The Art of Winning an Unfair Game
After Neil Lennon resigned we discussed how Celtic have recently appointed managers to address the most glaring deficiency of the previous boss. Gordon Strachan bought in value markets, whereas Martin O’Neill pretty much bought players who appeared on Match of the Day or Sportscene.
Despite his success, Gordon was manager of Celtic, not the leader of the club; there was always some distance between him and a section of the support. As a consequence, we next appointed the guy who ‘invented’ the Celtic huddle.
Tony Mowbray was close to our hearts, but he was also a flop of a Celtic manager. People inside the club knew this from the first week he was there when he asked to spend close to £4m on Marc-Antoine Fortune.
Tony was out of sync with scouts and coaches. How do you fix that? You appoint one of the coaches who saw it all happen.
Neil Lennon didn’t have many obvious deficiencies. If we were to ask what his weakness was, there would be a range of answers.
Perhaps as a consequence, we’ve gone out with a clear remit: our manager should be intelligent, technically capable, insightful, and have a progressive and modern approach to the game. He must dovetail with the infrastructure we have worked so hard to build up, and be in tune with strategy.
All we know today is that the criteria for the job was correct and our man matches that criteria.
Ronny is one of the scientific innovators in the game who has had the ‘Moneyball’ tag applied. Back in 2009 I wrote about the books, Moneyball, and the football spin-off, Why England Lose (now re-launched as Soccernomics). I also put a copy of Why England Lose into the hands of a senior decision maker at the club.
The point about Moneyball and this type of analysis cannot be abbreviated in few short sentences, and it is certainly not as prosaic as ‘buying low and selling high’ – that’s old news now, which makes it a dead topic as far as Moneyball is concerned. The Michael Lewis book which did so much to publicise ‘sports economics’ was actually titled, Moneyball – The Art of Winning an Unfair Game.
The Art of Winning an Unfair Game
The game is unfair because others have more money, or more experience, or more sympathy with officials, or whatever your circumstances dictate. But most sports are also full of enormous inefficiencies.
Football clubs are hostages to ridiculous forces, just listen to the names within the game who urged Celtic to appoint a well-known name in order to put bums on seats. Some clubs do this – put a ‘name’ in, in the hope they sell some tickets, without realising there are enormously difficult football games ahead.
The football industry is top-heavy with fools with big budgets who don’t know what they are doing. Celtic’s job is to build a team who can compete at an ever-higher level in the Champions League. To get there we need a ruthless conviction against the inefficient nonsense which paralyses the rest of the game.
In 10 years I’ve never once agreed with a Celtic managerial appointment. I welcomed Gordon, Tony and Neil while saying the board have made the wrong decision. All of these appointments are risky, there are no guarantees – for short-term or long-term success. Guru managers don’t exist and Ronny has years of work ahead of him to build Celtic ever-higher, but I couldn’t be happier at his appointment. Eye on the prize…. it’s all about winning.
Welcome to Celtic, Ronny, you’re going to love it here, but keep your kilt on.
All of this and 300 Celtic fans at the CQN the Lisbon Lions gig in Greenock tonight! Hold me back!
Lladro replica World Cup trophy
My thanks to Liam, from East Kilbride, who donated his prize memento, a Lladro replica World Cup trophy, commissioned by the Spanish FA in 1978, and acquired by Liam in 1982. It will be auctioned on Saturday with proceeds going to our Mary’s Meals school kitchen appeal. You can get involved in the auction, or keep an eye on it as it happens, here. The auction takes place at Great Western Auctions, on Dumbarton Road.
Visit the CQN Bookstore to get Tommy Gemmell to sign your personal copy of his tome, All the Best.
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Hamilton, great mindsand all that guff there with both our previous posts re Choccy..
My older sister is a teacher’s assistant and doesn’t envy teachers their job at all. A mixture of what is expected from a teacher and the attitude of some pupils and parents to them, has influenced her opinion.
FFM – I’m the only conspiracy theorist in the village)
08:21 on
7 June, 2014
You`re a bassa anaw.
Macjay,
Touché, mon ami, sushi.
dallas dallas where the heck is dallas
08:37 on 7 June, 2014
What a great day that was. If I remember we were 2 up as a result of Chockies 2 penalties before Fat Sally pulled one back for them. Then of course wee Oweny nipped in between Nichol and Woods to finish them off!
Ignore that guys posts about teachers mate, they’re not about teachers per se, he’s trying to irk me because I pointed out he doesn’t tell the truth.
Classroom assistants, now there’s an underpaid, under appreciated, dedicated group of people.
Brian McLair was a great striker for us.
30 goals per season average over 4 seasons.
