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.
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On 25 May 2011, Exco member Chuck Blazer reported fellow members Mohammed bin Hammam and Jack Warner to FIFA’s ethics committee claiming they offered bribes to members of the Caribbean Football Union at a meeting on 10/11 May. Bin Hammam involved Sepp Blatter in the scandal claiming he knew about the alleged cash payments. As a result of this scandal, bin Hammam stood down from the June 2011 presidential election and FIFA later suspended both he and Jack Warner. Sepp Blatter stood unopposed and won the election with 186 out of 203 votes
Jumpers for goalposts took the ole crossbar challenge to a whole new level!
DBBIA – that would indeed send ripples through world fitba
Mr pastry,
I agree with you regarding the two domestic cups. Even if we got to the finals.
Arsenal did similar in the various forms of league cup, and Manchester Utd didn’t even bother with the FA cup one year ( although that ultimately backfired )
HH.
The US Department of Justice have given us more information in the last hour than the SFA have given us over the last hundred years.
DBBIA
That and a boycott by spectators would do the trick.
Lifted over ?
My old man ( and I ) used to walk to Parkhead from Queens Cross. After the game we would walk the return.The reason ? -to get some exercise and save money. .My old man didn’ t agree with the lifting over thing – he always paid for me – said it was wrong to deprive Celtic of the money.
Interesting timing………………..
FIFA were about to launch a new theme song/video:
https://youtu.be/C3xU0fnjUcg
Ger57
Blatter has his men in place. He will be protected to his grave.
South Of Tunis
It’s a helluva walk from Livingston to Celtic Park. My old man lifted me over apart from big games when tickets were required.
He always lifted me over away from home. It was always easier at away games.
LB
Just wait till Blatter discovers the charges are being brought by US Attorney General Loretta Lynn.
His defence will be to ask her to explain the offside rule.
Life is a bitch # 999.
Tried to get this 7 ” since it was released in 1970 – Peter Austin – Your Cheating Heart ( an early reggae version of the Hank Williams choon ) Never found it / never got it and then I finally got it in an on line auction last December @ £50. Just received an email from people called Reggae Fever – they have just released a facsimile repress for 7 euros..!
Buses , taxis and choons – way of the world !
Greenbingley
Lol ;is Loretta Lynn going to sing the offside rule.
I know you meant Loretta Lynch.
HH pedanticcsc.
Greenpinata
11:53 on
27 May, 2015
:)))))))))
Liftovers
I remember my brother took me to a game, can,t rember when but Eric Smith played for us. Brother lifted me over into the stand, “ye need to pay for the boy “. Ah don ,t know who he is Jim. Me “how do you know his name is Jim ?”
Last time I jumped the turnstile was at hamdump against Racing club. Went to Celtic park and bought 6 tickets. (4 brothers and mate ) Night of game my Old man wants to go. Being youngest it as left to me to get in.
Outcome of game tha Auld Man said Jinky was as good as Patsy. Praise iindeed.
HH
murdochauldandhay & wee oscar @ 10:06,
“Seems like Ole Chuck Blazer was the mole in Sepps den wearing a wire during meetings apparently, can see a TV mini series being made here :)”
Breaking Good – perchance.
Are the FBI suggesting Football Authorities should conduct their business without fear or favour? Surely World Football needs a strong Qatar.
Hail Hail
” For Patsy Cline I ‘d walk the line “
oh the irony.
The day after the new huns are trumpeting FIFA as a font of all knowledge of continuing hunniness (we’re the same club because FIFA said it a wee brochure.) comes this exposee of some of the powers that be as corrupt, obsessed with cash and fraudulent.
Where have we heard all that before, hmmm?
6 fifa officials arrested for not voting for sepp blatter in Friday’s re election vote
:-)))
6 plead guilty on a plea bargain securing an Embra jury and LNS to hear the case
HH
has anyone got paul 67’s email please?
celticquicknews@gmail.com
I think this is right – test it before sending anything confidential.
It all happened in Blatter’s watch, so he’s a ‘goner’
kevjungle
10:19 on 27 May, 2015
Aye….let he who is without sin…cast the 1st stone….
——–
WeightwatchersCSC
HH jamesgang
Mr Pastry,
I think you are playing to the Huns theme of tainted titles with that post. It’s true that competition is limited in Scotland but Celtic have downsized adequately enough now to make it a bit of a challenge and will do more this close season to, ahem, close the gap.
