In the time I’ve been writing CQN, this is the eighth managerial change Celtic have gone through. A feature I have always noticed before is that we try to correct for the previous incumbent’s biggest weakness. Did Ange have a big weakness? The sense I am picking up from most on here is that, if anything, we would like more of the same. Change as little as possible and keep the caravan moving. But what was it about Ange that made him successful and, therefore, what do we need in the new man?
He must control alpha males who have often achieved more than you as players. They are usually from a different generation and are therefore culturally remote. The good ones have options and will leave if they don’t take to you, so a Mastery of Contained Authority is required.
Tactics are incredibly technical. Five or six players need to act on a cue from an opponent in tandem, get it wrong, and you will be shredded. Three years ago, we saw how a straightforward technical task like defending a set-piece is far more difficult than non-players could believe. Until recently, managers could survive on their eye for a player and by being the apex alpha, not anymore.
Celtic are on a good road technically. Recruitment and scouting have been focussed to deliver to Ange’s requirements. I would be very reluctant to throw that out for a new plan. We should choose a manager technically in-tune with our current strategy – or one prepared to learn quickly.
Leadership qualities extend beyond the dressing room. Ange excelled here, leading the entire club: fans, board, players, staff, even the media were under his spell. If you think this is easy, we should talk about Gordon Strachan’s time.
Recruitment can be the most important part of a football club. Gordon grew up a Hibs fan and would often watch them. Consequently, he signed three players from Easter Road. Martin O’Neill was once described to be by someone who worked closely with him as a “Match of the Day manager”. If he saw you play well on TV, he would want to sign you. It was not an efficient strategy.
The problem with recruitment is that the net needs to be cast worldwide. Managers often have two games a week and spare time to travel to watch a player is almost non-existent. Modern recruitment is more of a team effort than it was when many of today’s crop of managers first took charge. They need to be prepared to let go of some controls they had before. The manager is either a cog in the wheel, or he is a spanner. Too many are micro-managing spanners.
If players are not good enough, managers get the sack, so you can understand why they want this control, but changes in the game make them a liability. A manager who excels is one who can curtail his apex instincts and become primus inter pares at recruitment meetings.
Not all environments are the same and none are quite like Glasgow. The next Celtic manager needs to take a team to Ibrox in front of 50,000 hostile fans and fortify them for the task. Success or failure in this task alone could determine the outcome of your job in its entirety. Brendan Rodgers, Neil Lennon and Ange were all up to this job. Would a technically brilliant manager who has never faced anything more than a Scandinavian chill cope? How can we know?
Celtic have a shortlist of names that meet the criteria, one that has been curated since before Ange was appointed. It inspires some confidence, but I sense a lot of trepidation among those with the decision to make. Ultimately, you can do all the checks you want, but we all know it’s a throw of the dice.
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Headline writers pushing Knutzen’s name so that when he says he isn’t interested they get their “Celtic kicked in the Knutz” headline.
Oops; I’d forgotten about Musky’s compromised payment history.
Prompted a bit of a skwizz on other tic fansites – not a universally popular choice.
Sure he’s a risk – so was Ange remember – but Musky’s non-hun creds are credible.
And he’s calmed doon a bit in his dotage.
Still think someone who can readily relate to our weighty Nipponese contingent could be advantageous; unless we opt to sell them all…
If I had to choose between maresca and mckenna …I’d take the one who’s actually done something!!!!
1. Knutsen
2. Muscat
3. Potter
4. McKenna
5. Moyes
.
.
.
75. Maresca
Who is McKenna?
Mark McGhee with Peter grant as assistant
Des Buckingham……..
ROBERTTRESSELL on 7TH JUNE 2023 1:56 PM
Who is McKenna?
Kieran McKenna, Ipswich Manager:
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/who-kieran-mckenna-celtic-wildcard-30171765
Random thought. Will Ange use the same “We never stop” mantra at Spurs?
A while back did anyone else notice he ditched the jumper in favour of the shirt, tie and jacket? Wonder if that was part of the PR to look more serious while his agent was linking him to every EPL gig going (don’t for a second believe that wasn’t happening).
DeniaBhoy on 7th June 2023 12:14 pm
“Would a technically brilliant manager who has never faced anything more than a Scandinavian chill cope? How can we know?”
