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
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- ...
- 17
- »
Great post by Livibhoy, one of my favourites ever.
Thanks,
TBB
La Bella Italia .
The violence before and after yesterday’s Roma derby has resulted in a big cheese Roman plod declaring that in future , the Rome Derby will be played on a Sunday at 12 noon .. He added that some of the violence had been caused by Ultras from West Ham , Olympiakos / Ludgorets and Wislaw Krakow operating in tandem with a fascist Lazio crew.. He saw fit to add that the Rome plod had no intelligence which enabled them to confirm media reports that Feyenoord Ultras were also involved in the violence.
Bobby,
Yer nae kiddin’!
Mind you, my mate was driving early on Monday so that helped us cut down on the sauce, a wee bit.
chairbhoy
Totally agree.
auldheid from previous
12:02 on 26 May, 2015
Ernie Lynch
Celtic have no authority on the matter.
There is no point it being pointed out that the FIFA magazine carries no authority to make any statement they issue either factual or an official FIFA ruling, then using another non authority to support the opposite case.
Same applies to ECA, ASA etc, even to the CQN SH advert. So whilst Celtic making a statement would no doubt satisfy supporters that Celtic support their view, in the grand scheme of putting the record straight it would matter not one jot.
Weighing up the benefit of such a statement that would change nothing in real terms and the cost in terms of how it would be used to portray Celtic who have no authority on the matter, I can understand why Celtic say no more on than they did (via the SLO I believe).
The SFA have the authority if the member clubs mandate them to make a statement (you see the problem there) that would carry weight but, in the absence of any will for the commercial reasons you state to do so, the SFA will say nothing.
UEFA’S stance on clubs suffering as RFC did is contained in Art12 of UEFA FFP where clubs have to have at least three years national association membership to be an eligible club AS UEFA DEFINE A CLUB to play in a UEFA competition.
Now if somehow an answer could be solicited from UEFA with regard to from when TRFC would become eligible to play in Europe should they qualify on sporting merit then we might get somewhere.
As I recall Phil Mac tried this approach only to get a stock referal to UEFA rules because UEFA would not comment on a specific club.
I think that a better understanding of the overall governance system within which Celtic have to operate would be beneficial in adding balance to some of the criticisms Celtic face but that is something for the Celtic PR to address.
However if I were them I would counter with the question what difference would it make? Some attitudes are set in concrete.
Someone mentioned a question at the AGM. A question would carry no real weight.
It would require a resolution to be tabled to get an answer.
I think I have just given it at the start.
———
bobby murdoch’s curled-up winklepickers
12:28 on 26 May, 2015
AULDHEID 1202
Celtic are damned if they do and damned if they don’t.
IMO they genuinely believed that there was no need for them to voice any disapproval of their zombification. Due process would take care of that.
There was and is a raft of legal obstacles barring their way from becoming what the want to be. Which is Continuity Rangers(!)
Whodathunk that the Scottish Establishment would permit such a travesty of justice?
Tbh,I didnt. And I don’t think Celtic did either.
bobby murdoch’s curled-up winklepickers
——-
auldheid
12:46 on 26 May, 2015
BMCUWP
Scottish football went through the looking glass after RFC were liquidated.
Same club.
Did nothing wrong but one long series of clerical error
No sporting advantage.
Things like illegal ebts and their impact airbrushed from history.
Documents witheld . Read this
http://www.sfm.scot/sfm-the-next-steps/comment-page-14/#comment-55545
You would think none of this happened in Scot La La land.
BMCUP,
Totally agree.
Like Celtic, I thought that once the depth of their depravity was exposed, natural justice would take over.
How wrong was I?
However, when you consider that Blatter is a walk over for re election at FIFA, then there is no chance of integrity breaking out at any Association under his remit.
TET
Check yer e mail. :)
CQN Magazine’s new look summer edition is out now. Hope you like the new look which can be enjoyed on desktop, tablet or your smart-phone.
http://www.cqnmagazine.com/?p=5533
Livibhoy
Just on quickly but wanted to thank you for your post, a thoroughly enjoyable read.
