I’m delighted for Alex Neil at achieving promotion for Norwich City just a few months after joining and transforming them. Alex was groomed for the Hamilton Accies job by former boss Billy Hamilton for years before being given the position as a 31-year-old two years ago. Billy would talk him through training games, “Reds are being overrun, would you do to change things?” I listened into some of this, but in football it’s never apparent what’s being absorbed and what’s slipping through the cracks.
Lots of credit has to go to our former commercial head, David McNally, who took as Norwich chief exec six years ago, in the wake of departing Neil Doncaster. McNally spent much of season 2013-14 dangling the Sword of Damocles over Chris Hughton, before sacking him with relegation looming, then sacking his replacement, Neil Adams, whose only previous coaching role was as a Norwich youth coach.
Fresh from having to admit a mistake in appointing an inexperienced manager, it was unfathomable that McNally gambled on Alex Neil. Last season Neil got Accies into the play-off final against Hibs, where they lost the first leg 0-2 at home. At that stage his achievements were no better than could be expected, but Terry Butcher was master tactician at opponents Hibs.
Ahead of the second leg Butcher spoke to his players about post-match celebrations. The only thing anyone at Hibs could celebrate after the game was Butcher’s resignation. Six months of spectacular overachieving with Accies this season was enough for McNally to see something special in Alex Neil. It was a breath-taking gamble which worked.
Norwich’s gamble has echoes in our own, in appointing Ronny Deila, but Celtic had a bit more form to judge. When I asked a Norwegian journalist about Ronny last summer he actually compared Stromsgodset wining the league to Hamilton Accies winning the SPFL. Ronny had six years, not six months, of pretty spectacular form to study before Celtic made their offer.
Ronny and Celtic know they are working to a medium-term plan and that short-termism isn’t going to get in the way. Such planning is a luxury in football, and isn’t something Celtic enjoyed when they were caught in an arms race with a liquidation-bound opponent. Norwich might just have learned enough self-awareness to know that next season’s target shouldn’t be survival, it should be medium-term development, even if that means accepting the short-term pain of relegation.
I read yesterday that Real Madrid have sacked a manager every season they failed to win a major trophy since Alfredo Di Stefano’s side finished second in La Liga, and were losing finalists in the Copa’ Liga, Copa del Rey and Cup Winners’ Cup, the latter to Aberdeen. Medium-termism at Real is counted in weeks, not seasons. Being intolerant of short-term failure is incredibly wasteful.
Alfredo was sacked a year later.
646 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- ...
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
- 14
- 15
- 16
- 17
- »
Pointless – JR or JFK assassinated?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvRwRuHwyTU
Almore
oíche Maithili.
HH
St Stivs
No idea, mate.
He is a loss.
Especially as I see yon clueless Supersutton guy’s back on!
Sleep well Championees.
Oiche mhaith
ACGR
Awrite ya mad mental Fenian reprobate :-) I hope your troubles in Oz haven’t dampened your quest in the pursuit of lifelong intoxication :-)
Dena
He is a huge lump of a bhoy. He looks after his Godfather. ;)
Delaneys Dunky,
Saul Paul.
Ronny wants EVERY Club as strong as possible, he will lead by example. I loved Lenny to bits, but he was from the old school of Management, the game is squeezing out the Maverick genius, it is just like every aspect of Life.
I bet Ronny was fitter than most of the players he inherited. Probably the Truth, I have no way of knowing if that is true.
gearoid1998
Mail me and I’ll get some to you mate.
Jude, josh will be glad its the end of the season and his back should heal up in time for pre. Season.
One of my son’s former team mates plays for hamilton 17’s and occasionally their 19’s. Cracking player and celtic fan.
Margaret McGill,
When will Scotland join the 20th century?
Having spent time in Glasgow, I really don’t know what era Glasgow is stuck in.
If they get promoted next season I wouldn’t bet against them being in the top four.
And yet you question the progress made in Ireland?
Morrissey the 23rd
23:04 on
26 May, 2015
Pointless – JR or JFK assassinated?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvRwRuHwyTU
Two words
Kaflik skools…………:-))
I told my hubby that earlier when someone posted it and he said
“you dont need to watch TV someone always points out the best bits”
I’m seeing that as a licence to stay on CQN even longer
HH
Dallas Dallas
Agreed pal. I prefer to buy from CFC. But love this boy’s originality and enterprise.
Conflicted. Solution. Buy lots from both!
HH jamesgang
D D
Was he playing tonight?
gearoid1998
Oiche mhaith
when I post Irish I think of Ard Mhacha …………where are you B
HH
Delaneys Dunky
23:08 on
26 May, 2015
Dena
He is a huge lump of a bhoy. He looks after his Godfather. ;)
as it should be :-))
HH
Jude, unless he was injured , he would have.
His name is conor scullion and would have been attacking midfield or the right side of midfield. Short spikey hair and quite wiry but a terrific player.
Goodnight Timland
HH
PeteTheBeat
17:30 on
26 May, 2015
I did hear that Killie players were taunting the Celtic guys and Calderwood made remarks about ‘If Rangers need goals’,
*it was the par’s assistant manager who allegedly said that at the rock bowling club in Dumbarton on the week leading up tae the final game. He was probably doon there cheering on Porto like the rest of the Newton Huns.
