Two years ago, current Inverness manager, John Hughes, was guest of honour at the CQN Golf Day. For around two hours during the meal he spoke privately to me about John Collins.
Hughes worked alongside Collins at Livingston and regarded our new assistant manager as the most insightful, tactically aware and innovative person he’d met in the game. According to Hughes, Collins could see things hidden to others, including himself. He could spot weaknesses in opposition teams and make telling observations about his own players and formations.
When recruiting anyone to the management team we want to hear endorsements like this. Most of the CQN demographic are old enough to remember times when managers’ and assistants’ most important attribute was their ability to bang his first on a table and yell “Get stuck right intae them” with a legendary level of authority.
This model of the desirable manager is still valued by British clubs, it’s a superstition which has been fed by famous and successful table bangers like Sir Alex Ferguson, but Ferguson’s Fist was not the source of his magic touch. More than anything else, Ferguson’s successful longevity was his insistence on appointing insightful, tactically aware innovators as assistants, who were often more switched-on than he was.
I wanted a student of the game as manager but I also want another strong tactical head as assistant. The last thing a manager actually needs as his assistant is his pal, or someone who is good at shouting, or even someone to be a buffer between him and the players. Whoever puts the cones out at Lennoxtown, like the Scottish physio at Chelsea, can be the players’ pal, cum-go-between, cum-nag.
One of football’s many inefficiencies is the managerial structure. Unlike other industries, the responsibility and wage gaps between the man with the top job and his assistant are huge. There is no reason for this, in fact, it’s mad. You always need a hierarchy but the no. 2 should have duties, responsibilities and pay only a fraction less than his immediate superior. The huge disparities in authority which are common do not give you a functioning team, at best you have a less efficient autocracy.
As we’ve said for years, guru managers don’t exist, but good, properly constituted, management teams do.
Those in the management team, responsible for spending millions of pounds of our money each year, of making tactical decisions against the best teams in Europe, need to be oracles of the game. Anything less and we’re indulging in one of football’s glaring and costly inefficiencies.
John Collins fits the profile. He also doesn’t suffer fools, with strong ideas on training, fitness, laxity, drinking, diet and off-field behaviour. For Celtic, all of this is necessary. Footballers are elite athletes but there is enormous variation in how dedicated they are to their personal development. This doesn’t exist in elite participants in sports like athletics, where you don’t get near the podium without a puritanical level of commitment to your development, and to your coach’s instructions.
You can also forget any concerns about Scott Brown. The Scott Brown of 2014, who as Neil Lennon’s captain was responsible for imposing misdemeanor fines on players, is more like John Collins than he is like the Scott Brown of 2007.
Over the last seven years we have built the sports science, medical, technical analysis and scouting capacity, all of which are particularly impressive, but the management team has always had a homespun feel about it. In 10 years of CQN I’ve never backed a Celtic management appointment, but with the appointment of Ronny Deila and John Collins we have a new type of management team. There are no guarantees of immediate success in any walk of life, and Champions League qualification this season will still be exposed to the vagaries of sport, but I’m delighted we finally have what looks like a properly constituted team in the dug out.
Visit the CQN Bookstore to get Tommy Gemmell to sign your personal copy of his book, All the Best.
[calameo code=0003901719d82038831a9 lang=en page=126 hidelinks=1 width=100% height=500]
757 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- ...
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
- 14
- 15
- 16
- 17
- 18
- 19
- 20
- »
Hasta la vista mi amigos
Spain are a shadow of the team they were a couple of years ago
No goal threat whatsoever
All good things come to an end …..they’ve won me a right few bob over the last few tournaments
The last bow for many of their number ….
The Pepe departure may have been a contributary factor…….hearts and minds…..
I do believe Celtic were the ruination of Barcelona and by default Spain.
NFL has a lot to answer for!
MWD says AYE
Vidal was he a Hun in a pub in Seville ?
braw
Moonbeams WD. Wee Oscar’s our Bhoy and Kano’s our mhan.
21:46 on 18 June, 2014
That thought had crossed my mind but……its quite a stretch…….. :-))
6mins ffs Sevco stuff
The Spanish only have 5 x 30 something’s in their squad, the bulk will still be available for the Euros. Add those not there in Brazil, Thiago, Isco, Bartra, Caravalo, Deuolofeu and they’ll be one of the favourites.
They need an injection of pace and those in their mid 20s who have won everything their is to win need their desire back.
Spain have performed exceptionally well over the last 6 years winning 2 euro, 1 World Cup and a confed cup,sadly a reign that has now come to an end but they were a joy to watch in that period.
Chile will beat Brazil in last 16 if they meet.
Chile through with the Netherlands in Group B. They’ll play to see who tops the group. Runners-up likely to play Brazil, so it should be interesting to see how they both approach the match.
When did Andre Agassi give up tennis to become the Chilean national football manager?
Hearing Ally McCoist is to be flown in by BBC for the final.
Special Question of Sport in Manchester.
Well played, Chile.
Chile,
no mince!?
;)
Well played Chile, a massive team effort,I enjoyed watching Spain over the years and I’m sure they’ll be back..
HT
Did you see the fotie? :-))
Weefra HH praying to Wee Oscar.
Chile are serious contenders. Adios to Spain. Mibbee also to Engerlund tomorrow ;-)
hahahaha Spain have time to “chill” oot now …braw
Brazil will be hoping they get the Dutch …..well played …..awfy braw
WeeFra
No Missus is away to bed so it’ll be tomorrow that I see it.
Good luck wee man :-)
Hope Ronny gets our bhoys playing like Chile. Great Team.
adios spana
Casillas
Iniesta
Xavi
Alonso
Villa
Torres
maybe Reina,Cazorla too
That 6 year old would have signed somebody by now.
Spongebob Squarepants would be our new striker.
Ben Ten as our new number 10.
SFTB
He’d have added some colour to the place.
MWD says AYE
75 Chile fans being deported to Manchester……….latest from British Brick Company……
SFTB
Aye, an’ Hoopy The Huddlehound would get a shift upfront…………..
HT
I thought it was pitbull managing chile …
Lineker is an effin tube. Canny wait to hear his comments when Uruguay pump Engerland.
tikky takka tara ….hehehehehe
Gerry bhoy
I read that report earlier of the chile fans breaking into the maracana … That’s when I posted the comment ” chile con carnage “
Neustadt
I still think it’s tippy tappy fitbaw
DD
Smarmy twat line acre ..
Well done indeed Chile, bet them at 9/2…:)
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
My wee Chilean Aunty will be over the moon.
A nicer smiley person you couldn’t meet.
Ps Before world cup Pele said Brazil would want to avoid Chile in last 16
No wonder its like the ant hill mob from the wacky races
The World Cup has shown the changing face of the game.
The dominant style has been fast moving, attacking play, coupled with exceptional fitness and a heroic work ethic.
I hope that Celtic adopt this trend in World football and adapt it to our environment.
If only we had people at the club who would share that view.
TBJ …..do you work oot my “bar bear” link ….poeticlicensecfc ….braw
tippy tappas tara
Sorry – I was away –
If anyone is still interested –