Back in January we discussed Mauricio Pochettino, who yesterday left Southampton to become manager of Tottenham Hotspur. He is without question the hottest management property in the most bloated league in football.
He was also an unemployed flop a little over a year ago.
In reality, Pochettino is a good manager but he is also the latest in a long line of faux guru-managers, the aura of divinity around him is illusionary. He was sacked by Espanyol in December 2012 with the club bottom of La Liga after 13 games, after propelling them up the league from a similar position two years earlier. Espanyol’s problems were not Pochettino’s problems. The club strategy had been failing for years, Pochettino was not the first manager to suffer as a consequence, in fact, he was the club’s third manager in a season when he took over.
He joined Southampton, who were on a different trajectory. Southampton have been producing some of the best youth talent in the UK for a decade but a series of self-harming boardroom battles saw the club competing in the third tier of English football. In Nigel Adkins the found a man who won two consecutive promotions and had them comfortable in the Premier League.
Then, in January last year, Southampton made one of the ballsy-est decisions in football history. They sacked the successful Adkins and replaced him with the aforementioned unemployed flop.
Chairman Nicola Cortese, who was an outsider to the football industry, figured that Adkins could only take the club so far and that, with the appointment of a man in-tune with the new strategy, Southampton could make a real breakthrough at the top of the Premiership.
Pochettino did what Cortese wanted, not through obligation, but through instinct. Unfortunately for Southampton, Markus Liebharr, who appointed Cortese, died, and his daughter-and-heir, Katharine, figured the family had spent enough of their fortune on an English football club. With strategy tending towards a breakeven point, Cortese resigned. It was inevitable that Pochettino would follow.
What are the lessons for us?
Forget looking for a guru, it’s all about the strategy. Get the strategy right, only employ people who are instinctively aligned to it, and employ an intelligent, tactical student, even if he can’t speak the language.
CQN Event in London
Lisbon Lion John Hughes is joining Brogan Rogan, Auldheid and Angela Haggerty for a CQN Question and Answer evening at the Manor Club, Wimbledon, on 21 June. The event is ticket only, so let me know if you would like to attend, celticquicknews@gmail.com
Visit the CQN Bookstore to get Tommy Gemmell to sign your personal copy of his tome, All the Best.
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Pf Ayr
Maybe Denis O’ Brien will subsidise his wages..?
Serious point
Do we need a Manager who will also stand up to the SFA ?
Hence Roy Keane being considered.
Look at what happened to Tony Mowbray, with the honest mistakes
Martin, Gordon and Neil would have had plenty to say and stand up for if had happened as frequent to them ?
Hail Hail
twentyfirst,
I saw everyone of those goalies (I think). I agree about Bonnar but think you’re too harsh on Rab Douglas. More or less, agree about the rest, although I think Boruc was dire latterly.
Cowiebhoy
please not Roy Keane – he can cause an argument with himself.
Cowiebhoy
What this standing up to the SFA thing you speak of ??
brooooooooonie is a braw braw player …..aye awfy braw
Denis O Brien might have to subsidise his fines…
praecepta
20:13 on 28 May, 2014
Is that Jamsie Cotter doing the co-commentary?
Kevin Gallacher……..doing a Lester Pigott impersonation
Has Kevin Gallagher been taking election lessons ?
I always presumed Farage was of French Hugenot stock. The Channel Islands is full of them.
Elecution lessons even
Help needed guys, I’m ordering 2 more season books online, there isn’t an option for a child, just adults, any ideas?
Cowiebhoy
For me, an ability and inclination to stand up to the SFA should be a prerequisite for every Celtic employee, from tea lady to CEO.
HH jamesgang
Evening Celts,
I see from CQN that Scotland’s playing tonight, are we gearing up for an important competition? Is it to give our players a much needed run out?
Our players will be back fresh as daisies to hopefully negotiate the six CL qualifiers, or will they?
Pointless games CSC
Evening CQN. Can’t keep away for too long.
Mr Roy Keane for the good ship Celtica?
On the right hand:
– He passes the cojones test with flying aplomb. His nuts are bigger than Fern Britton’s breasts. Any Celtic manager needs this physical and mental blessing.
– He is a born winner. That is a trait which any Celtic man needs to have within his being.
– He brings gravitas and interest to our club. Moreover, he would bring thunder and lightning to Paradise, I also mentioned that aspect in my criteria the other day. It is crucial that the many malcontents are nourished with stimulation and inspiration. If he kickstarts us to good things, he will win over the sceptics.
