Mark Lawwell, Head of First Team Scouting and Recruitment, and Joe Dudgeon, Lead First Team Scout, both resigned yesterday to “pursue other opportunities”. Mark joined from City Football Group (CFG) in May 2022, Joe followed from the same source six months later.
While at CFG, Lawwell was Head of Scouting and Recruitment, responsible for Manchester City, Girona, Ange Postecoglou’s Yokohama and others. The pair worked together for three years at CFG, where Ange bought into Mark’s recruitment and development pathway. Mark then recommended Ange to Celtic.
After his successful first season at Celtic, Ange brought Mark up from Manchester to head Celtic’s recruitment. Plans were cut short when Ange left for Tottenham before the pair set to work in the summer of 2023.
It was clear to many that Brendan Rodgers recruitment methodology was different from Ange’s, while Mark Lawwell’s also differed from Lee Congerton’s, who headed recruitment during Brendan’s first term at Celtic. Lee had worked with Brendan early in their backroom careers at Chelsea and followed him to Leicester in 2019.
Both Lawwell and Congerton suffered some reputational damage among the support during their times at Celtic, although Head of Recruitment is only one piece of the jigsaw. Congerton’s reputation in the game got him the top recruitment job at Atalanta in 2022.
After the work he did at CFG and his transformational time at Celtic through Postecoglou, Mark Lawwell also has significant standing in the game. He will end up back in the English Premier League, where there is a bit of flux at the top end.
City and Chelsea are prodigious hoarders of talent, although he may prefer not to return to City and not be further contaminated by Chelsea. Postecoglou moved for him before and could take him to Spurs. I would keep an eye on Manchester United as a possible destination. Their new controlling shareholder is known to respect the work of CFG and will make changes to the football and recruitment operation.
Liverpool are probably too focused on replacing Klopp than making any further senior changes. There are lots of clubs keen to move up the food chain further down the EPL, who may also move for him. Bookmark me if you think any other scenario is likely. What happens next will be a measure of what walked out the door yesterday.
The January transfer window was described as “disappointing” by Mark’s father, chairman, Peter Lawwell, showing his aptitude for understatement. The manager and recruitment department need to work to the same methodology or we end up with £67m in the bank and spending very little. The frustration would have been palpable.
I think everyone had the best intentions when Brendan joined in the summer and committed to work with the existing recruitment system. The manager must always have the final decision in transfers, but if we do not sign who the recruitment department wants us to sign, those at the top will soon move on.
I doubt we will be able to get Lee Congerton back. Whether you want someone like Lee in to work with Brendan they way they did until 2019 doesn’t matter, it is important that we get someone who operates like that. The manager needs a Head of Recruitment who works the way he does, not the way CFG do. It may not be to your taste, but it’s surely better than rejecting everyone. So nothing to worry about.
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This is why clubs have a DoF – to ensure there’s a common identity between coaches, recruitment staff and players. The theory is, when one cog of the machine leaves they are replaced with the idea that the transition is as smooth as possible. A manager having total control, leaving after a couple of seasons then having to rebuild again isn’t a sound method.
Have the Fergal Harkin rumours started yet?
To quote a very famous American, buy land, they are not making any more.
Nepotism. One Lawell down, how about some Strachans for the icing on the cake.
head of recruitment, Lee or Martin O’Nell for me, but what do i know
4 — 1 the good guys tomorrow
KINGLubO
Carpe Diem 63…
…”let’s stop taxing labour and start taxing LAND as a method of raising public finance.”
Correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t Thatcher when she introduced the Poll Tax, levy each liable individual per household? And didn’t this result in a family of three or four adults in Glasgow paying more than Lord and Lady Muck living on their Oxfordshire estate?
The ruling classes are not daft eh?
Aipple
I saw the doctor and I’m 64 kgs. I’ve no problems.
——
This is just over ten stone. It’s amazing to think that Bobby lasted 66 days given he was so slight when he started his strike. The body strength is amazing, outwith the obvious mental challenges he overcame.
Khun was probably the straw that broke the camels back… dreadful dreadful player recruitment….something had to give…
Really doesn’t matter who is the DoF or Head of Recruitment, as well as Chief Scout. It all depends on the financial remit of the aforesaid positions. Celtic PLC fish in the shallow waters of the football pool and that’s where those in these positions have to bait their smallish hooks, finance available dictates that!
Trying to make sure you get one who will eventually go on to swim in the medium to deep waters, means having to fill the nets with lots and lots of small fish hoping that one or two will make it out.
So there is no medium to deep sea fishing. and very very rarely do the big fish come so near the shallow ends, but medium fish do quite regularly. but we don’t venture out to those depths, we don’t have the right financial hooks to tempt them.
Unless we change the PLC financial transfer mindset and allow the people we employ to fish in the medium depth it will be forever thus, por cierto
that was some read back on last night.
people happy that someone loses their job because he might be rubbish at it, but really it is about who his dad is.
and tell me , what is exactly is wrong with the strachans ?
been a while since john kenneddy got it as well.
i went ionto that room weith the iceblocks in it, except they had dissapeared and there was a puddle on the floor.
Muir MIB at Poundland again, another 12 minutes added …
So according to the Rev James Forrest, if you regularly disagree with him, you are a troll.
I bet he thinks he’s BURNLEY78’s nemesis.
REGGIE on 2ND MARCH 2024 12:32 PM
Sycophantic until the end, despite all evidence to the contrary.
Can’t wait to see where the most sought-after head of recruitment in British football ends up.
One down one to go.