Swally’s first signing for Man U. We were robbed at the tribunal which set the fee at £800k. A steal.
He has had a good career in coaching since he stopped playing.
Ryecatcher, you’re wrong about this. Big time.
Dallas
If your mind is in sync with HT … Your in deep dodo
Good morning from a wet north staffs – not looking good for local cricket.
on Ronny – many on here criticised Neil for his style of play -slow build up -lack of pressing and lack of shots compared to the amount of possession. From what he says about his footballing philosophy we may be in for a game played at a faster pace all over the pitch. Well only time will tell -so walk the talk Ronny.
i hear that the queen’s baton contains a secret message to be read out at the opening cermony at Celtic Park.
COME ON YOU BHOYS IN GREEN ?
Another memory about McClair was him running almost full length of pitch to score. Can’t remember anything else about the game, but was a brilliant goal.
Hamilton, it was a great day, one of the few that season. Any season they won the league had few highlights for us.
Choccy, when I look back at his time with us, was a due a lot more credit than my pals and I gave him. We could with someone of his ilk to add to Kris Commons goals scoring.
In the 84/85 season, he, Frank McGarvey and another player whose name does not cross my lips, scored a hat trick in three consectutive games. Choccy v Hearts with a great 5 1 humping, Frank v St Mirren and the other player v Dundee.
That 5 1 game v the diets was brilliant. Our late, great Tommy scored a terrific goal, passing the ball into the net.
TBJ, according to my wife, I’m always in deep doodoo. lol
Roddy Forsyth is hurting today. Very negative comments.
Morning Billybhoy. Well it is easier to score in Scotland.
TBJ
It was a childhood dunt to the heid what done it squire :-)
I hear andy walker is undewhelmed – another reason to give Ronny our support.
captain beefheart killed marxist dreams… keane ate my courage… formerly jo’n… just say no to the clique.
09:13 on 7 June, 2014
Roddy Forsyth is hurting today. Very negative comments.
Morning Billybhoy. Well it is easier to score in Scotland.
:::::
A nice morning here in North Ayrshire. I take you point but don’t entirely agree as true strikers will usually find the net regardless of what league they play in.
HH
I remember Brian McClair scoring 4 goals at Dens Park and then getting dropped for the next game for ‘le petit merde.’ Never understood that.
Always liked him as a player and an ex St Margarets (Airdrie) Bhoy too.
HH
The Greenock CSC have a fantastic new backdrop behind the stage. As well as containing literally hundreds of wonderful photographs featuring Celtic legends over the decades it also states that the club itself was founded in 1945.
I was chatting to the club president last night about this and he said that the club was founded by Celts coming home from the War and that some of the older guys who got on a plane to Lisbon in 1967 hadn’t been airborne since the war or as he put it since they jumped out of a plane in Normandy in 1944. He said it was particularly special therefore to have had The Lisbon Lions in the club on 6 June – the anniversary of D Day.
Many Celtic supporters lost their lives in the War and their sacrifice should always be remembered. Had they been luckier and came back to places like Greenock in 1945 they would no doubt have travelled to Lisbon 22 years later. They would have been in their 40s.
So a wee thought for the Celts who never made it back. We were thinking about them in Greenock last night.
Thanks to everyone at the Greenock CSC for a great night. Thanks to Willie Wallace, John Hughes, Bertie Auld and the Bhoys from Celtic Minded who brought over the Big Cup.
When BRTH hussed the hall for Bertie to enter with the European Cup behind him and Bertie singing Hail Hail The Celts are here… You had to be there to appreciate how special a moment that was.
Paul spoke very well about the Celtic Foundation and loads of people came up to us to ask how they can become involved in the Foundation. Great sums raised too last night – all for the Foundation.
Tommy Gemmell travelled back from Spain yesterday leaving at 5.30am – he arrived home after experiencing some delays at 7.30pm and wasn’t fit to come down to the club. I spoke to him on the telephone and he asked me to pass on his apologies and has offered to re-arrange another trip to Greenock.
Pedrocaranachio67
HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOPY BIRTHDAY
Have a great day.
Miss Doc97
Welcome to the mad house,
You will enjoy it here even when some of the inmates go off on one just remember they are harmless :)))))))))))).
Did yer Da give you the £20 signing on fee?
Rye catcher, Ronny is a Liverpool fan but unlike you he appreciates a great footballer when he sees one. McClair was some player. I remember the league win at Love street and Brian’s contribution well. Not many players are capable of scoring with their thigh.
Brian McClair, 126 goals in 204 games. In who’s world is that not a great goalscorer?????
Just starting on BBC2, FIFA World Cup 1970 – 90 minutes of magic (I hope)
Sir Alex Ferguson a few years back, before Ronaldo and Cantona, stated that Choccy was his best pound for pound signing ever.
