Mowbray to ditch open approach as family worry about media negativity

Published on Friday 4 December 2009 23:12

CELTIC manager Tony Mowbray has revealed his family have been concerned about the negativity which has surrounded him since taking over the Parkhead job in the summer.

The Celtic manager has taken issue with the press he has had to endure since taking over from Gordon Strachan in the summer, and now believes he can no longer continue with an open and honest attitude towards the Scottish media.

Much of the criticism has come in the wake of the Parkhead club exiting the Champions League, the Co-operative Insurance Cup and the Europa League. However, the former Hibernian and West Bromwich Albion manager believes he has been too often misrepresented in pre and post-match press conferences.

Mowbray has cut an increasingly surly figure in recent weeks, his mood failing to improve even though his side went top of the Clydesdale Bank Premier League last Saturday with a 3-1 win over St Mirren at Parkhead, which was followed up in midweek by their first victory in their Europa League Group C campaign, a 2-0 win over Hapoel Tel-Aviv.

Ahead of the visit of Aberdeen today in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League, the former Celtic defender said: "I've enjoyed five or six years working as a manager and I've never before had the reaction or the manipulation of what you might say.

"It's pretty open for the world to see. In Scotland you are either great or you are not. There seems to be no grey areas.

"I played here at Celtic for four years so it has been a period where you see if things have mellowed, but maybe it's nave to think that they have mellowed.

"I understand it but the bottom line is when you are speaking to the media in the West Midlands, there doesn't seem to be an agenda there, or the need to twist things.

"You can talk honestly and openly and have a bit of banter with the journalists who are not there to create stories that aren't there. You definitely can't do that here. I'm a pretty open guy and I like to talk about football, but if it keeps getting used against you every week, then why keep falling in the same trap?

"I'm an honest guy but that doesn't seem to be a positive, it seems to be a negative.

"But I'm not here to change it, I'm here to work within it and I will do that."

Mowbray pointed to his family's concerns, saying: "It affects the people around you who read the papers, the people you love and care about, family members.

"It's not particularly nice that they got concerned about me. My message to them has always been that you don't need to concern yourself about me, I'm fine.

"I laugh it off, it genuinely is not an issue for me. I am a very focused guy in what I believe is right and I will keep doing that."

Mowbray's side today face an Aberdeen team who are looking for their second Old Firm scalp in eight days, having beaten Rangers 1-0 at Pittodrie last Saturday.

Celtic turned in arguably their best performance of the season when they won 3-1 at Pittodrie on the opening day.

Midfielder Barry Robson claimed the Parkhead side were "unplayable" that day but Mowbray was less enthusiastic in his summation.

"We played them on the opening game of the season and we had a decent 45 minutes up there, it was pretty good," said the Parkhead manager.

"We created lots of chances, scored three goals and could have scored more.

"But it wasn't great in the second 45 minutes and if you are talking about the second half, we lost 1-0. So within that game there was the inconsistency that has been there most of the season.

"I haven't seen much of Aberdeen but they seem to be putting together some results and performances and they have some very talented young players."

Mowbray expects Korean youngster Ki-Sung Yong to complete his 2million move from FC Seoul this afternoon.

Midfielder Scott Brown flew to Amsterdam yesterday for another operation on his ankle.