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.
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Leckie had just chested the ball goalwards after an over hit cross from Cahill. It was a great chance, then the Dutch go up and score.
This should save me having to go to the dam for a smoke…….
http://celtsarehere.com/celtic-go-dutch-for-new-surface/
SFTB
Thanks for clarifying that.
From point 3 onwards I’d agree completely, the game is too results driven and often at the expense of good football and the opportunity for young prospects to flourish.
I also agree that providing good, promising coaches with positions that don’t have the constant threat of the sack hanging over them will not only allow them to develop their skills and philosophy but also foster confidence in what they’re doing.
However, I disagree with your first 2 points.
I don’t think, as I’ve said, that Yogi plays a particularly entertaining style. It can be attacking and it may be expansive. But for me it also shows naivety if you don’t have the quality of player to do that.
It’s preparing to fail.
With regards to point 2. I maintain that Yogi gets jobs at those types of clubs because he’s not good enough to get anything better.
Anyway, your hedge must resemble a mini Bonsai now :-)
Netherlands controlling the game now for the first time, really. Aussies look as if they’re tiring a bit.
Joe Filippis Haircut
Of course it would mate
Top salaries would include some of their “star players” but not Miller sadly he is there to help out for a wee amount
HH
Great save keeps them in it!
Weet weet
From earlier, yes, not bad bud, not bad profit at all, though I’m left wishing the 5 th one had ran a place. 5 x my stake profit so happy with that.
Tennis ………2 0. Easy money:-))
Hate the Dutch!!!
PFayr
The very one.
Thindimebhoy –
Phil clearly stipulated that they were demands made by Deloitte with a deadline of last Friday. He doesn’t use the words suggestions or recommendations.
The entire article is a load of made up nonsense.
Well done Celtic and Mr Lawell especially.
https://twitter.com/billybhoy88/status/479300319214845952
Ps yes, I did just praise the board :-)
hamiltontim
18:43 on 18 June, 2014
Well, blow me down ….. Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha
How can the Zombies pay off the 10 highest earners, they have no money to pay them off? Steakbake is safe, good news.
….pfayr supports weeoscar
Who we supporting in the 23:00 K.O.?…:)
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
67heaven
I’ve frequently been supportive of the boards’ actions but sadly in the last couple of years I’ve been angered and saddened by several things.
Anyway, I thought that was good of PL and deserved to be mentioned.
tom mclaughlin
18:41 on 18 June, 2014
“They had REQUESTED DETAILED DOCUMENTATION from RIFC by close of business last Friday (13th June 2014).”
Keep up with us FGS….. :)
hamiltontim
18:53 on 18 June, 2014
Absolutely….. Was just kidding you on ….:)
hamiltontim
18:43 on 18 June, 2014
Always said PL is in touch with the Support…:)
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
HT –
:)
Big Peter, Big heart o’ Gold ( 24 carat!)
Excellent effort from the ghood ghuys.
HH
Tom McLaughlin
18:41 on 18 June, 2014
‘Thindimebhoy –
Phil clearly stipulated that they were demands made by Deloitte with a deadline of last Friday’
####
The version I’ve read says ‘They had requested documentation’ by Friday 13th Which they received on time.
On receipt of that information they’ve then stipulated what must be done to allow them to certify that the company is solvent.
I’ve no idea if the report is accurate but it’s not intrinsically incredible.
If anyone wants to save money at the “hate factory” and overlooks the fat sleekit one for bagging, then they are not very good at their job IMHO.
So it’s a We’ll see on Phils article for me.
Till later all
Thank you Neil for all you did and all you put up with, I hope you come back to us.
I personally would place you joint second as the best manager in my lifetime along with Tommy and Martin.
Have high hopes for the new team.
Mon the CQN Couponeers :))))
leftclicktic we are all neil lennon
19:00 on 18 June, 2014
Thank you for your support Amigo. Need to arrange delivery of the Book.
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
Unlucky Australia although never a penalty.
Robbing Van Persie?
Spain team
Spain: Casillas; Azpilicueta, Ramos, Martinez, Alba; Alonso, Busquets; Pedro, Silva, Iniesta; Costa
How can he drop Pique but keep Ramos in the team after the game he had. Casillas probably keeps his place because De Gea is injured.
No rush bud
I got “the Escape” by Gerry Kelly for fathers day :)))
Till later all
Dog to walk and more fitba to watch.
itsahardlifeCSC
theglasgowcelticway
19:03 on
18 June, 2014
Unlucky Australia although never a penalty.
Yes the convicts played with plenty of spirit
last post for
Lennybhoy…Supporting the DAM 5 and CFC until I die
Hamiltontim
18:53 on
18 June, 2014
I think its a cynical attempt to sell season tickets……………………..PL the good guy not buying it
ernie lynch
18:58 on
18 June, 2014
Tom McLaughlin
18:41 on 18 June, 2014
‘Thindimebhoy –
Phil clearly stipulated that they were demands made by Deloitte with a deadline of last Friday’
####
The version I’ve read says ‘They had requested documentation’ by Friday 13th Which they received on time.
On receipt of that information they’ve then stipulated what must be done to allow them to certify that the company is solvent.
I’ve no idea if the report is accurate but it’s not intrinsically incredible.
———————————————————————————-
It seems credible that the auditor may have had issues with the accounts and/or subsequent information they were supplied. What seems less credible is that an auditor would tell a business they had to sell an asset or get rid of staff – that’s not their job. Of course Deloittes can provide more than an audit service – they also do “management consultancy”. It is possible that in another guise, they are helping the distressed company by making suggestions as to how to remain solvent…which will then allow their audit partners to sign off?
Lionaroar67
Agree. Must be strange for them though having a ball next to their feet but no chain attached to their leg.
Ramos first goal 20/1, Costa done nothing in first game ,still injured.
RVP should have had 2nd yellow
Shouldve dropped Costa for Fabergas, was leaning towards Spain winning this well if they’d gone old school with no striker, now not sure.
Hail hail bro’s
I’m in the George square area of glesga
Looking for a recommendation where to watch the Spain Chile game
Preferably with tims
Thanx
Deloitte cannot dictate what RIFC do.
However, unless they are convinced that the company is in a position to continue to trade, they can and will refuse to sign off on the accounts.
If Phil’s Blog is accurate, what it says is, that there is no way, in their view, that RIFC are viable, unless those recommendations are implemented.
Therefore, they don’t sign off and, walk away.
Enter Swindle, Sue and Burn, Accountants to the Spivs.
NB.
An opinion based on ignorance of accountancy.