John Barnes has claimed his win percentage at Celtic was superior to Steven Gerrard's at Rangers, yet he was sacked after just eight months in charge. The Liverpool legend managed Celtic from June 1999 to February 2000, winning 19 of 29 games (66%), compared to Gerrard's 64% win rate at Ibrox. However, a humiliating Scottish Cup defeat to Inverness Caledonian Thistle sealed his fate.
Barnes Defends His Record
Appearing on The Jeff Stelling Show, Barnes argued that his record merited more time. "Interestingly, if I tell you that my record at Celtic is better than Steven Gerrard's record at Rangers, a 66% win percentage at Celtic. But of course, when you're managing Celtic, if you finish second and Rangers win the league, you're a failure," he said. He attributed the failure to deep-seated issues at the club, including player discontent and media hostility.
Early Success and Underlying Problems
Barnes revealed that despite winning 12 of his first 13 matches, he sensed trouble from the start. "I remember even saying to my ex-wife now, but a wife at the time, after the first five games don't come up. I'm not going to be here long," he stated. He blamed powerful players with media connections for undermining him, as well as unrealistic promises made by club chiefs. "You had a lot of Celtic players, names I don't have to mention, who were very powerful in the press with their friends who were not happy," he added.
Key Injuries and Player Unrest
Barnes's tenure was plagued by injuries to key players. Henrik Larsson suffered a broken leg in a match against Lyon, while Paul Lambert broke his jaw in a 4-2 defeat to Rangers at Ibrox. "Without Larsson and Lambert, it was always going to be difficult," Barnes recalled. Additionally, striker Mark Viduka demanded a transfer after being promised by the previous CEO that he could leave for £4 million. "He didn't really want to come, but he came and he started playing well. But because he had come under those circumstances when he didn't really particularly want to come, the owner at the time said to him, 'You know, okay, well, just come. And if you're not happy, you can then leave for £4million,'" Barnes explained.
Final Straw
Despite winning the Manager of the Month award in January 2000, Barnes was sacked after losing just one game in February. "That's football," he concluded. His brief subsequent spells with Jamaica and Tranmere Rovers failed to revive his managerial career.
