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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Rab Hawe
100% agree about Clement.
His tall intimidating and bordering on threatening presence in the 4th officials ear is tolerated by most.
We saw Dickinson clearly privileged and bullied by it in the league cup final.
Best example of influence was the ridiculous amount of injury time given to them in both halves v Ross county. All on his instruction. Also booking of a st Mirren player for taking too long with a throw in in first half.
I am amazed these guys don’t tell him where to go. Another reversal this week and we will see rattles out the pram I reckon though. He has a short fuse.
Some babes competing in the high jump at the Emirates
Side contratcs – not loans
Sean Thornton. Sorry to hear your sad news, hope you are ok. May your brother Mick, Rest In Peace. Take care of your family and take care of yourself.
BR has a good record at Tynecastle.
Hopefully this continues tomorrow. They don’t seem to know whether to stick or twist against us at home. If they do come at us we can pick them off easily. If they don’t then their crowd get on their back quickly.
Not sure if their influential CB Kent is injured. That will help us for sure.
Ultimately it will be about what version of us turns up. Hopefully it is what we saw in H2 Motherwell or Wednesday night.
Some tunes before a hit ‘ma cot.
Nick Lowe – “I Love The Sound of Breaking Glass”
https://youtu.be/BDbUEydkuR8?si=ISkd6pz4njlpsGOL
This lady helped me through many a winters night as a teenager. :)
Blondie – Heart Of Glass
https://youtu.be/WGU_4-5RaxU?si=ak2iGzpem0HyZiCk
The Police – Message In A Bottle
https://youtu.be/MbXWrmQW-OE?si=qKoga7-eEmmM33P-
HH
‘mon the hoops, do those ‘Cousins of William’ and watch their likes bottle crash !!!
Nite y’all
Stay classy.
Tell your friends they’ll like it.
It’s good to be a Tim.
Brian
Is Calmac not gona make the game tomoz??
Has we had any confirmation on nature and length of injury
Also
Hiddern/side contracts
Not loans
Thats why they were illegal
How can they sit on the couch of a national broadcaster and commentate impartially??
They were double contracts which are illegal in soccer, therefore false registrations.
Usually if a team plays a falsely registered they lose the game, and an arbitrary 0 3 result.
Even in under age football. Even amateur league football. We all know this.
The cheats did this the whole of the 90s.
Occasionally all 11 players were false.
They did not have 1 single result overturned.
Not one. Ever.
Overseen by the sfa. Eufa didn’t mind either.
Referee tomorrow Don Robertson,assisted by Daniel McFarlane and Ross Macleod.VAR duties John Beaton with Andrew McWilliams assisting.
Tontine Tim on 2nd March 2024 8:24 pm
Put a sock in it then. Your net zero intelligence is giving me indigestion.
Perhaps the Freemasons on this blog should be outed too. There seems to be a fair few of them on here.
We see you.
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…
—–
Am I the only one who thinks this is utter shite? Objectively staggering. Top of the league tomorrow, without calmac.
ziggydoc1 on 2nd March 2024 9:52 pm
He was running the website for City according to UEFA.
Whoever came up with ‘Head of Scouting at Man City” should get work as a spin doctor.
He’s away and good luck to him.
Act II will see his father following in his footsteps. Moves are afoot to ensure this.
JPH
Aye and lord nimmo smith decided there was no sporting advantage to 40+ mullion of extra payments
Wonder how much he pocketed to come up with that?
Side letters, double contracts, cheating their Queen
They liquidated … never mind the stripping of titles shoite
They got caught cheating .. they liquidated.. HMRC were never interested in what they owed HMRC were only interested in the tribunal verdict to make sure the EPL mob could not use the same tax “evasion” route
Never let them forget .., liquidation is final
3 points tomorrow … keep the pressure on, it’s the Champions title to lose
I dont think we will 🍀
ZIGGYDOC1 on 2ND MARCH 2024 9:52 PM
There’s something of a Hugh keevins flavour about that last sentence and Paul may end up looking as silly as dear old Hugh does after one of his ridiculous predictions.
If ML does end up at a top EPL club as head of scouting I will eat george Galloways hat while wearing George Galloways catsuit .
GFTB
But its the same club….
They live and breathe in the grey areas…..
Jeeso, I just had a recollection of George Galloway supping milk (OK I watched big brother years ago, I’m sorry to say 😁) from rula lenska’s lap. Gie ye the boak 😂
Rock follies anyone?
Clunks 10.04pm
Different shoite … same flies :-)
I dint too wrapped up in all that nonsense, for a new club I have still have the same dislike … which I wouldn’t have if it was a new “Klub”
Am happy with Celtic …
And
Fook any version of an entity fae Govan
As Brendan says … “we write our own story”
🍀
Lee Griffiths nailed it GFTB
Yer teams deid….
For any avoidance of doubt .. I was absolutely gutted when Brendan bolted … at that time would never have wanted him back … time is a great healer and when I thought we had a chance of getting Brendan back I was 100% for it …
Life is far too short for all that shoitey principal stuff, if Brendan doesn’t win this title I want him to stay and make sure it’s back next season …
But am pretty sure he will deliver this May
Clunks 10.19pm
One of my favourite ever put downs
Am a bit sad about Leigh, a terrific striker and wideo
Pre Covid many fans forget how good Neil had Leigh & Odsonne playing … it was like Hooper n Stokes .. but even better :-)
GFTB
Like Lee and Stokesy
We all have our demons
Some we can hide
Some we can’t
Both great servants to our club, despite their demons
Would love to go for a pint with both….defo at the same time
Not a surprise both came from hibs before us
Broonie managed to deflect the curse
Who was the other striker we got from hibs that never quite made it with us?
Derek Riordan….
& Chris Killen
I think Deeks (Riordan) clashed with our Gordon Strachan ..,
That’s no a bad group .. would gladly buy a round in that company :-)
Would be a cracking nite oot
Jeez aye, chris killen too
MacAvennie & Walker
Sutton & Larsson
Hartson & Larsson
Stokes & Hooper
Griffiths & Edouard
Get
Kyogo & Idah … especially for Ibrox .. put the Huns on the back foot…
We could have had Stephen Fletcher
(Don’t mention John McGinn)
Turkeybhoy if reading I agree with you … McGinn choose Villa nor Celtic :-)
Tam McLaughlin 5.46
You are a fecking jinx.
GFTB
Watched mcginn tonight
Bhoy has put on a tonne of muscle
He’s massive
We get Agathe from hibs too?
Petec …
Where art thou Petec …
We need you back for the run in
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KB680FvlQ4w
Caldwell “the heid” too
Clunks 10.43pm
John McGinn would be red carded every week if he wore the hoops …
Very good player .. a few seasons back Broony & Cal .. I think all three are great .. in my opinion John is the 3rd best at that time
Clunks 10.46pm
I actually liked Gary Caldwell .. him and big Mick McManus certainly not the the best centre halves but done well for us … big Mogga had some team at Hibs if you lob in Whittaker & Thomson who went to the original Rangers (probably on tax favourable contracts)