Sometimes I look at the trajectory of Martin O’Neill’s career and wonder why he didn’t land another top job after leaving Celtic. He was the hottest property in football while he was in Glasgow, almost joined Leeds United (then a top side), while he was short odds for the Liverpool manager’s job at each annual crisis on Merseyside. At the time Ferguson at Manchester was talking about retiring, had he gone, Martin would have moved to Old Trafford.
In 2003 he met Mourinho in the Uefa Cup final. The Portuguese had some of the finest footballers of that generation at his disposal, unquestionably a better collection of players than Celtic, as their Champions League win 12 months later would prove, but Porto were pinned-in for long spells in the second half and required (literally) every trick in the book to prevail.
Despite losing, O’Neill did better with the resources available to him than Mourinho.
After a few meritocratic years at Aston Villa, where he spent more than the club could afford, but delivered a better team than they would otherwise expect, he left a day before the season kicked off, apparently unhappy Villa’s budget was being curtailed.
Without meaning offence to Sunderland, I was disappointed when he pitched up there. Martin O’Neill was surely a manager who should be competing for league titles and in the Champions League. His early form at Sunderland was transformational but it was a transformation built on fragile foundations.
Those founds’ have now disappeared, Sunderland sit two places above relegation. Their play is recognisable from how Celtic played a decade ago, and how Leicester played in the 90s. Opponents know what they get from Martin’s teams, so they know how to prepare for them.
Martin’s former players talk about his inspirational qualities not his tactical incision. It’s hard, if not impossible, for a manager of a major club to master all the attributes required in the job. The successful ones realise this and delegate.
One of the frustrations we had with Martin when he was at Celtic is his reluctance to indulge the scouts. We signed former Leicester players, players who featured on Match of the Day, or players from other SPL clubs. The Wanyama, Izaguirre, Kayal-recruitment model, players signed with greater trust in the scouts and limited supervision from the man at the top, would never have happened under O’Neill.
The technical side of the game is perhaps even more important than recruitment. Great football systems, clubs and countries develop from one coach doing something sensational. Successful tactical changes are then studied and copied, but how do you study and learn from a system that’s not utilised against you, or on TV, when you are manager of a large club? You can’t, on your own.
Instead you have to deploy the systems you already trust and used to get yourself the big job in the first place. Or you can tinker a little, or use what, for the want of a better term, we’ll call a technical research team. People who can say to the manager, “A club in Romania is doing something really clever, we should try it”, without being frog-marched off the premises.
The lesson of evolution is that it is not the biggest, strongest or healthiest who thrive, it’s those who can adapt to a changing environment. The list of great managers who end their career in humiliating relegation is longer than the list of greats who regularly discard their tried and tested formations and become early-adopters of successful new systems.
‘By any means necessary, Journey with Celtic Bampots’ by Paul Larkin, is now available at Lulu and other outlets. Paul charts the remarkable events the Internet Bampots became embroiled in since 2008.
As well as reading for FREE here (don’t try to read through the graphic below), you can subscribe for £10 or £20, and our sponsor, Executive Shaving, who offer an enormous range of grooming products, are offering readers a £20 voucher for all £30 CQN Magazine subscribers.
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gorbals tam
the GB sit in a wee corner of the stadium, to me thats a minority
JJ
It doesn’t say it was politically abusive, its say political.
Ernie
JJ said political statements were not banned, by posting the regulations i was showing him that was not the case
” This shouldn’t deteriorate into another blooming poppy debate.”
Most poppies sold are artificial and tend not to bloom.
Just saying like;p
Geordie
Now that was quite funny!! ;-)
JohnnyClash
I’m sure I read some well informed comment making it quite clear that Celtic used the Seville money to keep the floodlights on so that the Luftwaffe could try to attack the two Canadian soldiers who just wanted to take a wee piece of the Brox back home.
dirtymac:
Don’t really disagree with your views on what the Poppy is becoming.
Just the Swastika, in a discussion about the poppy in it’s original purpose sits ill.
I’m sure you understand my simple point.
Just trying to lighten the mood HT.;)
Hamiltontim
10:01 on
6 November, 2012
This shouldn’t deteriorate into another blooming poppy debate.
greenjedi
Your views are your own I wasn’t questioning them.
My point was in reference to your statement that the GB banner ‘shamed the entire support’.
That’s patently untrue.
……………….