I said at the time that I’d heard DD wanted Keane but PL said that if Keane was brought in then he (PL) would be gone in 6 months.
PL got what he wanted, well done.
arranmorebhoylxv11-don’t complain about anything mate,everything in the garden is rosy,dontchaknow…..
Bobby Madden to referee at Ibrox on Thursday night, Craig Thomson gets the return match at Fir Park.
there is the GIRUY bhoys….
auldheid
It is pointless Celtic Tossing fuel on the flames, what’s the point? Every ground they have went to in the past three years they have bee sang at by opposition fans, your not rangers any more, it’s every ones fight not just ours, big club or not, give them enough rope.
EMERALDBEE
Yer mate drives? Well well well. Problem solved.
Get him to drive you to Swindon for lashings of cheap Guinness. Quick,before I drink it all.
!BADA BING!
The GIRUY is that the same could be said of any Scottish ref.
Now,if I could just recall which poster thought Madden was the best of a bad bunch…
Also worth a repost.
Ernie Lynch@11:26
Auldheid
09:56 on 26 May, 2015
The Clump any
Excellent rebuttal to the FIFA same club claims.
For those who missed it
https://theclumpany.wordpress.com/2015/05/25/definitively-pish/
As you said an insult to our intelligence.
#####
“That’s all very well, but for football’s governing bodies it is commercialy, administratively and politically expedient to go along with the same club narrative and that’s the narrative that will win out in the end.
They will be regarded as the same club with an unbroken history and any future cup or title wins will be added to the list of honours acquired by the dead club.
And a major part of why that will happen is that no one of any authority within Scottish football has challenged the myth.
In particular the shower of self serving poltroons on the Celtic board have remained silent throughout.
Shameful.”
BMCUW -Might be GM ::::))
Does taggsybhoy still post in here? Had a great lunch yesterday at his place while over in Fife, so thanks if you’re reading this!
Livibhoy, cracking post earlier , a great read.
AULDHEID
You know,I don’t doubt you can prove it.
All of it.
It might be time to exercise discretion,avoid tipping them off-or over!-any further.
My advice might be garbage. But my gratitude and my respect are 100% genuine.
ERNIE LYNCH
Synonym for poltroon-dastard.
Name of one of the priests in the Chiles article you posted earlier-Dastard.
Spooky.
Auldheid
12:02 on 26 May, 2015
‘Ernie Lynch
Celtic have no authority on the matter.
There is no point it being pointed out that the FIFA magazine carries no authority to make any statement they issue either factual or an official FIFA ruling, then using another non authority to support the opposite case. ……….’
####
Celtic have an authoritative voice. Their opinion would be listened to. It could not be ignored.
The benefit of Celtic speaking out, telling the truth, is that it would put a spanner in the works of the same club bandwagon.
The SFA, UEFA and FIFA all know they’re a new club but they’re prepared to go along with the myth because it’s the easy option. If they thought there would be internal dissent from a Club the size of Celtic it might just give them cause to consider.
Why don’t Celtic say something?
Tuesday. 1.24.
Still humming – not through a lack of a wash – from Sunday. Tic Toons coursing through me.
It’s like Roy Croppie’s taken over ma heid!
HH jamesgang
Play off final refs are the one who refereed their Scottish Cup exit to Raith Rovers and the one who refereed their League Cup exit to us. Here’s to a treble.
I have been give 5 horses by 3 different contacts today
I would imagine they will all be unplaced
but….I have had a couple of small each ways just in case.
Stroke of Midnight 3.00 and Virens Army 5.00 both Leicester
Katies Diamond 2.20 Redcar
Rev Up Ruby 7.10 Hexham,
Little Big Man,4.10 Lingfield
Livibhoy, fantastic first post and a very sad second one at 12.26. I remember a similar incident many years ago at St Aidens in Johnstone where the hun bigots had painted sectarian slogans all over the church.
A very sad reflection on the workings of the hun mind. I sincerely hope they catch the scum who did this.
Just bought some t shirts from the Boca stall in St Enoch’s. Turns out the guy that owns it was year above me at school.