– It is always good to have an Irishman on board Celtic.
On the left hand:
– He would take no shit. Leckie and co could get a bleaching. The hun refs and SFA could get their features rearranged. Actually, add this point to the positives list.
– The SPL is not so much a Mickey Mouse league, but rather more like a cheap and nasty D-list channel five cartoon. How would he cope with the lack of competition, something which he thrives on?
– His track record of success and signings is patchy. Can Norris Lawell trust our potential firebrand with the Tim funds?
So there we have it. Roy Keane wasn’t a Celtic supporter until later in life. His boyhood team were Spurs. That said, he seems to have a real affection for us now. He would get my full support should he join. We shall see,
U21s down 0-2
Keane ticks all the boxes as far as I’m concerned -would take no sh#t from no one
Jamesgang
There’ll be plenty of vacancies then
Paul67 et al
Good to hear the ol’ vuvuzelas getting a run out this evening.
A much underestimated instrument in my book.
Big Pete had the right idea there!
Parkheadcumsalford
cheers mate but we’ll have to agree to disagree on Douglas, watched almost every game he played for us and still think he let us down big time, but its all about opinions.
itscalledthemalvinas
You did that on purpose, didnt you ?
HH
What about Roy’s assumed reticence to relocate up here?
Another point.
Clarke would appear to have about the same level of charisma as our friend Sheldon Cooper Millibland has. He wouldn’t inspire the Timmy hordes.
Unlike Roy who makes for captivating viewing.
Keeper throws the ball into his own net.
Foul on the keeper?
John oneil,
I’d suggest your first ‘left hand’ could be in the ‘right hand’ column.
Testing
Who’s the MIB? Terrible decision. Now Scots may realise the nonsense we have suffered week in week out for years.
twenty first of may nineteen seventy nine
I’m Swithering blaming it on a Freudian slip or autospellchecker
http://www.thickaccent.com/2014/05/29/wow-charlie-mulgrew-goal-from-a-backheel-flick-vs-nigeria-video/?
twentyfirstofmaynineteenseventynine
That will make a great feature in the next edition of CQN Magazine. We actually discussed doing a big feature on Celtic goalkeepers since the 7-1 game just last week. One former manager, the story goes, was sitting watching some videos of the goalie he played and couldn’t believe the mistakes he was seeing that he missed at the time!
The feature was commissioned immediately!
Funny how you thought the same thing! I will make sure your post is referenced in the article. Best goalie for me is big FF.
Roy Keane? Well, well…
Any Celtic manager will get my support of course however my list of least wanted (by me) of the names I’ve heard…least first!
Owen Coyle
Roy Keane
Paul Hartley
Jackie Mac
Mick McCarthy
Michael Laudrup
KoK
Slavin Bilic
Stevie Clark
Paul Lambert
Malky Mackay
I wonder how disappointed I’ll be?
FingerscrossedCSC
Indeed Geordie. That is what I also wrote. Great minds…
Keano wouldn’t take it on the chin. He would instead chin the hun officials and hacks. Not that his Tyson levels of rage are his only attributes though – he has had some success as a manager.
Look, we have won the league for the next three years(very conservative estimate) and won’t have competition, therefore our appointment must have charisma to keep us all on the edge. If we get this wrong, Celtic Park may be marginally more enticing than a Syrian torture cell. Let’s hope the tache gets it right. I don’t trust taches too much but our tache has squillions of pounds which renders it unlikely that he a quarterwit who gets many things wrong.
Roy Keane, not for me, why, just don’t think he has got it.
Question is do we go Foreign or do we got for a home based Manager?
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
Oft. Peach
Justafan
my list would be very similar to yours.
keane’s managerial record does not make good reading.
In my experience a good manager, in any line of work, is someone who can tell you bluntly what you don’t want to hear but recognises its impact on you.
Roy Keane has always been able to do the former but seems incapable of the latter as a player or manager.
He was my hero growing up and has incredible gifts but if he had it as a coach / manager, he would have a better job than putting out the cones at training for MON. Harsh but true.
We need someone for the long haul and who can build the club from the ground up. I dearly wish that was Keano, but it’s not. I hope DD thinks the same .
Lucky bloody goal that.
Scotland have definitely improved out of all recognition under Strachan and, of course, Nigeria equalise from an O.G.
Hmmm
Second viewing….not so peachy.