Brian McClair was a smashing player for Celtic, intelligent and quick of foot, I’m sure Fergie would agree too,God I would love to him in Ronny’s new front line but then again I’m no a EPL cheerleader who has more teams than he can count…
Did Villa beat Man City yet?
Nostradamus CSC.
Welcome Ronny may your time with Celtic be the best of your life!
Ziggy, that goal you talked about Choccy running a long way then scoring was a 1 1 draw v Dundee United at Celtic Park. I think it was our first or second home game of the 84/85 season.
Hamilton, I’ll let my sister know of how much teachers appreciate the work done by the assistants. She is that scunnered, however, she is hoping to retire next year but may not be allowed to do so yet.
Jobo, my first memory of watching a world cup. Great great tournament before money started to really ruin the beautiful game.
All of the ‘well known’ candidates offered very little in the way of inspiration.
To my mind, they all offered pretty much a continuation of what we have had on offer for the past few managers.
Ronny, from what people are saying, offers a return to the excitement I used to feel as a kid climbing the steps up to the crown of the terracing and I beheld the hoops preparing for battle. The Celtic teams of my youth, late Lisbon Lions days and into the McGrain & Daglish etc… era genuinely excited. That level of excitement has been AWOL for many, many years (for me anyway).
Like at Lisbon on that great day, I want to see wave after wave of attack with lots of goal mouth action.
Dominating games without creating many goal-scoring opportunities is not enough.
The true excitement comes from seeing the opposition goal getting a pounding.
None of the other candidates offered much in this regard. I hope Ronny can deliver.
Roy Croppie, Choccy scored 4 against Dundee on the Saturday then dropped for the away leg of our Eufa cup game V Aarhus (in the middle of Denmark,sorry) for Jim Melrose. Davie Hay played hoops non-legend, Jim Melrose, as he was the more experienced player. We went onto win 4 1 and 5 1 on aggregate.
Not football related
But MICHAEL GROVE in charge of Education in Britain
Deary Deary Deary me
Roy Croppie
St Margaret’s is in Cowie :-)
Now don’t shoot the messenger, I have no idea or knowledge on horses, but was given this this morning by someone who is involved
Love Marmalade – 4.30 at Musselburgh ?
Now happy birthday Pedro, and MissDoc97 you still got t he Doc and his lead :-)
Hail Hail
Oh meant to ask, is there any update on the alleged striker we were supposed to be signing ? Nothing on Celtic News Now
Hail Hail
If the media think Ronny is a bad appointment, we must be doing something right.
sunshine flowing down like honey ,in a golden waterfall…..here in Lower Saxony ….
going to be a braw day …
ericboglecfc……
braw
Good Morning Bhoys, Good day ahead for KLV, I wonder how much sleep our Ronnie got last night, Very impressed by the way he carried himself yesterday, Very calm and articulate. Seem’s like a good guy. Please ignore attention seeking walker and anyone else who doubts Ronnie, Can’t wait till he get’s started.
Hail Hail and have an Awesome day Bhoy.
I rememer Mcclair, against dundee utd, who were winning 1-0 at park head and he rounded the keeper for 1-1 i was a cub and my uncle peter took me and sat me on the bar and when we scored he let me slip, the rest is a blur.
KLV
LCT … @ 10.03
The fact the MG is still an MP never mind a minister after the scandalous campaign that his “special advisors” have waged against all things educational that he does not like show how rotten the establishment is now.
The media let it go even though it is character assassination using DfE computers.
The twitter streams are / were shocking and the media turned the other way.
He is the most dangerous man in the coalition.
A zealot with an agenda and a grudge and no scruples.
WC question, who is the only player to play for and score for two countries at a WC final.
Leftclick, SSSHHHHHH, she’ll take that seriously!
Signing on fee my erchie:-(
The attention seeker is best ignored,he posts rubbish in the hope he gets replies.
Just a thought…….. coming with a top class pedigree from what some on here would have us believe is a major league in Europe…….if Ronny Ronaldo skooshes the premier league this season maybe we could bump our gums hard enough and apply to join the Tippiligaen the year after
!!Bada Bing!!,
Can’t remember the name but he played for Argentina and Italy n the 30s
Bada
Bertie Vogts ?
Forget all this nonsense about the new Klopp the Norwegian Special one the new Mouinho or even the Chosen one
It is without doubt (and this will really annoy the Huns) we have got the best looking Manager in WORLD football (and I include the wench that has just gone to the french second division team)
Tell me who is a better looking manager ??
Just for clarity – this boy likes his sexual relationships with the opposite sex ??
67ECW