SmallWurldCSC
HH jamesgang
jamesgang
13:39 on
26 May, 2015
Just bought some t shirts from the Boca stall in St Enoch’s. Turns out the guy that owns it was year above me at school.
SmallWurldCSC
HH jamesgang
———————————–
he is a great guy.
i owe him the tram image and a couple of the lisbon return that i promised to get him to print on tshirts.
need to find his email now.
ERNIE LYNCH
If Celtic came out now,especially,to point out the facts regarding Newco,zombification,the law of the land,etc,they would be trashed.
By the very same journalists who stated quite clearly that the old lot died the day the CVA was rejected. And quite shamelessly,too.
If Celtic were to make such a statement,it would have to be meticulously planned and ruthlessly executed. Copies of articles written after the CVA by every journalist to hand,relevant points of the relevant laws,precedents,the lot.
Me,I’d do it in a heartbeat. AULDHEID quite probably already has. But Celtic PLC isn’t a willing participant in a fraud,it is simply that having been outmanoeuvred,they are too conservative to call it out.
It may well be that they have suggested such a plan to other clubs and asked for broad support on the matter and been found wanting. I dunno.
Maybe PL just likes the toilets being refurbished regularly.
Jamesgang
He has some kwality gear! Bought a few from there.
wits,
just looking at your tips ………….
but distracted by another runner ………… RONNIES ROCKET
got to be worth 20p added.
i bought the STEVE MCQUEEN t shirt from boca10.
its a cool cool image.
unfortunately i hung it out to dry other day, and when i went to get it , it had blown away.
was okay though, i found it caught up on the fence.
Saint Stivs..13.46…. you were lucky ones of these days he will get over that fence.
:-)
bobby murdoch’s curled-up winklepickers
13:42 on 26 May, 2015
I think it would also severely distract our Board from their main focus / function, to develop Celtic and our Brand…!?
Having said that, justice will catch up with our illustrious Scottish Football Establishment…….as for the media, they’re just trying to preserve their jobs, if you can call being a football journalist ‘a job’ in Scotland…….bless them
Lots of posts on how well Ronny is doing and saying he could lead Celtic to great things and I must say I agree.However, we should remember without big Peter ( the sharp suited man ) he might not have been here at all and we might have been saddled by that managerial failure Roy Keane as apparently that is who D.D. wanted big Peter gets lots of criticism on CQN but we should be honest enough to give him praise when he gets it right. H.H.
I’ve got a fair few of BOCA’s range. Thanks to the exquisite taste exhibited by my sisters.
Best is the Henrik/Heineken one.
Very close second,the Jimmy Johnstone/Jack Daniels.
They all get a regular airing,and they need one after being worn by me.
Danny McGrain/Che Guevara is another cracker.
Housing boom set to continue.
http://www.theguardian.com/money/2015/may/26/ex-council-homes-london-gold-mine-landlords
richie #teamoscarforever
13:44 on 26 May, 2015
Jamesgang
He has some kwality gear! Bought a few from there.
——
I know. I walked up and said, make me look like Richie!
He just shook his said. I only sell t shirts, not coolness…..he said.
Bought the wee Mhan a class one with Henke featuring on a pair of Adidas retro trainers!
Wee beggar better like cos I won’t be able to squeeze into it….!
HH jamesgang
I will definitely put my hands up to saying Ronny was absolutely mince when he came here and in all fairness results in Europe showed I was correct.
Domestic results (as P67 alluded to yesterday) are less of a barometer and I honestly expect that 5 in a row will be won as easily and convincingly as four in a row was.
In a few months, European crunch time will be upon us again, Ronny will have had the season behind him that so many said he needed.
IMO, in terms of credibility CL qualification absolutely dwarfs the much sought after Scottish domestic treble
In terms of finance the CL rewards should provide us with the means to keep a distance between us and any pretenders..
This time, I hope we are stronger and better organised than our last escapade.
The CL, my dear friends in Celtic, is currently, the only game in town……
That is where success is measured at club the size of Glasgow Celtic.