Reggie(earlier)!29/2
“As for Peter Lawwell, Rangers were going for 4 in a row when they were liquidated. Lawwell’s domestic success is predicated entirely on having no competition”
You do well on the hunslavering sycophancy 👆yourself.
That wee snider from the other night is lifted straight of the pages of ff.
Still waiting on an explanation
AIPPLE
Thanks for the Bobby Sands diary💚👏👍
HH
Motherwell have given us 3 really tough games this season. Maybe they can do the same to sevco. Hope springs eternal.
We may have to beat sevco another twice to win this league.
I think lawwell will leave at the end of the season whether we win the league or not. A suggestion. Bring back Martin O’Neil in some capacity. Chairman, CEO or head of football.
Motherwell score 👍
I would love to read Mark Lawwell’s side of the story.
Oh wait, I just have.
More 🐿️🐿️🐿️🐿️🐿️s than you can shake a stick at. Yet again when it comes to Lawwell failures.
Mark Lawwell might go to Man U and restore them to their Fergue glories (though I sincerely doubt it), but it won’t alter the fact he’s been a failure for us. 👍
BENFICA on their minds.
Is Martin O’Neill ready for life in the slow lane now?
Huns 1-0 down to Motherwell. Pressure getting to them? 😂👍
Penalty incoming. Reckon they’ll still win 3-2. Tav with 2 pens.
BURNLEY78 @ 9:02 AM
A few facts.
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Very good data, B78.
Paul – Your article told me something I did not know.
Namely what Mark Lawwell’s previous role was before he joined Celtic.
I suspect the “Ange liked him and wanted him” bit will be ignored by some.
Similar to earlier posters, I’m nonplussed about his departure. Never met the man. Don’t know anything about him.
One conclusion might be drawn from your article?
If we are going after recruitment guys to fit with Brendan ….
…. Brendan is staying for a while.
Majestic Hartson
You still wearing that Green Jersey G?😂
There was a time when we jokingly described fans of the blue (less than) half of glasgow as
“Perma-raging”.
Regrettably we can see that behaviour closer to home these days.
Hopefully it’s temporary.
Muir has indicated 3 weeks injury time at Poundland……that’s only for the 1st half…
Penalty bingo for the debtsdome begins
Another goal for Bosun Lawal vs Shaun Maloney’s Wigan. He is now playing as a DM
“BACK TO BASICS – GLASS HALF FULL on 2ND MARCH 2024 3:20 PM
There was a time when we jokingly described fans of the blue (less than) half of glasgow as
“Perma-raging”.
Regrettably we can see that behaviour closer to home these days.”
I mentioned something similar a week or so ago. Our Home support is beginning to resemble the Huns` support in terms of entitlement.I don`t like it.
Re. today’s article – I have no axe to grind because of the guy’s surname. None at all.
What I will say is that his appointment was the height of stupidity given his surname.
To have been cut any slack at all by most of the support his hit rate would have to have been perfect. 100%.
Given the risks and vagaries of the transfer market this is nigh on impossible. Even a 60% success rate would not have cut it, so his departure from Celtic was inevitable from the day he walked in the door.
As it turned out, his hit rate was terrible.
The proof of the pudding and all that.
Regarding Mark Lawwell
Father and son working together in public life is very difficult
ML referenced a few times by Paul67 with City Football Group throw in Man Utd Liverpool and Chelsea and we are associating ML with an alter allegedly higher than our own
Further reference to Lee Congerton who I agree with PAul67s cynicism was BRs man and failed
Hopefully LC not on BRs wish list
Time will tell
But 2 issues remain
1) when recruiting BR was the conversation not had between all parties about how BR saw Celtic look after the next couple of transfer windows Why was 3 or 4 first team ready players a big surprise to everyone. Either BRboughtinto the project model then subsequently changed his mind (probably on the evidence of the summer projects). OR ML accepted BRs wish list Either way it’s a mess
2) What now for PL How do you focus motivate and work day to day with people who removed your son from office. it takes a big brave man to move on from his sons demise. I worry the internal politics is not yet over. Would PL (and to a degree Paul67) accept a Celtic failure to make a point about BR not being good enough – as has been indicated numerous times on here over the last few weeks
I’m not sure PL can get over this
67ECW
Question – name the five sorrowful mysteries
Answer – BRRB , Big Jimmy , Majestic Hartson , Carpe Diem and St Stivs
Alan Muir is a dirty cheat the home side are well and truly allowed to foul without punishment.
Bosun Lawal scores a 2nd
Can we call Lawal back I wonder 🤔
HT at Ibrox and the boos rang out. Sound familiar?
Fred Colon
Ffs you missed out the other 50.🙄
Of course, it may be wishful thinking but I feel fairly confident the Huns will drop points today.
I also felt Raith Rovers would drop points last night so maybe I am on a roll !!
Come on the `well :-))
Sorry to say it won’t be allowed to happen not with muir as mib . Not with any mib . Each and everyone have there orders .
Is there no end to this folly?🤔
Hot Smoked
You are a fecking jinx. So there now.
JIMTIM on 2ND MARCH 2024 4:00 PM
Sorry to say it won’t be allowed to happen not with muir as mib . Not with any mib . Each and everyone have there orders .
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Spot-on sadly.
By the time we call it out (no laughing at the back), it will be too late and they will have their hands on the £60m jackpot of the new CL.
All we can do is win all our games and take it out of their hands. That won’t be easy with the official spring against us and for them.
We can do it! Wouldn’t have said that 3 games ago though. 😃👍🍀🇮🇪⚽️🏆