Lessons for picking a manager

1010

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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  1. dr ramesh and the love potion on

    Keano or no, Kojo must stay! Kojo, forget about the Dodgers, that’s not a real sport and you know it. There is only one club team in the world worth supporting through thick and thin, and that’s Celtic. Simples.

     

    Hail Hail all those who realise that this is just another exciting chapter of the great Celtic journey.

     

    The Rameshes are full of love and excitement and can’t wait to see the Celts in action again, boring board or no!

  2. twentyfirstofmaynineteenseventynine on

    Dallas

     

     

    No probs mate, Ive never been able to show any of my weans footage of my favourite game, I think theres a well dodgy film of it out there somewhere but never came across it.

     

     

    Brogan

     

     

    Father Monty was Celtic daft, I used to walk him up the road after 9 o clock Mass before hitting the toon, all he talked about was the Celtic, a genuinely great man and it felt like one of my own family when he passed away

     

     

    HH

  3. Auldheid:

     

     

    In simple terms Celtic have asked the SFA to answer questions agreed with the Res12 shareholders reps. The SFA will have to answer.”

     

     

    That is good, Celtic are asking questions of the SFA, I’m really pleased. Perchance would you know ‘who’ from Celtic asked the questions?

     

     

    Let me check my clock… yep! 29/05/2014. Tick Tock for Campbell time? How long before he gets his pension?

  4. Delaneys Dunky on

    Dallas

     

     

    I know you would love to see Robertson 3 on the back of your bhoy’s shirt! :))

  5. !!Bada Bing!! on

    pfayr supports weeoscar

     

     

    22:02 on 28 May, 2014

     

     

    McGregor is perpetually suspect

     

     

    As is his burd for her “sectarian assault” according to Fraser Wishart,still waiting for an apology on that one……allegedly

  6. kitalba

     

     

     

     

    23:55 on

     

     

    28 May, 2014

     

     

     

     

    Auldheid:

     

     

    “In simple terms Celtic have asked the SFA to answer questions agreed with the Res12 shareholders reps. The SFA will have to answer.”

     

     

    That is good, Celtic are asking questions of the SFA, I’m really pleased. Perchance would you know ‘who’ from Celtic asked the questions

     

    =====================

     

    The Company Secretary, who is Celtic’s legal.

  7. twentyfirstofmaynineteenseventynine on

    macjay1

     

     

    thats the one. I’m sure there was a legitimate reason for the strike that night haha

     

     

    paranoidcelt

     

     

    cheers mate

     

     

    HH

  8. Dallas Dallas where the heck is Dallas on

    Macjay, from what I have read about the Australian Jesuit educated politicians, the only thing I have in common with them is a Jesuit education.

     

     

    Twenty first, I remember Fr Montgomery’s name on the confessional at the church but I don;t think he was one of the teachers in the school but I may be wrong. .

     

     

    There was footage of the game recorded by one of the first video cameras but it was of poor quality. Just as video was about to breakthrough, the board of the time didn’t recognise this and the video footage was not stored properly and damaged . There was an attempt to repair it and the film is very grainy.

  9. twentyfirstofmaynineteenseventynine on

    Dallas

     

     

    You’ll maybe remember Fr Gitz and wee Fr Smith ? I didnt go to Aloysius and dont know what priests taught there, but they were characters, something which seems sadly lacking now up there

  10. Dallas Dallas where the heck is Dallas on

    DD, that would be absolutely mega.

     

     

    Bada, that chancer, Fraser Wishart, was one of those pointing the finger at Celtic fans for McGregor getting lamped by his burd.

     

     

    You only ever see or hear anything from Wishart in his Union capacity when the defunct club and their stars in your eyes descendants are involved.

     

     

    He is one of the spearheads of Show racism the red card. Not a word from him when two of his members were showered with racial and sectarian abuse all over the country when playing for us.

  11. Auldheid:

     

     

    Thankyou for that. Do you believe that the questions being asked by the company secretary will be made public?

     

     

    And more importantly, do you believe the answers to the questions will be made public?

  12. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    Dallas Dallas where the heck is Dallas

     

    00:06 on

     

    29 May, 2014

     

     

    Two are Liberal,the leader of the Opposition is Labor.

  13. Dallas Dallas where the heck is Dallas on

    Twenty First, I remember Father Gitz. He said Mass in Latin every morning. There was talk that he was forced to stop the Latin mass on orders from the Vatican.

     

     

    We live in a sanitised world now, characters are not allowed.

     

     

    Time for beddy byes.

  14. Kitalba

     

     

    I don’t know if the questions will, but the result when it is reached will have to be.

  15. twentyfirstofmaynineteenseventynine on

    Dallas

     

     

    I’d say goodnight in Latin, but that Vatican mob…………….

     

     

    Been good talking to you mate

     

     

    HH

  16. quadrophenian on

    If we primarily need an affordable manager with Champions League creds and great contacts in the English championship signings field, why not Tony Popovic??

     

    Has started a team from scratch (West Sydney Wanderers) and taken them to two finals, has qualified for the latter stages of the Asian Champions League and as an ex-Socceroo international and Palace defender has a career in the ascendency.

     

    Poppa aided by Frail or Kennedy??

     

    Or if a savvy Spaniard is the go, Josep Gombau (ex Barca) at Adelaide.

  17. Neil Lennon & McCartney on

    A SCOTLAND fan was left with a red face following Scotland’s 2-2 draw with Nigeria at Craven Cottage.

     

     

    Drew McGowan, from Paisley, tweeted around 11am on the morning of the match ‘The Nigerian Football Association have been accused of match-fixing ahead of their 2-2 draw with Scotland tonight’.

