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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Pardon my ignorance , but who the hell is Mckenna.
Just has to be Knudsen or Potter
KINGLuBO
It would be good for both John Kennedy’s development and Celtic’s if he went to Spurs with Ange. Assuming that is, the board see JK as a future Celtic manager.
It must be hard for him to read all these development team coaches being linked to the Celtic managers job and thinking, why not me?
How do we know that Maresca is any better than JK?
KINGLUBO
McKenna has a good coaching background.
Age 37
Born London of Northern Irish parents.
Played for a couple of clubs in NI before signing for Spurs.
Played fir NI at U19 & U21
Retired aged 22 due to a serious hip injury.
Coaching badges.
Coached Spurs U18.
Coached Man Utd U18.
Man Utd assistant manager 2018-2021.
Ipswich manager from 2021.
Took Ipswich up to Championship.
Paul 67 always intimates that he knows what’s going on in the Celtic boardroom. And Peter is back so highly likely. Watch for more cryptic clues in the next few days as to where the managerial search is headed.
Kinglubo…McKenna is the Ipswich coach, just got them promoted to Championship, top of league for goals scored and least goals conceded, was coach at Man U previously, Solskjaer speaks highly of him and relied on him for defensive coaching, so might know a bit about a more defensive set up for CL games….
GEEBEE1978 on 7TH JUNE 2023 4:44 PM
LAMBERT14 on 7TH JUNE 2023 4:38
Had it not been Neil Lennon but someone else who’d done okay at Hibs and poorly at Bolton brought in to maintain the standards brought in by BR, I’m guessing the view would be different.
Why ignore he had previously been a winning manager with celtic ? or that on temp return he won two more trophies.
that was the clincher there, he kept winning things …………. until he didnt.
What Tom said….
The Glasgow Evening Times reports betting suspended on Rodgers.
Take it or leave it.
HH
Rodgers’ wife might not fancy Glasgow again after that nasty break in when they knew Brendan had travelled south.
I know it happens a lot in England as well but must prey on the mind
West Am game free on bt sport you tube channel …..oan yir telly .
I’d love it if Rodgers comes back but I can’t see it.
I’m usually wrong though
SAINT STIVS on 7TH JUNE 2023 7:43 PM
Yes he did win before but let’s face it, his first title was the year Rangers died then came the subsequent ones. As I said, you’d have to be spectacularly bad not to win the ones he did – chairmen and boards of any reasonably sized club seems to agree with me. Don’t see the big offers flooding in now either. Why is that? Honest question
Conf final free on Virgin 2 in Ireland as well(cooncil tv)
Bad attacks in Prague by Fiorentina mob
Shame, great city
Nobody stationed at Bothwell services
That awkward moment when you have to watch a David Moyes team
SAINT STIVS on 7TH JUNE 2023 7:43 PM
To be fair, he did well to steady the ship after Rodgers left and should be given credit for that but a thanks and handshake after the cup final would’ve seen him preserve his legacy. Believe me, there were lots of people who had the wind taken out of their sails after the cup final – that’s not hindsight – that’s wanting a coach as close to the quality of Rodgers as possible. It’d be folly to suggest Lennon is even close to Rodgers as a coach. It was a huge backward step that we paid for.
Celtic’s horrendous 2020/21 season was down to one thing and one thing only.
COVID-19
TOM MCLAUGHLIN on 7TH JUNE 2023 8:08 PM
Celtic’s horrendous 2020/21 season was down to one thing and one thing only.
COVID-19
————-
Totally agree with you Tom .hh
Referee ruining this game already
Just look at the prominence that the 15th richest club in the world is giving to the conference cup final .
Let’s hear no more nonsense that the European third trophy is a poor man’s cup.
Any European competition is to be valued and our new manager must prioritise European football over everything else. It is the only way to meet the aspirations of an institution like Celtic.
European football reaches the parts that domestic football cannot.
Good luck Davie Moyes.
HH.
If it’s it either, McKenna,Buckingham,Andoni Iraola or Villas Boas ,they are good young coaches and whatever one Celtic pick as the new coach ,then have to be given a chance ,as for Bilic ,Moyes,Muscat ,Macresa no way .
glad police scotland are upholding the law and standards
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-65833399
Copied from Stan Collymore’s Twitter. Clearly I have no idea who his source is but, for what it’s worth………………
Celtic fans. Knutsen precis from as good a source as is possible, trust me. HH 🍀
“Hi Stan. He’s determined, energetic and very clear on his philosophy. Very demanding in terms of intensity and quality in training. He’s also incredibly dependent on his no. 2, who’s the real mastermind. Not sure if he has the cojones to take on a big club with big names, higher expectations from club and fans. Offensively strong . Possession orientated. Weakness is same as his strength, there is only plan A. If it doesn’t work he won’t be flexible “
sounds like ange mazzy
What a lot of cheeky people on here,snide comments about Bucki nham ,boy isn’t in the door and doom and gloom supporters on his case ,Could I ask who do you lot want to be the new head coach at Celtic.
2 sets of fans with more than their fair share of scum amongst them. What could go wrong…
It’s actually the only time a Fiorentina player didn’t dive….heid burst open
It’s Andoni Iraola all day long for me, he is Pedro’s dream, he can work on a budget, can set up a team not to get beat and he sure knows how to attack, he had Rayo beat a fair few top teams here in Spain, he knows his stuff and has access and knowledge of the Spanish market, I sure hope they at least talk to him.
The self proclaimed King of Glasgow released on a Bosman
Who’d have thunk it CSC
TIMBHOY163 on 7TH JUNE 2023 8:33 PM
What a lot of cheeky people on here,snide comments about Bucki nham ,boy isn’t in the door and doom and gloom supporters on his case ,Could I ask who do you lot want to be the new head coach at Celtic.
A goalie as manager. Whit? Not snide btw.
….Embdy watchin’ Slaters…………….???????
C’mon……….basics!
Gok Wan must be on the Fiorentina bench,heid bandage matches the strip
OMG! In the first 10 minutes I thought 3 Fiorentina players had died in action, but fortunately they all made full recovery’s after, err, not receiving any treatment.
Thank God.
Ange WAS lucky.
Lucky he was given his chance by us
Lucky he had a support who stood by him when he lost his first 3 away games and willed him on
Lucky he had a support who took him to their hearts, embraced him and sang his name
Lucky we bought into his chest thumping and telling us how he’s building something special
Lucky his “we never stop” mantra was always the way we played anyway
He won’t get anything similar at Spurs – his luck’s about to run out
My goodness the football west ham play – its garbage. I can see why there’s a lot of their fans wanting Moyes out.
Great game this
There’s a lot of money going on Rodgers, he’s considerably shorter odds than the rest of the names.
FORZA LA VIOLA