Knutsen took his team to the fabled Celtic Park and silenced the 60,000 crowd, no?
Actually Knutsen and his Bodo Glint team took on Celtic in the middle of their closed season but that did not stop the manager from trash talk and goading the glamour boys and the 60,000 home crowd – ok let’s see what ye can do attitude. They then took us apart and in the return Knutsen more trash talk from the Norwegian minnows said Celtic would freeze to death in the sub zero conditions. Once again we took a hammering from an incredibly fit team. Knutsen is no shrinking violet and that’s for sure.
We should NOT let the thug Muscat darken our door. Horrible person.
My friends in Celtic,
Given our close links to the City Group. I would be extremely surprised if we didn’t approach Man City for Maresca.
Every decision or occurrence we make now seems to align in some way with the City group.
Who knows Enzo could even face his boss in the CL
HH.
PS : I would still prefer BR.
Slaven Bilic
GP,
Thon fella Buckingham has been spotted in Glasgow – youngest City Group Coach, of Mumbai City…..
HH
DENIABHOY
“anyone else notice he ditched the jumper in favour of the shirt, tie and Jacket ?”
Brilliant , I’m the opposite , I wear a jumper to hide my belly popping thru my shirt ! (I’m feckin roasting today)
Big Wavy,
🤣🤣🤣
I have one criterion for our new manager.
No facial blemishes.
Paul67 et al
Could be just me of course, but why do I get the impression that this article was created using Chat GPT or some such language model?
Could it be the use of the word ‘Criteria’?
DeniaBhoy on 7th June 2023 12:14 pm
“Would a technically brilliant manager who has never faced anything more than a Scandinavian chill cope? How can we know?”
Knutsen took his team to the fabled Celtic Park and silenced the 60,000 crowd, no?
—
Yes.
Their only away win in 16 attempts.
SFTB,
I heard that Brendan Rodgers “is a beautiful, beautiful human being……”
HH
Knutsen gives me Ronny Deila vibes……
Knutsen never managing outside of Noway at 54 yo is a red flag for me.
Ange demonstrates his willingness and ability to work in different countries and be successful.
Knutsen knows nothing of the football world outside of Norway.
I’d have Ronny back before going for Knutsen.
SFTB,
But think of the incentives for a Nanny McPhee type manager.
Each time we won a trophy a facial blemish would disappear. 🙃
Might get a sponsorship deal from Clearasil
An Dun – good points. It’s a minefield😱
McKenna’s achievements at Ipswich are impressive, he is youngish, has worked with top coaches and his star is on the rise.
My second criterion for the new manager.
How long does he spend in the showers waiting for job offers?
Every new manager/coach will expect to bring in players that he trusts or sees as benefiting the system he plays. There will be players leaving, as the new system may not suit those that are there, or have been made an offer they can’t refuse, actually, I thought that the previous manager bought players just to play his way and had no thought on how to stop the other team. Mind you, in our League there is only one team you need to stop playing and that’s when they are at home. European football is a different beast entirely and most of our best results have come, except for the Stein era, when we stopped or nullified the other team’s strengths, por cierto
One man’s criterion…..
Is another man’s criteria
Fact
DENIABHOY
anyone else notice he ditched the jumper in favour of the shirt, tie and Jacket ?
Absolutely.
Also, he got rid of the cough towards the end of the season. He’s a wily old character is big Ange.
CELTIC MAC
Criteria is the plural of criterion.
So, Des Buckingham. 66/1 and flew in from Mumbai.
Pictured in Glasgow.
I can assume we are interviewing folk.
HH
What about this guy?
Ante Čačić
His team beat Bodo Glimt and beat Chelsea getting Tommy Tuchel the sack.
tom mclaughlin
Well yes and no Tom
Bob Fleming it is then!!
So now it’s out in the open.
Spurs first contacted Ange’s agent the day before Trophy Day.
If first contact was made months ago, as some are still claiming, why wasn’t it in the papers until the day before Trophy Day?
Disappointed in but not surprised by Ange. His soundbites were worse than his presser barks. A truly untrustworthy individual.
WishyGullible, ML2
Are we part of the City Group.
WINNINGGEMMELL
Do you still think CCV is a dud?