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.

[calameo code=000390171873c910154bd lang=en page=106 hidelinks=1 width=100% height=500]
Click Here for Comments >
Share.

About Author

1,010 Comments
  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. 2
  4. 3
  5. 4
  6. 5
  7. 6
  8. 7
  9. 8
  10. 9
  11. ...
  12. 27

  1. twentyfirstofmaynineteenseventynine on

    Kojo

     

     

    Theres absolutely no way Keane will be our next manager

     

     

    So we’ll just have to put up wi you for the next few years ha ha

     

     

    HH

  2. traditionalist88

     

     

    Yes your right DD will know him personally and will know exactly what type of person he is por cierto.

  3. Por Cierto

     

     

    Have posted on coefficient points on a few occasions and the merits of CFC getting further in the Europa League.

     

     

    Prime example Fulham (just relegated) got to the ELF 09/10 and have never been anywhere since – currently sit 15 places higher than CFC in the coe-table. Next year that result drops off and they will plummet to 100+ in the table.

     

     

    Pot 1 CL seeds for 2014/15 Benfica (EL runners-up) and Valencia (EL semi-losers) sandwich A. Madrid (CL runners-up) in this year’s draw.

     

     

    This year Chelsea (CL semi-losers) got 28.357 pts – when they won the CL they got 33.050 pts. They won the EL and got 30.285 pts.

     

     

    For Celtic a couple of last 16’s in the EL could reduce CL qualifiers to one tie – consistent last 16/32 in the next 3/4 years would see us climb to a Pot 3 side and possibly eliminate the need to qualify for the Group Stages.

  4. traditionalist88 on

    !!Bada Bing!!

     

    16:01 on

     

    28 May, 2014

     

    traditionalist88-a couple of mates on different occasions last season,would have asked Keane outside for a wee chat due to his disgraceful attitude with their kids wanting autographs and photos.In that sense Neil Lennon he aint,it’s a no for me.He was hopeless with Sunderland and Ipswich,a better pundit than football manager.

     

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

     

     

    Would take that with a pinch of salt, it is not possible to satisfy all demands for photos etc. He was courteous in my (limited) experience.

     

     

    Anyway, he did get promotion with Sunderland from a points deficit, not exactly hopeless. Wouldn’t write him off as a boss. Sometimes the right fit is not one you’d immediately go for…

     

     

    If its Keane or Coyle… no brainer.

     

     

    HH

  5. The future of Celtic is not about our history, our conception, the starving, the dead that never knew a hole in the ground, we just threw them in the river, they weren’t even waived away by a priest, after all… a priest was hard to find in them’s days. Whenst living that never knew a toothbrush, and now its evolved to how many shares you have, where in the stadium your seat is, how much you spend on going to the games.

     

     

    It is a million feckin’ miles away from the ETHOS of the dying that Celtic PLC today make their coin from. It would be nice if they could at least give I wee nod to all those that died in misery so that today we can wonder which unworthy is going to be paid millions to lead us to the Scottish League Flag.

  6. The Battered Bunnet on

    So, the odds on Roy Keane have tumbled, and he’s now odds to be the next Celtic manager.

     

     

    Someone must know something, right? Off oot to the bookies…

  7. Whit’s the latest betting on the Scotland v Nigeria game?

     

     

    People over here with ‘substantial funds’ itching to place bets.

     

     

    HH!!

  8. !!Bada Bing!! on

    traditionalist88″Would take that with a pinch of salt”-with respect,you do not know the circumstances. Selfish,arrogant individual,not for me. Managerial record is dubious IMO.HH

  9. !!Bada Bing!! on

    Tallybhoy

     

    16:16 on

     

    28 May, 2014

     

    Whit’s the latest betting on the Scotland v Nigeria game?

     

     

    People over here with ‘substantial funds’ itching to place bets.

     

     

    HH!!

     

    It finishes 0-0 mate,lump on :}

  10. Hugh, John and Peter!

     

     

    That was a fun day today, enjoyed your company!