Jamesgang, one of the staff told me, the majority of their sales are celtic t shirts.
I’ve saw plenty of their people’s republic of paradise t shirts at celtic games .
The john lennon i love jinky t shirt is fantastic.
I wore it into work one day and never got pulled up for it .
The rebel in me lol
Morrissey @ 22:58
Thanks for posting that!
Off home to walk the ghirl, and then cook dinner for my lady. Will check back in later lads.
Cheers,
D D
The only one I know is Ronan Hughes he’s a pal of Josh’s. They played together when Josh was at Accies. The Accies boys played well!!
Is anyone from Glasgow travelling to Edinburgh on June 6, James Connolly day?
Jude, i hope josh makes a full recovery and makes the step up to the developement squad next season and continues gaining experience with us
From what i have been told, the accies youth set up is very good.
Good night all and sleep well.
Morrissey the 23rd,
What is your opinion of Russell Brand?
He has been promoting Theosophy, wittingly or unwittingly, the Flyers suggest wittingly.
Who was the punk Lady?
I just skimmed maist of it, not got the Time at the moment,I might give it a go at the weekend, funnily enough, I stopped at the Frankie Boyle comments most.
DD,
Went out for dinner in County Louth last night. When I mentioned Scotland, they said Cowgate, Edinburgh.
The lads all sang James Connolly for me.
Delaney’s, my green brigade chum normally goes through.
He told me a number of hibs fans are prominent in the james connolly society.
James connolly should have a higher profile in scotland. A hero of the working man.
Definitely away now.
antipodean red 17:35
Auldheid,
My point was more about the fact that had they beaten either Malmo or Maribor then they would have got a financial injection that may have kept their cheating hidden (in Scotland) for a while longer.”
Tangential but I think relative to your point. Craig Whyte was assured that European Football was guaranteed. He was told if Rangrs failed to qualify for the UCL they would drop into the Europa.
Now SDM hadn’t been exactly straight with CW as they also needed to qualify for the Europa. One of the reasons our Hero said he was duped.
If he had got European Football it would have meant he could have got through the season and brought his master plan to bear by having a nice orderly insolvency event in the summer of 2012.
It could’ve oh so been so different.
Ach Well!
Hail Hail
Dallas
I know a few Hibees and Celtic men from Leith in the JCS. They always make me welcome in Reekie.
GNGB
Clogher
I sang James Connolly to 16roads walking down Falls Rd in February.
He enjoyed it in a Scottish accent. :)
Apparently this guy will be working as a steward in Section 111 next season:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDOFseZA-iI
DD,
As the lads say to me here, it is a celtic accent.
In all my time in Ireland I have never heard anything bad about Scotland.
People here have an affinity with Scotland.
petec @ 23:33
I like Russell Brand. He has always been nice to me when we’ve spoke.
He’s a spiritual kind of guy.
The punk lady is a protester.
I don’t want to highlight bit as I want to encourage it all to be watched.
Delaneys Dunky @ 23:27
I am up for it if you go via Wishy.
morrissey the 23rd
23:46 on 26 May, 2015
Apparently this guy will be working as a steward in Section 111 next season:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDOFseZA-iI
——–
See he managed it all with only a hint of lateral movement!!!!
;-)
HH jamesgang
Brotherhood of Man
:(
Morrissey
There is a train from Dalmuir to Edinburgh. Don’t know if it goes via Wishaw?
I am going Stephen Patrick, hope you join me.
HH
HT
Not an optimistic piece at all.
dena29
The power of peer pressure and the need to conform I suppose, black officers being more aggressive. When you belong to two tribes and they are in conflict, then you are even more under the close watch of those who work with you. They are expecting and waiting for you to make the choice that the canteen culture says you will make, the wrong choice – so you over compensate to gain acceptance.
Some women police officers do the same thing, they know that they are being watched and they are expected to show no mettle for a physical confrontation so they become even more aggressive than males to establish their credentials.
Took my two sons as teenagers to the Paul Davis testimonial against Arsenal. We arrived early and got a place standing at the Clock End, and after about 20 minutes the Celtic fans started to pile in in numbers. They just stood where there was a space and were all in great form and looking forward to the game. A very small women police stepped right up to a group of quiet fans and ordered them to move further along the terracing. When asked why, what was wrong with where they were, she responded that they had to move and squeeze up so that there would be room nearer the turnstiles for those coming in later. Astonished looks all round and she only stepped up her aggressive stance. Her male (older) colleague actually looked embarrassed.
At fulltime when the Celtic and Arsenal fans both invaded the pitch to swap scarves in the centre circle, I saw the same women and she was almost open mouthed in astonishment at how her fears were not realized. Mind you, all the police nearly wet themselves that night when the fans got on the park, as they expected a real battle.
Both my sons ran on and only one came back into the Celtic end. My elder son was “told” to leave the field and was shoved into the enclosure area opposite the main stand, despite telling the eejits in uniform that his Dad was in the Clock End. We found him a few minutes later outside, but Scotland wants to recreate the old pen them in like cattle days that we all thought were gone.
HH
Kill the Bill
The Magnificent Seven Theme:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XDB7GMnbUQ