Some Celtic fans have been fuming at the latest tweet that former manager John Barnes recently put out.
Barnes’ latest tweet talked about the time when he was managing the Hoops. He responded to a Celtic fan who had tweeted that Barnes had used a ‘2-2-2-2-2’ formation when he was managing the Parkhead club. Barnes quote-tweeted this, correcting the fan that it was actually a 4-2-2-2 shape. He mocked the fan for believing the media and for feeling that the ex-Liverpool man didn’t know what he was doing while at the helm at Celtic Park.
This caught the attention of many Celtic fans. Some of them mocked Barnes and some of his selections during his time at Parkhead.
Rafael scheidt????
Petrov right back ??— Graham scarff (@sponge8088) June 11, 2020
Was Barnes ever good enough to manage Celtic?
Never, he was horrible
Yes, he needed time
Come on JB,,, class act on the park,, terrible terrible manager, you should have been sacked long before you were. Stay safe
— Jim mc fadden (@Jimmcfadden18) June 10, 2020
John, a great player for Liverpool but a very poor manager up here in Glasgow…..(I’ve just copied and pasted to Steven as well)
— Jaap Sigh (@sentirlegant) June 10, 2020
John your a nice guy no Celtic fan holds you any I’ll will! You were a great footballer but a dreadful manager. Hold your hands up and move on!
— GT (@GT1888) June 10, 2020
Barnes had managed Celtic for a brief time. in what was his first managerial role. He joined the club in the summer of 1999 but would leave the club in February 2000 after a matter of months in the post.
He then went on to become a scout at Sunderland before managing the Jamaican national team and Tranmere Rovers (via Transfermarkt).
But the former manager’s tweet caught the attention of some other Celtic fans, who also had negative things to say.
John. You were a great player. I like you. You have lost it on your Celtic dismissal though
— Paddy Twelvstone (@MaybeHeadSouth) June 10, 2020
Utter nonsense he was a disaster as a manager end of!!
— jeremiah O’ Donovan Rossa (@Michael05307363) June 10, 2020
Barnesy mind you were playing Stan Petrov at right back ??????
— Joseph Michael Naughton (@J003NAU) June 10, 2020
You wasted 6 million of our money on a Brazilian dud none of you had seen in the flesh. And you honestly think you were hard done to? Even Petrov you nearly ruined. Guy was ready to pack his bags and head home before O’Neill cleaned up the mess you left.
— Taz (@Taz1981Taz) June 10, 2020
CelticWiki claims that Barnes indeed used a 4-2-2-2 shape but labelled it as a ‘failure’ and it only added further to the problems he faced at Parkhead. The Hoops-related website also suggests that there were dressing room disturbances and they revealed Barnes’ ‘poor man-management skills’. The article also says that this had created a ‘negative’ environment at the club.
This shows that Barnes’ time at Celtic certainly wasn’t the most impressive one. In that sense, the criticism from Hoops fans is arguably valid.