Mowbray loses job he never understood

When we posted yesterday about this lacklustre Scottish football season, it was assuming there were few surprises left to maintain interest this season.

But St Mirren thumping Celtic 4-0 is one of the biggest surprises you could hope for. Especially when the Buddies were supposedly licking their wounds after blowing a great chance to win the League Cup, while Celtic were supposedly in fighting form.

St Mirren were slick and incisive last night, but the best footage came from off the field. Tony Mowbray held his head in his hands, while Sellick chief Peter Lawwell thought about which plate he'd use to serve the gaffer's head on.

So that's it - the inventor of the Celtic huddle and man to bring expansive, attacking football back to Parkhead is gone, along with his backroom team, with Neil Lennon appointed caretaker.

The fresh, enthusiastic young coach who had got his first management job at Hibs had never returned to Scotland. Instead, the Tony Mowbray who came back to Celtic was surly and defensive in public, and seemed to lack authority.

His final comments as Celtic manager were as mealy-mouthed as many of his press conferences: "Maybe it isn't a league for trying to force the game and being expansive - maybe it's a league for playing defensive, negative football, and having the quality upfront to counter-attack."

Hmm, Tony. Maybe, if one of your players earns more than your opponent's entire squad, then the onus is on you to try and break them down. And maybe, just maybe, good managers rebuild their team while still getting results on the field, rather than rip up the entire backline mid-season and then wonder why you are leaking goals.

Walter Smith - a man with his own problems - has made Mowbray look like a rookie this season, not a man with two previous jobs in his cv and a supposedly strong conviction about how the game should be played.

Ultimately, Mowbray looked out of his depth, unable to handle the expectations that go with the job.