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.
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CELTIC MAC
I’ll let you know when they’re playing out my back-door.
I’ll invite you over.
We can both get blootered looking at my drawn curtains…………
CANAMALAR
Thanks,mate. That means a lot,you know.
Is not so super Sally was to get the Scotland job Green would ask for £10M in compensation – and probably get it.
After the Wales game I heard Jabba saying Levein should go and he would give the job to Strachan. I strongly suspect that this was a plan to get the fans onboard the “Levein out” bandwagon and now that that has happened there will be no further mention of Strachan, and that Walter (or maybe Alex) is the man.
hehehe……
Hugh Lavery @hugelavvy
@charleslavery new manager is “the craig levein”, glad to see his history remains
Retweeted by Paul Brennan
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BMCUW
i think we agree on most points.
Anyway i’m not managing the game on Wednesday night, my good lady is taking miniPC67. Do you still live in Kilwinning?
I’m in glengarnock and attend St Palladius in Dalry……..maybe a beer sometime, to talk all things Celtic ( and maybe even poppies ) :)
Saint Stivs,
Written by Dougie MacLean of “Caledonia” fame.
Paul67
My auld Sensei who was taught by the geezer who brought Karate to Japan…… Fortified us with the knowledge that ” you will only get out of it, what you put into it”
You know that saying well Paul67
There will be fireworks tonight………
CQN Guide to the US Presidential Elections
I will save and repost this tomorrow.
The latest polls have the race for President at dead even or within the “margin of error” as they say to cover their booties, and ensure future revenues.
However the election of the US President is not done by popular vote, but by a process known as Electoral College votes of which there are 538. The number of votes allocated to each state based on their congressional representation in Washington, 2 senators plus the number of their congressmen. DC has 3 of the 538.
To be President a candidate must garner 270 electoral votes.
The current standing, according to CNN, is Obama 237 and Romney 206, which includes solid states and states leaning towards the candidates. All according to the pollsters of course.
This link http://www.cnn.com/election/2012/ecalculator#?battleground
is to the CNN map of their interpretation of electoral college votes. Most states are almost certainly guaranteed to vote for a particular candidate, while others are known as toss up or swing states. Voting in these swing states will be the deciding factor on Tuesday.
These are:
Florida 29 votes, Virginia 13, New Hampshire 4, Ohio 18, Wisconsin 10, Iowa 6, Colorado 9, Nevada 6.
Some others which media are reporting as in play to varying degrees, depending on their slant, are Pennsylvania 20, Missouri 10, North Carolina 15 and Arizona 11.
So to the point. To ensure you are fit and sharp enough for the Barcelona game, do not bother to stay up late for the final results. Instead go to bed early and rest assured that if Pennsylvania and /or Ohio is awarded to Romney he will win, and that if Florida is awarded to Obama he will win, although you never know with Florida.
GG,
what happens if
Pennsylvania and /or Ohio is awarded to Romney and Florida is awarded to Obama
Sorry to break the blog bhoys but i need a bit of help.
Does anyone know where this stadium is ?
http://i.imgur.com/MHT76.jpg
They will not rest until
the cardigan is given
the job!!
Don’t do it GS .
Cant see GS taking the job with the restrictions normally imposed
Eric Black
Jimmy Calderwood
Excellent article Paul67
One of your very best!
Re: MON
The stuff on the touchline he did in his 40s looks a lot sillier when you’re in your 60s, i.e. jumping up and down (what are his back and his knees like), throwing your arms about, running up the touchline.
He is getting older, that’s a fact of life and maybe his style of management doesn’t suit old age as much as others perhaps.
re the cardigan getting the Scotland gig ,I think he will have his finger in a different pie next year .
If GS was to accept the post he would be undermined at every turn ,so it will be big heck IMO ,with his EBT connection he will be able to reminisce with CO about their good nights out
Neil canamalar Lennon hunskelper extrordinaire
17:32 on
5 November, 2012
GG,
what happens if
Pennsylvania and /or Ohio is awarded to Romney and Florida is awarded to Obama
—————————————————————–
I guess it will come down to some of the other swing states.
If Pennsylvania and Ohio both go for Romney then it’s likely that the momentum will continue with Romney across the other swing states, including Florida, where polls are giving Romney a very slight edge.
There is a scenario which can have both of them with 269 electoral votes, then The House would vote for President and the Senate for Vice president.
Since Republicans have the majority in the House and will probably retain it, the Democrats have the Senate majority, we could see a republican President with a Democratic Vice President. Not unique I am told.
Sorry to break the blog bhoys but i need a bit of help.
Does anyone know where this stadium is ?
http://i.imgur.com/MHT76.jpg
Allegedly it opened in September ?
Jim Jeffries
Glad Levein is out!
I do think this job is for a motivator and a guy who organises well.
MON! :-)
Granpa Broon
Expect Pointless on the BBC to be boycotted.
In a question about former football champions of various countries one of the answers given was “Glasgow Rangers”.
The presented remarked on their “world record” 54 titles then commented that they wouldn’t be adding to this as they have been wound up for financial irregularities.
Stab in the dark but judging by how clean the surrounding area is and the fact I can’t see any sand ( therefore not Middle East ) I would say Japan or Korea where they are keen enough on the game and have recently had a major finals so would have stadia of that size and quality …. As I said just a stab in the dark !!!
Gordon J
If you are trying to cheer me up you are succeeding
hail hail
Gordon_J
Really?
That is brilliant.
Had a wee snigger in the car listening to the Sports Report on Shortbread when they were running through the Scottish Cup draw.
Presenter discussed the main ties, then added at the end that there was an all Division 3 tie between promotion rivals Rangers and Elgin.
It’s the wee things sometimes…
That last comment addressed to mr H Clarkson esq …sorry I forgot to paste
henryclarkson
Think its donbass arena, ukraine
Gordon_J
Sorry, who’s ‘pointless’ ……… The whole media are ‘pointless’ anyway ….LOL
Henryclarkson
Is it the new Juventus stadium?
SPF
henryclarkson
No its not , thought it was a euro 2012 venue, but it isn`t that one
When talking of MON v NFL/Gord let’s just remember that MON was VERY lucky in having Henrik available – a player he did not sign but would be our talisman/saviour on so many occasions.
A player of Henrik’s ability has never been available to NFL or Gord.
Had Henrik not been in MON’s teams he wouldn’t have been half as successful with us.
thetimrieper
18:09
Think its donbass arena, ukraine
Checked Wiki not that one mate.
Is it an artists impression of the new sevco stadium……
Isn’t that Albion Rovers ground?
ScotPatsFan
18:13
Is it the new Juventus stadium?
Checked that one out myself mate.