The extent of Celtic’s pursuit of Ronny Deila can be seen from the fact that Peter Lawwell established a false identity before setting up a Norwegian football blog in early 2012 to allow him to pen this article titled, The Awesomeness of Ronny Deila. There is a chance the blog wasn’t written by our CEO, but the appreciation of Ronny’s talent is clear.
No deal has been concluded, so it would be a mistake to get too worked up yet, but the fact that we have got to this stage clarifies where we are, and are not, looking.
Neil Lennon resigned two weeks ago and a whole series of names, most of whom are freely available and would be delighted to accept the Celtic job, have been hotly tipped by media and bookies alike. Celtic will not be appointing the likes of Owen Coyle. Suggestions, by many who like to knock the club, that they will make a dash for season ticket cash by big name are also wrong.
Roy Keane was a serious contender, wanted by some within the club. He was in pole position a week ago, forcing those who only days earlier had proclaimed with great triumph that Neil resigned due to budget constraints (he didn’t) to re-write their script, but Roy had other plans. As did some at Celtic.
The club have been busy looking for an intelligent, technically gifted, coach. One who has a track record of innovation, improving players and improving teams. Ronny will not sell tickets on the basis of his own identity, become none of us knew him, but it was absurd to suggest Celtic would look for a short term fix with enormous Champions League qualifiers looming a few weeks away.
By any measure Ronny is a student of the game, a “Moneyball” candidate, according to the above ‘Awesomeness’ article. We don’t need the archetypal British shouter-manager, renowned for his inspirational abilities. You can get the guy who puts the cones out to do the shouting. We don’t need a media darling either. Someone already alerted me to the fact that surely ‘Ronny brings it on himself’, whatever the media decide ‘it’ is, and the manager doesn’t need an Irish granny.
I’ve not seen too much of Lennoxtown but what I have seen is a campus with talented coaches, fitness experts, nutritionists, sports scientists, scouts and analysts. We need a manager in tune with this approach to the game. Someone who will dovetail with this infrastructure, who intuitively recognises its value without needing to be told.
These appointments are always a risk, but if we’re looking for someone to fulfil this criteria, we’ll do very well. I’ve yet to back a managerial appointment by our board in 10 years writing this stuff. This could be about to change.
Lladro replica World Cup trophy
My thanks to Liam, from East Kilbride, who donated his prize memento, a Lladro replica World Cup trophy, commissioned by the Spanish FA in 1978, and acquired by Liam in 1982. It will be auctioned on Saturday with proceeds going to our Mary’s Meals school kitchen appeal. You can get involved in the auction, or keep an eye on it as it happens, here. The auction takes place at Great Western Auctions, on Dumbarton Road.
Visit the CQN Bookstore to get Tommy Gemmell to sign your personal copy of his tome, All the Best.
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winning captains
Congratulations to yer good lady.
soukous- are you happy that Ron Manager, will have players chosen by Lawwell/ Park ? HH
Didn’t see this appointment coming but then again…so what! Pro/Anti board will spin and spin but as a Celtic supporter I’m quite excited. The more I read about him it seems that we are in for some interesting times if he lands the job with a more mobile, attack minded philosophy to look forward to.
Much like our signing policy it looks like we are trying to unearth a gem prior to the EPL taking notice. Interesting times ahead.
HH
So, Sevco have baited the season ticket hook with a big fat lobworm named misser?
Sorry Sally you’re gonna need a bigger boat. Hahahahahahahaha
lisbon1967
17:06 on 5 June, 2014
Flight due into Edinburgh @ 2040 from Oslo – We should know by then…
————-
I take it then that Paul67 has authorized the expenditure of a photographer to meet the flight and bring us pictures of the messiah landing and being huckled into a waiting limo with shaded windows for the trip down the M8 to Celtic Park?
The Celtic Way lights will be switched on just before his arrival and (St?) Peter will be photographed receiving him on the steps of Paradise.
I can’t understand all the mentions Houston gets as a prospective No. 2. He had a lot of stuff to say which annoyed Lenny around the time yon team called Rangers went bust.