Its not untrue, at no point did I say the entire celtic support was ashamed of the banner, I said the Celtic support were shamed by the actions of what I believe was a minority. I’m talking about shamed in the perception of the general public. The headlines and media pieces were all negative, there was no positives to celtic or its fans to that story
greenjedi
09:54 on 6 November, 2012
It was not a trap.It was simply folk doing what they thought was the right thing at the time from their perspective. That perspective could have or may have been changed had more communication taken place, but it did not and events simply unfolded as they did with painful consequences that made it a learning experience.
greenjedi
This is from your post re regulations:
“Racial, sectarian, political, homophobic or discriminatory abuse or chanting is also forbidden”
That means: Racial abuse,sectarian abuse,political abuse” It does not mean racial issues, sectarian issues and political issues cannot be aired. Show Racism the Red Card is racial but not abusive so it is allowed. Being anti having a poppy on the Celtic shirt is political but not abusive so is allowed .
JJ
Morning CQNer’s
I Would just like to wish ‘OUR’ Club all the very best for the next 125 years !!!
The first 125 have been, well…och, a canny find the words :o(
No, seriously…Celtic Football Club…I will forever be indebted to you for
providing the best residence for my alter-ego for a period of almost – 2 decades
“The Janefield Street Terraced Enclosure better known as – THE JUNGLE !!!”
Happy Birthday Celtic FC – Without YOU – I Wouldn’t Be Here !!!(and I mean it)
God Bless
Hail Hail
Autograph hunters
tommy glasgow@tommyinglasgow
ok straight from my good brother who works 4 Barca :- Plane arrives 12:25 GAP,team staying @ Radisson Arygle st 2nite they go 2 CP @ 6pm:-)
……………….Andrews……………
Sneddon..Munro…MacDonald….Whittaker…
Sylla….Fulton..Dowie…….Fox…….
……..Bangurra…………………..
……………Larsson………………
My Team for tomorrow Night…Guaranteed a high scoring game
9-8 to Celtic
Hamiltontim
10:05 on 6 November, 2012
Auldheid
I’m pretty sure that the Green Brigade would argue that there has been no such ‘softening of attitudes’.
———————————————–
If there has been no dialogue around Wednesday display then you are right.
If there has been then attitudes have changed (perhaps a better word than softened although pedantically that is a change).
Larsson with a hatrick of hatricks
ernie lynch
“The GB didn’t bring the poppy issue to CP.
Others did.
It was they who were using the club as a vehicle for their views, not the GB.
The GB responded.”
Why did it need to be challenged ? The club is not a weapon for some to promote their agendas.
Morning all does anyone know of any bars in the Gent area (Belguim) that will be showing the match tomorrow, thanks in advance.
HH
Re: The Poppy stuff….
I blame the club for donating £10k of ‘OUR’ money to the Poppy-Fund !
The club should have made it clear that – at no time will the Celtic Support
be coerced into buying Poppie’s to curry public/establishment favor ! imo
Furthermore….I don’t expect to see ANY Poppie’s on the hoops this week!
Btw…why is our game on sunday this week ?
November can only mean one thing………..
.
tommytwiststommyturns
10:00 on
6 November, 2012
Summa – I see your Green Moon tip came up in the Melbourne Cup…and you didn’t back it?
I had the 2nd, Fiorente at a big price. Was it close a race?!
..
TommyTwists..
There was Only one Winner half a Mile out..Green Moon $22.50 Win..$7.80 a Place..Sitting here Delighted l Never bet Today..Just as l read Your Post..
My Last bet was a 2nd in The Melbourne Cup..Bet it on the Nose but Lost a Wardrobe of Shirts..(Karl Lager-field isnae Cheap) Ha Ha..
The Bookies Cleaned up Today..and The Winning Owner (Owns the Melbourne Casino)..Even “The Tossin” fairest bet of All IMHO..The ‘Babber” always Wins..
Summa
greenjedi
10:12 on 6 November, 2012
‘The headlines and media pieces were all negative, there was no positives to celtic or its fans to that story’
To those of us who have no truck with the MSM the fact that they were critical of an element of the support was in itself a positive.
I’ve no wish to curry favour with them. You evidently do.
So to intolerant and authoritarian add populist.
Neil canamalar Lennon hunskelper extrordinaire
03:10 on 6 November, 2012
Get signing
http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/39312
Having a right ding dong on Facebook with a Hun pal of mine about the Poppy!!