     

     

    McGowan, who describes himself as a publicity officer for the SNP’s student wing, was poking fun at the news that police were investigating attempts to fix the results of the friendly match, played as part of Nigeria’s warm-up for the 2014 World Cup.

     

     

    It is understood there were concerns at betting patterns in Asian markets, which seemed to be targeting some international friendly games scheduled for Wednesday evening.

     

     

    There was no suggestion that players from either Scotland or Nigeria were involved, but the National Crime Agency spoke to the SFA’s security officer, Peter McLaughlin, to make him aware of its concerns, while bookmakers were also warned to be on the lookout for any suspicious activit.

     

     

    Following Uche Nwofor’s late goal to tie the game at 2-2, McGowan tweeted: “Well, this is awkward… I am now, myself, at the centre of an investigation into match fixing..”

     

     

    As of 10.45pm, the comment had been retweeted over 600 times, with a number of responses including: “How much did you have on?” and others thanking him for the tip.

  18. The Roy Keane speculation is interesting.

     

     

    I know for a fact that Dermot offered the job to Keane at the 11th hour in 2009 after lengthy discussions with Tony Mowbray. Keane had just lost his job at the Stadium of Light.

     

     

    Some of you may remember there was a long week of unexplained inactivity after it seemed Mowbray had all but signed. The delay was because Roy Keane had asked for a few days to think about the offer before finally turning it down and eventually taking over the manager’s job at Ipswich Town.

     

     

    Mowbray was then confirmed as the new man, and the rest is history.

     

     

    I wonder if Keane would be interested now. Who knows?

  19. skyisalandfill on

    I dunno who I want as Celtic manager

     

     

    ABC certainly but not convinced that Keano has the discipline that will be required.

     

    Moyes, Mackay etc just do not excite me and would not I believe excite the Celtic crowd.

     

    Their is a clear attraction for many in bringing in a continental type with a non brittish 442 philosophy, but would it really be sensible to throw some relative inocent in the ways of the darkside/msm/honest mistakes.

     

    Laudrup (M) appears to have difficulty staying onside with club boards although it would be almost worth it even for the opportunity to get the name Laudrup emblazened proudly on the back of the hoops.

     

    Personally, I’d have WGS back in a flash but suspect that it wont happen.

     

    Good to see him doing well with the national team and in some ways as has been mentioned before he seems to be a perfect fit for Scotland.

     

     

    Longnightshift CSC

  20. skyisalandfill,

     

     

    I am like you however I will support the man who takes the reigns…

     

     

    My only gripe is the way the hierarchy have treated the support. A formal announcement would have been nice rather than one lined statements……

     

     

    My question do we have the ambition? Hmmmmmmm……….

     

     

    SPC

  21. skyisalandfill on

    singapore celt

     

     

    You’re right. Like any player who dons the hoops, the new man will have my support.

     

     

    Agree also about what appears to be poor mangement of change.

     

     

    Still

     

     

    At least we’re nae huns :-)

  22. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    kitalba

     

    02:53 on

     

    29 May, 2014

     

     

    Only one word,Kit.

     

    Moving.

  23. Macjay

     

     

    Thanks for the 4 2 footage. I’ve searched for years for a piece of film of that game and that’s the first time I’ve ever seen any. I was at that game and it remains my favourite night at Celtic Park. As a wee aside, I attended that game in my first ever car, a Hillman avenger, registration plate SSX 34K. Did anyone see it parked on London Road that night? I know it was a while ago, but it was white with red seats if that helps? I’m sure someone must remember it:-)

  24. RIP Edward “Ted” Rourke an old friend of mine, a terrific athlete and a better person. 51 years of age. God bless.

  25. skyisalandfill on

    macjay1 / kitabla

     

     

    Wonder if Sir furious would fancy the gig?

     

     

    Stand up to DD

     

     

    Infuiate the Zombies

     

     

    CL experience

     

     

    Would sort oot Leigh/Tony/Jamsie

     

     

    Not be taken the pee out of by MSM

     

     

     

    Whit’s not to like?

     

     

    HH

  26. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    WHINHALL KEV

     

     

    RIP yer mate,Ted.

     

     

    I went to school wi a fella who’d be that age,Teddy O’Rourke,from West Kilbride.

  27. Bmcuw. Thank you. Ted was a great athlete. Fast as. The ladies loved him as did his friends. Went into the doc a few weeks ago with back pain Dx aggressive lung cancer and he was dead in six weeks. His mom raised four boys by herself as his father died when the boys were young. All well educated and all a credit to their upbringing and to the Benedictines who taught him. Youngest brother is a Jesuit priest in DC. Back in my youth I changed schools and Ted 17 at the time welcomed me and sent a message to his pals. He treated me and others with kindness and he will be missed greatly. His memorial Mass is Friday and his younger brother will say Mass and I will be there humbled by the turnout I am sure of that. This is a bit of an indulgence so thank you for letting me share this. It really hit me when I got the news — a man who was so very kind. RIP Edward Thomas Rourke.

  28. Margaret McGill on

    I was at the 4-2 game too.

     

    Legendary

     

    A Classic Celtic spirit overcoming cheating hunnery that continued for another 30 years and still continues.

     

    Can’t believe some Tim’s want that shite back!

  29. Margaret McGill on

    A bit coy about Coyle

     

    No to keen on Keane

     

    As for Dick Byrne I’ll keep my opinions to myself

  30. valentinesday on

    Good morning Margaret, big Roy was immense that

     

    night,he had a cheat if yees want,we’re still coming to

     

    pump yees attitude aboot him……btw that shite will be

     

    back soon,despite whit you read on here…….away tae work.

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