By John Barnes

Mowbray and Coyle are both being touted for the Celtic manager's job

Former Celtic assistant Billy Stark says none of the candidates to become manager have the attributes for the job - they would have to acquire them.

Tony Mowbray, Owen Coyle and Mark McGhee are among those still being considered to succeed Gordon Strachan.

"They've all got credentials that are well worth exploring. But, if you ask me have they got the full credentials, I don't think anybody has," he said.

"You have to learn them very quickly when you go into the job."

Celtic appear to have missed out on Swansea's Roberto Martinez, who is poised to be appointed the new manager of Wigan Athletic.

But they appear to have also sounded out West Brom's Mowbray and Burnley's Owen Coyle about the job, while Aberdeen could be delaying their own appointment in light of possible interest from the Glasgow club in Motherwell's McGhee.

And Stark, the Scottish FA youth teams national coach, says whoever becomes the new Celtic boss will have to hit the ground running.

Tony is a very impressive individual, but Mark McGhee has a lot of things going for himself as well, as has Owen Coyle Former Celtic assistant manager Billy Stark

"An Old Firm manager's job is unique - there are so many other things to handle," said Stark.

"In addition to managerial success, the character of the people who take that job is so important as well."

Stark was assistant to Tommy Burns when Mowbray was a feature of Celtic's defence.

"Tony is a very impressive individual," he said. "He's shown himself to be a top-class manager in the short space of time he's being doing it.

"From that point of view, he's well justified to be in the frame. But Mark McGhee has a lot of things going for himself as well, as has Owen Coyle. I know them all to different degrees."

McGhee is also a former Celtic player, while Coyle is a lifelong fan of the club and Stark suggests that having an affinity with the fans is a great help taking on such a job.

"I don't think clubs see that as top of their list of priorities," he said. "I think supporters see it as a bonus if it's a favoured son that's coming back to manage their club.

"I'm always thrilled to be talked about in the same breath as Tommy. But he was the manager and I can tell you being the assistant at a club like Celtic or Rangers is a million miles apart from being the manager.

"That's why I say there are so many things a manager needs to have to cope with it and be successful."

Meanwhile, former Celtic manager Davie Hay thinks that missing out on Martinez proves that managing the deposed Scottish champions is not as big an attraction as it once was.

"You take, for example, Everton's Davie Moyes, an exceptional manager who played for Celtic, although that's not the reason you should always get the job," said Hay.

"The salary he gets and being the manager of a great club in the Premier League in England is too much of a pull.

"Owen might have been slightly different from Davie as, from a salary point of view, Celtic might have been able to attract him.

"But, in years gone by, there would have been no hesitation.

"Somebody like Roy Keane, I know he maybe lacks experience, but he is single-minded and would be accepted initially by Celtic fans, although maybe he is committed to Ipswich."

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