Short-termism in the dug-out

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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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  1. TBB

     

     

    Reading that EGM call to arms from King David, if they want released from the onerous agreement with SportsDirect..do you think there is any leverage available to them, other than just paying the loan back that is?

     

     

    Please Mister we made a mistake before when we were so desperate to get money from anyone, anywhere that we agreed to loan terms that now show how weak our position was…and perhaps still is.

     

     

    Schnorbitz CSC

  2. Weefra

     

    Just a lurker but missing yer contribution tae the blog.

     

    YNWA

     

    HH

  3. excathedra44 on

    !!Bada Bing!!

     

    19:37 on

     

    26 May, 2015

     

     

    Spot on,that was a top up just to make sure.

     

     

    I mentioned Marshall,I hold himin the same low esteem as The Petite Merde,it was him who spilled the ball vs Raith Rovers and we lost the Final on pens ,he was in goal vs Killie in 2003,and he was in goal for Motherwell when we lost the Title at Fir Park.

     

     

    A man who should never have been near us as a player as only when gone did we see his true colours,especially at Kille on the Park and off it.

  4. excathedra44

     

     

    There’s a remark to answer that, but it got the comedian who said it on radio the sack.

     

     

    Generally speaking ye ken.

  5. Here’s a thing about the last league game in the Seville season.

     

     

    Common legend has it that Dunfermline laid down. Hard to argue with that.

     

     

    Flip side is Killie tried too hard…

     

     

    My point?

     

     

    Killie did what we would have wanted Dunfermline to do – demonstrate some ‘professionalism’. Had Dunfermline done that we’d have won the league.

     

     

    So in my book I’m not sure I blame Killie for doing what other pro teams would have expected from them. Even if they did it for all the wrong reasons…

     

     

    If that makes sense….

     

     

    Tin Hat on….

  6. mighty tim supporting wee Oscar on

    HT I’m picking him up then airport to get Michael his witness then straight to the sheriff.

  7. MT

     

     

    Anyone from FAC? I’ve got meeting tomorrow night so I’ll ask J.

  8. excathedra44 on

    RobertTressell

     

    19:44 on

     

    26 May, 2015

     

     

    That my friend is a commendable Christian attitude and were it so, with all doing their best,

     

    then your correct.

     

     

    However I’ve just checked Google maps and confirmed I’m in Scotland. :)

  9. Jerry Cornelius said:

     

    Feyenoord…………

     

    Pumped out in the first round of the 71 EC by some Bulgarian oufit

     

     

    Celtic…………

     

    Pumped out in the first round of the 68 EC by some Ukrainian oufit

  10. WeefratheTim on

    mayanman

     

     

    Thanks for that buddy. Health issues, which I didn’t know I had, appear to be behind me now. It seems these issues have been prevelant for some months now. Starting to feel good mate. Cheers. :-)))

     

     

    Weefra HH praying to Wee Oscar.

  11. WeeFra

     

     

    I hadn’t read back so it’s good to see that you’re returning to rude health wee guy! :-)

  12. Hamiltontim

     

     

    Glad to read that the lad was found NG, but at what cost.

     

     

    All the court functionaries just shuffle their papers and call the next case.

     

     

    Maybe you have them already, but the stats for convictions and acquittals from arrests under this Act, compared to those who would have been charged and convicted) under almost identical provisions in the previous Public Order legislation would help make the case stronger. IE the convictions secured were all just as likely under the previous act, whereas the acquittals and NGs are mostly under the most contentious and odious parts of the OBaF Act.

     

     

    In fact, when I think about it – I’m sure that you would have them already.

  13. excathedra44 on

    Tom McLaughlin

     

    19:49 on

     

    26 May, 2015

     

     

    Interesting.So the conclusion is we want pumped out by some obscure outfit in 2017 which means we might have done the business!!!!

  14. Weefra

     

    Hope you continue to improve. Just lurking kin be therapeutic, knowin yer no part o’ some of the senseless arguing that goes on here at times, lol

     

    KTF

     

    HH

  15. Anyway, Rugby Park 2003, another season Rangers(1872-2012) had been fielding improperly registered players, which is a 3 point deduction for each game they play.

     

     

    Let’s be generous, just dock them the 3 points to cover the whole season,and a point would’ve sufficed at Rugby Park to make us Champions.

     

     

    We won 4-0, so Champions in my book.

     

     

    All of the above can also be applied to light grey Sunday 2 years on from then.

     

     

    Congrats Martin and the Bhoys on 5-in-a-row!!

  16. WeefratheTim on

    HT

     

     

    Cheers buddy, will explain all the next meet. Have had a horrendous time. Appears all sorted thanks to our wonderful NHS. Heroes and Champions all. :-))) I hope you Minx and the family are all superb. As usual. Lol.

     

     

    Weefra HH praying to Wee Oscar.

  17. ....PFayr supports WeeOscar on

    The OB Act is constantly misrepresented by COPFS …..

     

     

    A disgraceful piece of legislation …

  18. Tom McLaughlin @ 19:49

     

     

    Very witty reply. Only I said it an hour before. ;)

     

     

    greatmindsCSC

  19. Dis dhaoibh, a chairde,

     

     

    Just recovering from Sunday’s visit. 5 star performance by the team and celebrations at the end were as good, if not better, than any of the others I was at. Got a scarf thrown back into the support by Lisa Hague, courtesy of Delaney’s Dunkey. Cheers, G.

     

     

    Still getting to know the CQN community so thanks to all for the warm welcome at the corner. Great to see ACGR, Gearóid and Dena29 again since the hootenanny. Great to see you posting Dena. BMCUWP, you were missed, hopefully see you in August.

     

     

     

    HamiltonTim’s passion for Celtic and its supporters was evident again with his campaigning for the FAC campaign, well done for all your hard work and hope you got lots of signatures. Great to meet FourGreenFields too.

     

     

    Thunder Road: I was serious about your drawing, ClogherCelt and myself would love you to do something for Dublin 2016. You have a real talent.

     

     

    Petec: Glad you got home with the goodies, wear with pride.

     

     

    Wee BGFC: I expect to see pictures of the best dressed young HOOP:)

     

     

    Livibhoy: If you get my contact details I might be able to help you sort out your season ticket.

     

     

    Had an early start again yesterday and finished the school day with a fund raising event for one of Ireland’s leading Third World development agencies. Third year students got to throw water, fizzy drink, flour and sour milk bombs at me, depending on how much they raised. I was a sorry picture (and an even sorrier smell) by the end of it. In all, I raised over €1500, of which €600 will go to the Kibera Celtic Foundation in Kenya.

     

     

    http://youtu.be/2GEI1QC73wU

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