The relatively unknown Norwegian was appointed as the top man at Parkhead today…
When the name Ronny Deila was linked with the Celtic job this week, everyone in JOE towers was left a bit confused. Who is this guy? Why have we never heard of him? Celtic made us question our European Football knowledge…
If you were in the same boat as us, fear not because we’ve been doing our research and here are a few things that will help you look like a genius in front of your friends.
He transformed his old club from relegation battlers to title winners
The 38-year old led minnows Stromsgodset to the Norwegian Premier Division title last season. The club, who were traditionally a relegation battling club, completely defied the odds under Deila. Their real strength is at home where they haven’t been beaten since June 2011.
He’s not afraid to get naked
Deila is a bit of a character, he promised the Stromsgodset fans that if they won the league, he’d throw all of his clothes into the the stand. They beat Viking 2-1 to clinch the title and this happened…
He’s well-travelled
Deila has drawn comparisons to the likes of Liverpool’s Brendan Rodgers and Borussia Dortmund’s Jurgen Klopp as he’s a real student of the game. He’s even visited Rodgers at Melwood and he’s also spent time at Manchester City, Barcelona and Ajax to soak up as much knowledge as possible.
He plays attacking football
Celtic fans can expect real excitement next season because Deila’s teams play an aggressive brand of attacking football, usually in a 4-3-3 formation. Stromsgodset were the highest scorers and had the second best defence in the Norwegian League last season.
He could have been Neil Lennon’s assistant at Celtic Park
He was originally supposed to replace Johann Mjallby as Neil Lennon’s assistant manager but since Lennon’s departure, Deila has impressed the club’s owners enough to get the manager’s job.
It’s a brave appointment by Celtic but considering the standard of the SPL at the moment and the quality players at the club, you’d expect Deila to retain the league title. The biggest challenge he faces is getting to the Champions League group stage; the qualifiers get underway next month so the hard work starts now.