Aboot this Collins’ thingmy
If whit Ah hiv recently n . Newly, gathered..
Why Should we even Dream of bringing in .. A Guy such as Collins?
Who..if Ma Informants are Correct..
Caused Such Complete n outright. Upset.. no coonting the Ensuing… Panic Attacks..because of his Martinet- Like Qualities…which he inflicted upon his Playing Staff , when He wiz the Manager at
Hibs..
If even Half of this Info aboot Mr.Collins’ Nettlesome n.. Domineering Personality, is Trew..
then Ah Ask ye..
“Why Borrow Trouble….. Check that..
Why BUY Trouble?” By bringing in a Guy,such as Collins..intae Ye Hoose?
Maks Nae sense.. tae Me.
Kojo
Still… Laughin’
kitalba
16:58 on 5 June, 2014
kdc:
I don’t get your point.
I was agreeing with you that Moneyball is not about buying low and selling big, not at the A’s at least. It was about maximising the value of their recruiting.
Baseballs transfer/trading system is very different from football though with the owner having more control, pre-bosmanesque
Harry Brady Twitter
Deila in Glasgow Thursday evening (unknown if we have a private jet) press conference either 11am or 2pm Friday, Lawwells on hols Saturday!
TheOriginalSadiesBhoy:
Mate I thought he didn’t do much for us last season because he got loaned out. I’m not decrying the lad, I just don’t see him as a better option going into the qualifiers than Sammi would have been. And believe me, I’ve screamed about it often enough on here – I’m a dues paid disciple of give youth a chance. That was the whole point of my Linsanity posts, that and instilling confidence in players. And you can’t do that unless you put them on the stage.
TheOriginalSadiesBhoy
I 100% agree with you, but was told that Houston was being forced in as Neils No2 and he was having none of it 4 days before Neil left.
I hope it is just a big bad coincedence :))).
That is the only reason I mention him
Is it deffo? Has he signed? Ronny?
The Norwegian Sports Journo that broke the story a couple of days ago – on twitter now twittering –
Magne Jordan Nilsen @DTMagne 7m
Nå har vel ikke Celtic annet valg enn å innfri kravet til Godset? Drar til Glasgow i kveld. Skal presenteres i morra. Stor fallhøyde.
Expand Reply Retweet Favorite Mo
Roughly Translate as –
Now Celtic have not choice but to meet the requirement of the estate? Goes to Glasgow tonight. To be presented tomorrow. Large drop.
Hmmm…..
NorwegiantranslationisabitdodgytosaytheleastCSC
HT @ 5.04
I’m a wee bitty excited about his possible arrival.
That’s positively gushy for you!!!
;-)
WC. Congrats to Mrs WC
HH jamesgang
Hummel Friday for some.
Kojo, John Collins is only trouble for those that don’t like professionalism.
He did demand what was promised to him at Hibs and resigned on principle.
He did leave Celtic under a cloud but hopefully he’s back to make up for that. The players can look forward to seeing his late 40s six pack as well.
Now he has translated (instead of me using translator app)
Magne Jordan Nilsen @DTMagne 2m
Ronny Deila flying to Glasgow tonight with Celtic representatives. Hope to be unveiled tomorrow. But still no agreement between clubs.
Lawell at the haggling……………
Please no Houston anywhere near the first team, man management skills zero. Surely the new manager should be bringing his own assistant with him?
If Mr. D comes..
He wull bring his Ain .. fur want of a Bettah word… Haunders..
A said..Haunders no.. Handlers..
This Guy, Is wan o’ they Alpha Males, that ye Hear aboot.. but.. seldom.. See.
a Real…”Tom Terrific”.. who is No Called.. Tom.
He don’t need No Stinkin’ Helpers.. in Ma Opinion..
He is Big enuff ,n… Handsome enuff, tae Tak Care of Bizness.. Oan his Oaneo..
Sure, He wul Bring in.. A coupla Lackeys. wi Him..
when he Arrives.. that is S.O.P.