We started off talking about the Poppy,,,he then quickly veered of track and started on about how our club does nothing to support the armed forces,,,so I had to remind him that we paid our taxes lol lol
That was him clamped!!!!
HH
Wee Lionel’s got the wean’s name on his boots and a dummy doon his sock for impromptu combined goal and baby celebrations. Didn’t work out on Saturday. Let’s hope he keeps the dummy in the sock tomorrow night too.
If you must have a controversial banner, then make sure the spelling is correct as it only invites more ridicule from those offended. :-)
10:13 on
6 November, 2012
greenjedi
09:54 on 6 November, 2012
It was not a trap.It was simply folk doing what they thought was the right thing at the time from their perspective. That perspective could have or may have been changed had more communication taken place, but it did not and events simply unfolded as they did with painful consequences that made it a learning experience.
Jungle Jim
10:13 on
6 November, 2012
greenjedi
This is from your post re regulations:
“Racial, sectarian, political, homophobic or discriminatory abuse or chanting is also forbidden”
That means: Racial abuse,sectarian abuse,political abuse” It does not mean racial issues, sectarian issues and political issues cannot be aired. Show Racism the Red Card is racial but not abusive so it is allowed. Being anti having a poppy on the Celtic shirt is political but not abusive so is allowed .
JJ
………..
You seem to be trying to find a loophole that isn’t there. It doesn’t have to be abusive, poltical statements are banned by the club
BIG-CUP-WINNERS
10:10 on 6 November, 2012
+++++
It does indeed sit ill. But it needs said. People were asleep 90 years ago when a symbol for peace was ill abused. People are still asleep now.
How long before the poppy becomes a de facto triumphalist symbol for our armed forces? In some minds it already is.
BIG-CUP-WINNERS
10:20 on 6 November, 2012
‘The club is not a weapon for some to promote their agendas.’
I’m not sure if you being obtuse or ironic.
If it’s the former, the whole point is that others were using the club to promote their agenda by imposing the poppy issue on us.
Celtic_First
Lets hope it is a Tailors Dummy that is tied to his socks
The Annual Poppy Debate?
http://thesocialistway.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/your-country-needs-you.html
Don’t be put off by the title of the blog-it’s a very balanced piece.
greenjedi
10:28 on 6 November, 2012
You seem to be trying to find a loophole that isn’t there. It doesn’t have to be abusive, poltical statements are banned by the club
+++++
Can you quote the particular rule that states that?
The sporting director of FC Barcelona on playing Celtic
“They play fast and direct, with good references above. Their audience and push them arrisgar take them more than in the Camp Nou.’s A seasoned team, with players very aware of the history of the shirt wearing “.
Wee Oscar Wristband & Free ticket for Celtic v Barca stands now at £115 (Auction closes 8pm)
Wristband is today’s “must have” accessory and a decent wee ticket in block 101.
Moving slowly to 125 All for Wee Oscar
email us at WeeOscar4life@gmail.com
HH
CRC
WeeOscar4Life campaign team
The Spirit of Arthur Lee at 10:29.
Aye. Lost in translation. The wee man might have travelled sans dummy and step out into the Glasgow night to try to buy one.
greenjedi
10:28 on 6 November, 2012
‘You seem to be trying to find a loophole that isn’t there. It doesn’t have to be abusive, poltical statements are banned by the club’
Putting a poppy on the shirt is a political statement.
It may be a political statement the majority endorse, but it’s a political statement.
greenjedi
I am most certainly not looking for a loophole. I stated my case and offered evidence. That is the way to debate. Making assumptions id not. You have made many.
I am off out now but am glad you raised the subject. I know many on here don`t like it but where else can one debate this annual festival of facism in a reasoned fashion?
PS By Festival of Facism I am referring to the dictatorial policy of the BBC (and ITV?) of making EVERY reporter wear a poppy. Freedomm my arse as Mr Royle would have said.
” !!bada bing!!
10:23on
6November,2012
November can only mean one thing………..”
An outbreak of dodgy moustaches????
The poppy was hijacked by cheating,non tax paying jingoistic faux unionists who’s entire culture is based in spite of Celtic,the GB barring the spelling mistake were justified and fully supported by this bhoy who would wear a poppy for the right reasons,ordinary working class men sent to war to protect a system with a gross inbalance of opportunity and wealth.
ernie lynch
10:33 on 6 November, 2012
__________________________________________________
Do you want me to let you know when – Rod will come on loose
women again ?!?! :o)))