     

     

    Get posting!

  11. Dontbrattbakkinanger on

    Roy Keane?

     

     

    Gggrrrr.

     

     

    ‘Fail to prepare, and prepare to fail’.

  12. Geordie Munro on

    Tbb,

     

     

    I wouldn’t bother.

     

     

    Paul did (not) say the next manager cannot speak English.

  13. Where did YOU get YOUR Info, oan Mr. Keane?

     

     

    If not ..from the Media?

     

     

    Pal..Unless, you hiv PERSONALLY.. Been in Mr. Keane’s Company.. oan Many an Occasion…. n.. hid bin a Witness as tae how he Interacted With.. Folk.

     

     

    Then.. You Ma Friend,,

     

     

    Are ,I am afraid..

     

     

    are Forced tae be..

     

     

    Basing your Interpretation of Mr.Keane’s Personality oan Third Hand Information

     

     

    n..ur In the Same Dinghy.. as the Rest of Us..!

     

     

    Ah choose tae hold Ma opinion of Mr.Keane’s Personality n Social Demeanour… Based Ma ain .. Interpretation of the Info which Ah hiv Gathered.. from Ootside Sources.. which.. Ah am afraid.. ur ,also,Third Hand..

     

     

    That Mr. Keane .as the Next Celtic Manager..wid be Total Disaster.

     

     

    N.that is Ma Opinion in this..

     

     

    An.. Ma Opinion in Hoose is the Only wan that Coonts!

     

     

    Natch!

     

     

    Nice Chatting Pal.

     

     

    Kojo

     

    Still,Laughin.

  14. !!Bada Bing!!

     

    16:04 on

     

    28 May, 2014

     

     

    I would rather have Rowley Birkin QC doing the teamtalks,rather than Keane or Coyle.

     

    ——————————————————————

     

    Bryan Robson as Coach with Rowley as Director of Football!

     

     

    “I’m afraid I was very, very, drunk…”

  15. The positives if Roy Keane was appointed Celtic manager:

     

    1. He’s not Owen Coyle

     

    2. …………………………….

  16. Neustadt-Braw on

    Keane ……wtf……at least he would put the frightners on a few wee churnalists ….

     

     

    braw

  17. !!Bada Bing!! on

    NatKnow-Rowley Birkin QC, assisted by Colin Hunt ,the self styled “Office Comedian” ?,might do better than some quoted……

  18. Holy crap!

     

     

    Roy Keane spotted on an unamed golf course with DD!

     

     

    …and they’re going to the racing tomorrow – allegedly!

     

     

    HH!!

  19. I am not a betting man so what makes the odds go up and down?

     

     

    Is it the amount of money the punters are putting on or do the odds vary because the bookie knows something we don’t?

     

     

    confuseddotcomcsc

  20. Larsson odds on last week

     

    Coyle odds on this week

     

    Keane odds on now

     

    Who’s next to be odds on ?

  21. Philbhoy

     

     

    Turf Accountants (Bookies) It’s the amount of money being laid por cierto.

  22. Roy Keane for Manager of Celtic –

     

     

    Yes………………………………………………………No……………………………………FFS NO!!!!

  23. !!Bada Bing!! on

    Philbhoy-a few small bets in quick succession,can be enough to set a wee bit of panic with the bookies,thus the prices can change quickly.

  24. Roy Keane for manager of Celtic

     

     

    Yes……………………..No……………….FFS NO!!!!!!!

     

    Philbhoy

  25. Stupid feckin computer!!!!

     

     

    I am a FFS NO and not as indicated in my last post!!!!!

  26. Roy Keane for manager of Celtic

     

     

    Yes……………………..No……………….FFS NO!!!!!!!

     

    …………………………………………………………Philbhoy

  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. 2
  4. 3
  5. 4
  6. 5
  7. 6
  8. 7
  9. 8
  10. 9
  11. ...
  12. 27