But, they wull be strictly fur window Dressing.. a Coupla GoFers, ur Always A Handy thing tae hiv aboot the Place.
Jist like.. Neil Hid..as a Matter of Fact.. only He Hid…. Three Of Them…in stead of the mair Usual two..
Kojo
Still,Laughin’
Keryy…..whit?
ElDiegoBhoy
At Glasgow Uni – she went to Pau last year if that’s what you mean. It’s near Lourdes. Some of the other girls were in Strasbourg and that looked much more vibrant.
That is a good course your daughter is doing – you should tell her to consider an Eastern European language (one within EU). Apparently all the UK civil servants in Brussels at the time we entered the EU are at retiring stage. With the expansion of the EU in the last decade added on top it means they have a big shortage of English speakers who have another language (French) and basics in an Eastern European language. Add the law element and she’s onto big bucks. The EU people were recruiting around this premise last autumn.
kdc
Shirley employing a “moneyball” approach is simply using non traditional criteria for tracking and targeting potential recruits?
Kris Commons is the type of player who might be a moneyball example.
Spent his career at unfashionable clubs.
Lacks a wee bit of pace.
Late developer, approaching his sell by date.
Little or no resale value.
He is outside our normal criteria of taking on a young player with the potential of improving his game and sell on.
A pyoor love Celtic!!!!!!
As long as his number 2 isn’t called Smith…that could cause a lot of confusion.
HH
Afternoon,
Just on the club fb page and they are selling 8inch of the turf for the bargain price of £50!. A lot of bhoys and ghirls not happy…….wonder why, Celtic have just wiped the comments.
More than a club?…………..
HailHail
If the current unprofessional, apathetic Hibs side is anything like the one John Collins had to deal with, I know whose side I would take.
On John Collins:
I wrote this last month when I thought he would be the perfect replacement for Mjallby.
celticjournal.org/5635/three-reasons-john-collins-celtic-2/
A few notes on his departure from Hibs:
He won them their first trophy in 15 years
He asked the players to do conditioning work after training and have a massage before leaving. Nothing more than the imposition of higher standards on a failing club.
A delegation of players promptly went to Rod Petrie’s house to complain, where remarkably, they were received and their views heard
Collins sold £10m worth of talent and asked for £1m to reinvest.
Petrie refused and Collins resigned.
I am praying this guy is part of the new regime in Paradise
TJ
Evening Celts, I missed oor Willie On CQN but at least I got to see the bhoy playing in the hoops, catch up again with him ra morra in Green Oak
A sell out crowd of 250 in the Greenock Celtic club, gonnae need a PA system to be heard over they Greenock and Port yins …… Debating :>)
V
Apologies clearly that link hasn’t worked so apologies for clogging up blog with long link.
Those disinterested in Colllins should scroll on by!
Three reasons why John Collins should be Celtic’s No.2
Posted by Chris Collins on 09/05/2014 —23 Comments
Johan Mjallby’s departure from the assistant managers role at Celtic Park – and the subsequent speculation about who might replace him – has precipitated an interesting debate among the Celtic support.
Will the manager be content to promote from within or look externally, for the Swedes successor? Does he go for a household domestic name, another ex team mate, or will he pluck a name from leftfield that we know little about?
Will the decision be exclusively his?
Various names have already been mentioned including Pat Fenlon and Peter Houston. While both are reasonable candidates, it’s not unkind to suggest the faithful may be slightly underwhelmed should either begin the season with their initials stitched into Celtic training gear. The recruitment process is probably already underway but rest assured, many, many more candidates, real or imagined, will enter the fray before Neil Lennon decides who will become his right hand man.
In the meantime, allow me to make the case for John Collins assuming the position.
Let me begin by saying that despite the fact we share a surname, I don’t know him. I have no idea if he is on good, bad or indifferent terms with Neil Lennon. He may have obligations and commitments that preclude him from the post. Despite all of this there seems – to me at least – to be some compelling reasons why he might fit the bill as Celtic Assistant Manager, a few of which are detailed below.
