STARK IS CALLING FOR CULL OF BHOYS

THE name of the next Celtic manager may still be unknown. But one of the most pressing tasks awaiting Ronny Deila’s successor is easily identifiable. Billy Stark, the respected former Parkhead midfielder and assistant manager, believes the next incumbent — with Brendan Rodgers yesterday becoming the bookies’ favourite — must quickly take an axe through a bloated squad. When the transfer window shut in January, Celtic had 17 midfielders, with another five out on loan. When Deila announced last month he was to leave at the end of the season, he admitted keeping everyone happy had been tricky. ‘It’s impossible to have over 30 players and keep everyone happy,’ said Stark, who was right-hand man to Celtic boss Tommy Burns in the 1990s. ‘If I had 30-odd players, I would be waking up in the middle of the night, wondering how to control that amount. ‘I think Celtic need an established manager. The size of the club means they need an experienced man who knows how to handle a dressing room. ‘And an experienced manager wouldn’t want that number of players to control because that is what management is about these days. ‘I don’t think I’d be in the minority having the view that Celtic have far too many players. And I’d expect the new manager to address that. ‘I always laugh at the phrase: “A manager’s lost the dressing room” because that’s nonsense. There will always be people who don’t like the manager because they are not playing. ‘A manager’s skill is to accept people will feel that way but talk to them in a manner that keeps them feeling part of it.’