PAOLO DI CANIO said yesterday that he may not return to Celtic after the summer break. Having made a scoring contribution to this victory at Easter Road the Italian, upset at the sacking of the manager Tommy Burns on Friday, said he could make no promises for the new season.
"I'm not happy about this," said di Canio, who last week was made Scotland's Player of the Year by his fellow footballers. "My gaffer, Tommy Burns, was not on the bench and I think Fergus McCann (Celtic's managing director) made a mistake. I have a little problem with the club and I may not come back after the summer. I like Tommy Burns very much and this was a difficult day for the players."
Di Lanio, who joined the Celtic supporters after the match and handed them his jersey, was clearly speaking out of emotion rather than rationality. He still has three years of his contract to run. Di Canio won yet another man of the match award yesterday, scoring the second Celtic goal with a wonderful drive after cutting in from the left past two defenders in the 43rd minute.
Jorge Cadete had already put Celtic ahead in only 12 minutes, and Lee Power had equalised for Hibernian with a close range left foot shot from Jamie McQuilken's long through pass.
Cadete brought his seasonal total to an impressive 32 with another clever chip over Jim Leighton after being released by Stuart Gray. Celtic's plans for a future management structure, revealed the morning after Burns's sacking, suggest that McCann and his fellow directors have concluded after a three year `trial' that the job is too much for one man.
Whether they are right or not remains to be seen, but in the last few months of the unfortunate Burns's term he certainly seemed to be cloaked in grey, both physically and spiritually. Offered the opportunity to remain at the club as head of youth development, he chose to walk.
Perhaps he should have asked for time to consider - which would surely have been granted - and used that grace to have a conversation with Liam Brady. The former Irish international, who quit as manager of Celtic in 1993 before the ordeal toppled him over the edge, is now in charge of grooming young talent at his former club, Arsenal, invigorated - and happier than he has been since he quit playing.
The most important posts now vacant embrace a Europeanstyle general manager, overseeing the entire football division, and a head coach who will be charged solely with the on field affairs of the first team. The very nature of those jobs may be unappealing to one or two contenders who have been proposed in media speculation.
Bobby Rob son, for example, is unlikely to be tempted by a general manager's job which would deny him his deepest satisfaction - working daily with players and match strategies. At 64, he may be considered too old to be head coach, although McCann is a known admirer of the abilities of the Barcelona and former England manager.
Of all the personalities who have crowded various lists of candidates in recent days, Craig Brown, the Scotland manager, has credentials which are as sound as any. Not only has Brown proved himself to be one of the astutest tacticians in the game, but he is educated - a former college lecturer - and has management skills not common to the average former footballer.
Brown, almost an academician in his approach to the intricacies of the game and addicted to manipulating teams, could be interested in the job of head coach.
That would allow him to use his talents, as it would include travelling the continent in search of players as well as moulding them into a unit after their signing. Celtic's victory yesterday left Hibernian still sweating over possible relegation and made Rangers wait to celebrate their ninth successive Premier Division title.
The champions elect have their own opportunity this afternoon, however, when they play Motherwell at Ibrox. A draw will be sufficient to confirm Walter Smith's team as champions, but they face a Fir Park side fighting for survival in the top league.