Knowledge of the club
Most supporters have got beyond the notion those in charge of the team must be ‘Celtic men’ but lets not pretend it doesn’t help to identify with the management team. Collins had six years as a player at Celtic, arriving brimful with the confidence of youth from Hibs in 1990, to carve his name into the club’s history. He was Celtics first £1m player, rejecting advances from Rangers and Bordeaux to sign for Billy McNeill, describing his signing as a dream come true in an interview with the Celtic View in 2012:
“Like every other Celtic supporter growing up, my dream was to play for them. My dad was at every game I played, he was a mad Celtic supporter and it was always a special feeling looking up and catching his eye just before kick off. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end when you walk out the tunnel and hear that roar”
Collins was the principal creative force for Celtic throughout most of this era, displaying craft, composure and a keen eye for goal alongside his legendary captain Paul McStay who was sacrificing his own brilliant career to prevent the teams descent into mediocrity. Younger fans who may not recollect Collins and McStay at their peak should reflect on the Seville midfield of Lennon, Lambert, Petrov and Thompson. It could be argued with some justification that Collins, and certainly McStay, were superior players to all of them.
He went on to represent Monaco, Everton and Fulham with distinction, honing his game at an elite level with the French champions and reaching a Champions League semi final in the process. Collins played at European Championships and World Cups, gathering 58 Scotland caps and a wealth of experience of top level football in the process.
Well respected, qualified coach
He obtained his UEFA Pro License in 2003 and took charge of Hibernian in 2006, leading them to the Scottish League Cup the following year, their first trophy in fifteen years. His methods met with some resistance in the dressing room, but he had Hibs playing an excellent passing game for the majority of his 15 months in charge. Collins, was also instrumental in the development of current Celtic captain Scott Brown.
In 2009 he helped Belgian club Charleroi secure their top flight status in his brief tenure, returning to the UK to continue his media career and take up posts with Livingston FC and the SFA.
As a player, his move to Monaco under the newly introduced Bosman ruling, was a transformative experience for Collins and greatly influenced his views on how the game should be played and how professionals should prepare. A gifted technical player with an almost unparalleled determination and focus, Collins has spoken publicly about the retrogressive attitudes that threaten to damage the Scottish game. He is a committed, teetotal fitness fanatic whose football philosophy can be summarised concisely in a few points –
1. attack is the best form of defence, 2. skill and flair must always be properly incorporated into any system 3. preparation and recovery is vital.
As a coach and pundit he is a strong advocate for possession football. Given Celtic’s problems retaining the ball in last seasons Champions League, he would bring new ideas in addition to a different voice on the training pitch.
Media skills
Collins has carefully and successfully manufactured a media image for public consumption oozing presentability as the modern pundit, sharp suited and insightful. He is an ever present on BBC and Sky.
Those of us not privy to the assistant managers job description might realistically assume it will contain a healthy portion of media duties, which would pose few problems for Collins. While his recent pronouncements about the return of Celtic’s old rivals did not go down well in some quarters, he is still held in high regard by the support and would be assured of a warm welcome in the dugout.
In this global age, the Celtic management team must project an image of confidence and assurance at home and abroad. Some fans understandably feel uneasy about the manner in which the club courts the media and engages with supporters – the recent BecauseCeltic campaign feels especially contrived – but in Collins there is a coach in waiting, savvy enough to fulfil his media duties, and for the most part in tune with the feelings of the fans.
While Mjallby has done a superb job for Neil Lennon and for the club as a whole, in every walk of life fresh blood is necessary at times. While Lennon himself appears committed to self improvement and is far from a standstill manager, a fresh perspective is probably required in order to evolve a tactical framework to compete seriously at Champions League level.
Since Collins’ time as a player, the club seem to have rediscovered their sense of ambition, it would complete the circle were he to return and contribute to the fulfilment of loftier aspirations than those of the dreary mid 1990’s.
Winning captains
Very well done to your wife. I hope you ‘re only joking though about tomorrow’s gig at Greenock being the celebration of her success. You’ll need to take her out and spoil her if you want any additional Brownie points. :-))
My Dear Kojo…
Who Is This ‘Willie Wallace’ You Have Been Conversing With ,Today ?