Your suggestion on cup games is quite frankly guff.
Given the hard.y surprising revelations regarding Fifa should we be concerned that we are playing Qatar in a friendly. How did that come about? SFA part of the corruption? Who’d a thunk it…
FIFA spokesman on the radio.
” Sepp Blatter is shocked by these events but is getting on with his job ”
” We haven’t suspended anyone – “
Blatter Blootered, Dallas Snookered?
cheers
bankiebhoy1
12:27 on 27 May, 2015
Dallas never seems to be far away from corruption ……… like father like son ?
It’s all about generational advances. Adults nowadays bemoan the absence of “jackets for goalposts” and kids playing football in the streets.
There are thousands of kids playing football but it is more organised and they play for schools and clubs under the auspices of coaches on astro turf and big pitches. But every generation, including ours, believes it was better in our day.
When I was a kid playing in the back greens with a plastic World Cup ball in continental football boots, our elders mocked such comforts and regaled us with tales of them playing in bare and scabby feet with a ball made from old socks tied together. We never had it so good.
We all fall into the same trap, as will our children and their children after them.
This guy’s blog is worth a read. Not always up to date but he ahs been after Blatter for years
http://www.transparencyinsport.org/
If FIFA can’t move the World Cup to another nation they should just call it off altogether.
Liftovers – to waste food in our house was a considered a venial sin, but a sin nevertheless…
adi_dasler –
Just had a quick look.
Interesting.
Will check it out when I get home.
new article posted.
jamesgang
12:21 on 27 May, 2015
KevJ is the stone, I take it :)
KevJungle
09:00 on
27 May, 2015
macjay1 for Neil Lennon
____________________
I dont got to the AGM’s etc…but, I do know that when, Celtic were in cahoots with Paul McBride QC(RIP)…in the public gaze….fighting the fight for some sort of justice for then, Celtic manager – Neil Lennon….in the background….away from the public gaze….Celtic’s directors and, PM were sleekitly connecting the components of an act, to be rushed through the Scottish Parliment purely designed to…’SMASH’ the Green Brigade!
Can you provide evidence of this assertion?
Mr Pastry
10:54 on
27 May, 2015
There is no glory in winning anything in Scottish football – success is only participation in the CL.
NONSENSE!
The Scottish league title is only a means to an end. The standard of teams is mostly laughable and even struggles to match the English fourth tier, or, non-league fifth tier.
ONLY ACCORDING TO CHEATS AND THEIR FOLLOWERS
Celtic have all the potential to compete with the best, but when potential is not given the chance to be fulfilled, it withers on the vine.
ANY POTENTIAL IS FULFILLED WHEN CALLED CHAMPIONS.POTENTAIL IS NO WAY ALIGNED WITH CHEATING
We should make it clear from next season, that we will play our development team, with a few senior additions, in the League and Scottish cups – let’s dispense with this Treble Tripe talk.
IT HAS AND ALWAYS WILL BE THE INTENTION OF CELTYIC TO ENTER AND COMPETE IN ALL TROPHIES THEY ENTER
We should have won the treble for the last FOUR years and yet allowed ourselves to be beaten in the majority of cups, by PUB teams.
ASSUMPTION OF GLORY AND THE OWNERSHIP OF ENTITLEMENT IS HUNNISH,CELTIC HAVE NEVER OPERATED IN THIS WAY
Our concentration must be on winning 30 league matches per season and 3 rounds of CL qualifying – that is all that matters.
NO.OUR GOAL IS TO WIN EVERY GAME WE PLAY IN.
This can be achieved by the smaller ( and hopefully higher quality) squad that Ronny wants
LEAVE RONNI TO THE MANAGEMENT.
Let’s be selfish and ruthless and state our case prior to the start of the season – first team squad will be used for league and CL ONLY.
LIKE THE HUN PRESS DONE AT START OF MARTIN O NEILLS REIGN TEAM FOR EUROPE,TEAM FOR SCOTLAND ETC ie HUN ENTITLEMENT KACK WHICH THIS POST SEEMS TO BE IMPLYING CELTIC ASSSOCIATE ITSELF WITH…
chaseyirselCfc