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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ernie lynch
11:01 on 29 May, 2014
Would the prospective candidates be aware of the reasons (the real ones) for NFL’s departure and would that knowledge encourage or discourage them?
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I doubt it. They might hear a “notion doing the rounds” (or a ‘story’ in common parlance) but what are the facts (“the real ones”) and what does it matter?
Everyone is different and has their own idea of what is acceptable or not interms of their employment. Bottom line is that they would be given the parameters within which the club expect them to work. If they don’t fancy it then they won’t take the job.
Why wouldn’t candidates not know Neil’s reasons for leaving?
They have been public knowledge for a long time.
He has stated often that he wished to manage in England.
He understands the limitations that constrict Celtic, but they frustrate his ambitions.
He was always aware of the buying young, talented players, improving them and selling them on policy.
Therefore, his leaving was down to his wish to progress his own career, not to mention the frequent invasions of his private and family life.
He served us well and deserves the chance to see how he can progress at a club with unlimited funding.
As was mentioned earlier, he was unable to commit to the club and it has been apparent for a while that he was touting himself for another club.
Now, each of us can stick that up our agenda.
Bankiebhoy,
Was that no what they called danger mouse?
TBB
This Fernhill School ???
Bahrudin Atajic Roadshow
Stevie Kean and Alan Partridge?
Dbia,
Cash in the Atajic shooorley
bankiebhoy1
10:54 on 29 May, 2014
Animal “Magic” Zurawski……………..
Very quick
Neil left because he and Peter Lawell had a ‘conscious uncoupling’.
NatKnow
11:13 on 29 May, 2014
‘Bottom line is that they would be given the parameters within which the club expect them to work.’
###
Speaking hypothetically, what if a prospective candidate, having made their own enquiries, gained the impression that those parameters might be subject to change on an apparently whimsical basis?
NatKnow
11:06 on 29 May, 2014
___________________
Ha :) – again.
Hail Hail
How come we gave Bo Derek Rigter the No. 11 shirt rather than 10?
Is it a Spinal Tap thing?
Bada,
Ahaaaa
More likely it’ll be Dan Dan Dan Dan Dan Dan DAN DAN Petrescu
As for Owen Coyle’s rejection of the job.
That was down to his wife’s refusal to return to Scotland.
He had meetings with DD and PL in London and was keen on the job.
After discussing it with his wife, he declined.
The missus was not keen on subjecting her family to the poisonous pit that was the Scottish football scene.
Can’t blame her, or him.
I’ve read many pieces of advice on job interview techniques over the years. A long time ago I came across this question. “What was the fate of the previous incumbent?” I just can’t remember if it was in the “Questions you should ask” list or the ones to avoid at all cost.
thomthethim for oscar ok
11:19 on 29 May, 2014
As for Owen Coyle’s rejection of the job.
That was down to his wife’s refusal to return to Scotland.
He had meetings with DD and PL in London and was keen on the job.
After discussing it with his wife, he declined.
The missus was not keen on subjecting her family to the poisonous pit that was the Scottish football scene.
Can’t blame her, or him.
………………………..
Did his granny give you that scoop?
Geordie ……….aye………it’s the gaelic version.
Think it’s years old now tho’…exactly the same as Danger Mouse but dubbed in the gaelic…Donnie Murdo….so that the initials on the wee badge are the same.
ernie lynch 11:09 on 29 May, 2014
Possibly.
I suppose it depends on the ole shortlist, and if there is anything negative to spill that would make the Celtic job any less desirable than the Cardiff job, for example.
Diff’rent Stokes
Jan Van der Valk of Hesselink
Syd
Tidy ;)
Skippy?
Andy Payton Place?
reallysorry csc
(Tony) Watt’s Dog
Holm(bert) and Away
Top (Izza)Guire
& Scott Brown in “One Man and His Crisp Packet”
thomthetim
in your opinion of course.
MWD says Aye
SFTB
Yip, that’s the one.
Michael Gray Whistle Test
Peter Lawwell spots Mr Petrescu in CFC car park
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2D3-FkoXNU
The Streets of Sanzhez Broto
Neil left because he and Peter Lawell had a ‘conscious uncoupling’.
ernie lynch
11:18 on 29 May, 2014
NatKnow
11:13 on 29 May, 2014
‘Bottom line is that they would be given the parameters within which the club expect them to work.’
###
Speaking hypothetically, what if a prospective candidate, having made their own enquiries, gained the impression that those parameters might be subject to change on an apparently whimsical basis?
————————————————————–
Then they have a decision to make as to whether they would find that an acceptable part of the environment in which they are about to work. To be fair, nothing remains the same for very long in any environment and football is particularly volatile. Players can sign a long term deal one year and leave the next. I get your point though.
Lustig of the dump
The Nine Lives of Efego Baca
The Price is Ian Wright
KevJungle,who misses, Murdo Macleod’s – ball-winning,hun-skelping,title-winning,net-bursting,Jungle-party-inducing-displays,in the hoops
11:18 on 29 May, 2014
NatKnow
11:06 on 29 May, 2014
___________________
Ha :) – again.
Hail Hail
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One of these days I’m gonna get a full “haha” out of you Kev! :-)
Hail hail!
Breaking Badr El Kaddouri :)
Celebrity Joos Valgaeren
The littlest BOBO
The Whole club…… Eastenders.