Is He The Guy That Used To Play In The Same Celtic Team As Billy Gemmill..?
Collins..? No Thank-You..!
He’s A Bit Full Of Himself
Over-Rated As A Player ..
During His Time At Paradise-Oan-The-Clyde..
And He Did The ‘Dirty’ On Us….
When He Became One Of The First Players In UK To Use The Bosman Ruling..
To Join Monaco Without Celtic Getting A Fee…
Incensing The Bunnet…
And Costing Celtic Even More In Legal Fees….
Trying To Challenge The Transfer….
No…Ron Manager Should Be Able To Select His Own Backroom Team…
With Jimmy CLark And Ernie McGrain Remaining
Pinkety..!
kdc:
Do you want to re-read your last sentence and tell me the difference between baseball and DD. No don’t only kidding.
Moneyball for me was about a team with financial restrictions trying to compete against more affluent teams and adopting an unorthodox approach to recruiting players with the view to bridging the financial gulf by guile and imagination and faith, and consequently competing at the higher end.
Now I have no problem with that philosophy, but with regards Celtic, today, in our league, today, I believe they have the players in their squad to win the SPL without adding to the squad. However I don’t have the same faith about qualifying for the CL groups. I question the ambition of the club, that’s all.
What are the realistic ambitions – from a boardroom perspective – for the season ahead? And… what are the board going to do to realise these goals? How are our ambitions going to be risk managed by resources? Do the board think that losing NFL and bring in a replacement who knows diddly-squat about the game in Scotland (if they do) is a risk positive scenario?
I don’t think those are unreasonable questions.
WC
A 2:1 in a language is pretty much the top mark for a non-native speaker. Very well done to her.
Must say, it rather knarked me at the time of my daughter’s graduation when only two folk in the entire Language School got 1st class – one an Italian studying Italian, the other Spanish likewise.
Meanwhile one third of the 150 graduands of Psychology, Sociology and other social sciences got 1st class degrees.
There’s a bit of an issue with relative standards, I thought. One group got a huge percentage of 1st class degrees for studying human behaviour in english, the other group got nil for being able to speak fluently in 2 foreign languages.
What am I saying? A 2:1 deserves wine! Fizzy at that. Your bell.
Gg’
I don’t know what kris’ stats were when we signed him but assuming his goals to games ratio and assists were high and add you say he’s not the quickest or the tallest or a name then that would be a ‘moneyball’ type example. Stats and evidence over a traditional scouts report on his gut feeling or obvious physical attributes. I can’t say of that happened with kris or not
tommy joad
I would like to see JohnnCollins in an influential position at the club.
My Dear Kojo….
Ah Hope Oor CannonBall Kid….
MegaWattie….
Is Putting In Some Extra Fitness Training…..
So He Can Impress The New Man….
Or He Might Find Himself In Last-Chance-Saloon..
Which Would Be A Waste…
The Battered Bunnet
Her average mark over the five years was 17.8 out of 22 and she needed 18 to get a first. Nearly!
Not sure Collins would be a No 2 to anyone.
Mullet n Company
Thanks fur the Reply… Pal..
Professionalism.. wiz It?.. In Mr. Collins case.
Hmmmmm
Ah hiv anither Name fur it..
Ah wid Hazard a Guess that Mr. Collins n Mr. Keane…wur
Comrades in Arms..
Baith, it seems tae Me.. Only Ma Opinion..
Ur Tarred wi the Wan.. Stick..
Baith ur Mair Interested in Dominating.. n Subjugatin.. thur Players..
They ur No Fit tae be Fitba’ Managers..
Mebbe.. They wid Mak it as..
Sergeant Majors in the Coldstream Guards..
But.. they hivnae a clue ..when it comes tae
Getting the best oota thur Fit Ba’ Playing Staff.
Where…”Man Management”, is the Maist Important
feature that any wid be Fitba Manager
must hiv in HIs Managerial Kit n Kaboodle.
Kojo
Still,Laughin’
that