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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THE EXILED TIM
18:17
Is it an artists impression of the new sevco stadium…
The Big Hoose will never close -)
henryclarkson
We can but dream…..
TET
I can see the Rovers park from where I live.
Unless they’ve demolished the old one and put up that beauty in the past 24hrs, then I’d say not!
SPF
ScotPatsFan
I think you mean HT
henryclarkson-Is there a floating Casino attached ?
henryclarkson- Shakhtar Donesk ?
Bada Bing
I don`t think so.
Two of the least shocking stories today…
Levein punted and sevco get a home cup tie to boost funds.
Can’t wait for wed
henryclarkson
Might be the new national stadium in Bucharest, Romania?
Guessing here.
HH!!
Billy Stark at 33/1 might be a shout,the SFA don’t want to pay big wages for a big name.
Saint stivs.
That tune always sent a shiver up my spine.
Nice 1.hh
Scotland job? Rab C Nesbitt nailed on cert! Less comical than his predecessors!
Martin O’Neills teams played some wonderful football despite some undeserved criticism.
Who can forget the game against Stuttgart in Germany when we scored some terrific goals and the big matches down in Engerland against Blackburn when they were flying high in the EPL and the football lesson we gave Liverpool.
Our current management are wide awake when it comes to talent spotting and are bringing some wonderful players to Celtic Park and paying buttons in the process and the future never looked brighter, let’s hope Lenny and the boys are here to stay.
There is little doubt that Miku is a hugely skilful player and could make an interesting strike partnership with the youngster, Watt. He may have a role to play on Wednesday night..
henryclarkson
could the stadium be one of the host stadium for the brazil world cup?
…….and has McCrummoch done the decent thing?
Got it Bhoys Bunyodkor Stadium………….Uzbekistan !
http://uk.search.yahoo.com/search?ei=UTF-8&fr=crmas&p=Bunyodkor+Stadium
Many thanks for your help though.
the blessed Martin & our wee gordon.
after the pash we watched in europe from 82 to 2000, their acheivements in getting us back to the top table were both fantastic.
off the top of my head,from the best leagues, we bet who again ?
Liverpool, Juve, Barcelona, AC Milan, Man Utd, Lyon, Anderlecht, Spartak Moscow, Blackburn Rovers, Stuttgart, Celta Vigo, Benfica, Boavista,
who else ?
our NFL, is adding to it now,
come on you bhoys in green.
Lennybhoy’s Table for Race Night:
Lennybhoy x 4, Stephen Black, Doc, Embramike, Kingoh, AngelGabriel and MurdochAuldHay.
Looking forward to meeting Doc and Embramike for the first time and seeing the usual suspects again.
If any of my table members want to own a horse let me know, £5. Winning owner gets a prize.
lennybhoycfc@gmail.com
Off to a RCIA meet until we meet again
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
gordon_j backing neil lennon
18:03 on
5 November, 2012
I saw that as well, recorded it, another wee gift.
Surely the SFA are awash with money from not having to pay Campbell Ogilvie his wages these past few months !
You will never believe which is the largest football stadium in the world!
First one to Google it wins the prize!
Well – there’s no prize!
HH!!
Memo to WGS
Please dont touch the National job with a bargepole.
Aztec Stadium Mexico ?
………I got a wee nudge from “Owney” Coyle’s granny re the empty berth at Hampden………….
Keep this to yersels………..
but keep an eye on
………………. Mr “Boaby” Williamson……………….
FACT.
P S
Celtic Park is the 62nd biggest in the world!
…but it’s the best!
HH!!
Hoiveld 40/1 first goal W Brom v Southampton,desperate times call for desperate measures……..
Saint Stivs
Nothing wrong with Martin’s tactics when we played brilliant attacking football to beat Ajax 3-1 in Amsterdam. There was the usual jealously directed at Martin particularly in England when we were even told Henrik would never be able to cut in their wonderful League.
!!Bada Bing!!
VERY close!
That’s the 2nd largest!
HH!!
Love that clip on SSN of Levein at Glasgow Airport with the Celtic Store behind him.
bankiebhoy1-Stuck a couple of quid on Billy Stark @33/1,done well with U 21s,and not going to get a big name for 350k a year.
Rungrado May Day Stadium
bankiebhoy1
I was thinking of him earlier,ticks all the boxes ,knows the distress signals and
I believe his jaiket on shaky nail at Uganda.
Meant to add :)) and yes I did google
Billy Davies
hun enough
leftclicktic
18:57 on
5 November, 2012
Billy Davies
hun enough
Like to see his odds.
The Beaver Stadium
good evening cqn
not looked back the blog
Levein gone, three weeks to sack some one who nothing against the guy,should have never been given the job in the first place,
Ogilvie,Reagan,and gang should follow him out the door anyway,
more important things,The cheekie chappies,teams,sensational win against the mighty Alloa.
Tito Vilanova,at Barcelona must be a worried man,his job will be in jeopardy if his bosses here anymore,about the tactical genus from sunny Govan.
Paul 67 Charlies a bit quiet this weather,the share issue must be going well,or is it
H H
leftclicktic
Correct!
Take a bow!