D Diver, M Crossan, S Carr, N Hegarty, M Coll, N McCready, J Ruane, J McGuinness, M Hegarty, A Sweeney, J Gildea, B Roper, T Boyle, B Devenney
Subs: P Callaghan, J Gallagher, E Reddin, B Ward, N McGinley, J Duffy, R Sweeney, B McLaughlin, M Doherty, J McCafferty, P McGinley.
