Winning all that matters to Celtic assistant Venus

Published on Friday 26 June 2009 10:01

CELTIC assistant manager Mark Venus is well aware of the intense demands that will be put upon him and manager Tony Mowbray at Parkhead next season.

The new Hoops management team of Venus, Mowbray and first-team coach Peter Grant, were announced last week and already they are preparing for the first Champions League qualifier on July 28 or 29, which comes before the Clydesdale Bank Premier League season begins on August 15.

While much has been made of Mowbray's footballing philosophy since the former Hibs and West Brom boss took over from Gordon Strachan, Venus knows that success, above all, is demanded at the Glasgow club.

Venus said: "My priority is to be successful, first and foremost.

"There is no other priority for me.

"The club is as big as any in the league and we are expected to win things.

"And the bottom line for me is I want to win things."

Venus accepts he is entering a different financial situation from which he operated under last season at West Brom when the Baggies were in the Barclays Premier League.

The former Ipswich and Wolves defender, however, is confident players can be found to strengthen the Hoops' squad which could soon be threadbare.

Japan international Shunsuke Nakamura is to join Spanish side Espanyol, and there are doubts over the futures of midfielder Paul Hartley and striker Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink, who are both out of contract.

Skipper Stephen McManus will miss the start of the season as he recovers from a knee injury and midfielder Scott Brown is a doubt with an ankle problem.

But Venus insists he and Mowbray will simply cut their cloth to suit as they set out refurbishing their squad.

He said: "Teams like Bolton and Fulham can go out and spend ten million pounds on a player and give them X amount of millions of pounds per year.

"We can only spend what we've got, but hopefully we can use what we are given wisely.

"We are not going to be able to purchase the finished article, we are going to have to improve players from wherever we sign them from.

"But we understand that the club craves success and we do too."