I have no doubt this morning’s press reports on Celtic’s plans for the months ahead are correct. We are told the club “is planning an overhaul of their football operations in the summer that would see significant changes to their set-up.” There is a great deal you can surmise from that statement.
“Overhaul… of football operations”, “significant changes”, leaves zero doubt Neil Lennon will be moving on and suggests wider changes are likely. It is also safe to assume Neil is on-board with this and has agreed to remain in charge until the end of the season, or a suitable replacement arrives.
Neil would not go through this torture were it not out of a sense of responsibility towards the players, several of whom he personally convinced to stay for this ‘important season’. Malicious talk of holding out for a payoff is well wide of the mark.
What is also clear is that Celtic are not happy to appoint any manager who is prepared to come to the club right now. This precludes those out of work, or those who are not prepared to ‘Do a Brendan’ and leave their current project with trophies still to be won and lost.
The new industry is not always as helpful. Last night reports that betting was suspended on Eddie Howe getting the job received plenty of clicks. Eddie has his eyes on a different target and will almost certainly pick up an English Premiership job this year. He is as likely to come to Celtic as another fantasy appointment, Mauricio Pochettino, was, before choosing Paris when he could have made his home in Glasgow. If only it was that easy.
If we take the ‘Get real’ suggestions off the table, I know the photo fit you are working with. Someone who has over-performed in a different environment, who is technically razor sharp and can bring knowledge of a value market.
They will have a successful track record, one that is short enough that they have not already moved up the food chain, but one longer than Ronny Deila’s mercurial rise at Stromsgodset. We now know that the skills required to achieve one season of spectacular success is Norway does not automatically equip a manager for what on paper looks an easier task. The Goldilocks candidate, enough of a spectacular record, but not too much that they have already got their move.
The quick fix if Neil leaves is John Kennedy as interim or someone, like Ronny, who cannot believe he’s been offered the Celtic job. Or let Neil complete the season and attempt to add the Scottish Cup and leave his second term trophy report reading 6 out of 8. I am not recommending either option, it’s too complicated to sit on the outside and suggest a fix with any conviction – not matter how convinced this is an easy one, it’s not.
If Neil remains until the end of the season it will not be because he needs the money, or because he deserves the respect of a Celtic hero (although he does), it is because the business of succession has to be settled. My preference would be to spend these months doing reconnaissance; better to do it right than to do it early, but the galleries have loved a blood letting since the Colosseum, we know how it works.
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Hot Smoked at 9:40
Not sure that Leigh’s opinion should really matter here, nice as his sentiments are.
I never got to choose my boss.
I’d like to think we have a more scientific approach to senior team recruitment than asking Leigh Griffiths.
I’ve just noted that the article header talks of ‘Succession’ and not the industry standard ‘Succession Planning’. I think that speaks volumes.
SFTB
Condolences on the loss of your uncle
Hot Smoked
Griff has a cheek does he not ?
His lack of professionalism is one of the reasons we haven’t scored the amount of goals required this season
B tyre Tim. …
Yes 100,% correct !
Yeah , Griffiths who was so overweight and unfit , he wasn’t even allowed to go to pre-season training camp.
Should be first out the door when new manager comes on.
Griffiths knows he has it easy under Lennon. Looking after number one, a lot of that around Celtic Park at present.
Should any of these players who are so far behind in the League are ejected from Europe early and out of the league cup be running to any papers to tell the support anything, use club media not them but I suppose they get money for it.
His statements tell me everything, he thinks they all deserve a break due to past success, the focus and determination to maintain the standards have gone he has confirmed it.
Watch all of them jump aboard the Scotland bus for the Euros as fresh as daisies.
HotSmoked
At the risk of going all Profumo on you, ‘well, he would say that, wouldn’t he?!?’ 🤷🏼♂️
And I echo what the Blantyre lad says about Griff’s share of culpability in this nightmare season.
HH jg
Bob- Pep and Jose on about £12-13 million a year, Benitez will go to Chelsea, Newcastle if Ashley sells,and won’t be too far behind. Remember the fantasy talk about Mourinho when Rodgers left,nonsense probably planted by Lawwell to keep the spotlight off him.Looks like a lot more are shining a light on Lawwell now,and seeing him for what he is.
Rafa’s on his way guys – time to get excited again :-)
Financially how much did Brendan Rodgers cost Celtic ?
We pushed the boat out to get a top class manager, we removed the top tarpaulins and filled the ground.
We got circa £9M when he left.
So counting his salery, how much did a top class manager actually cost us ?
HH.
AT – the pandemic is an issue and yeah it would be great to have further info to 1) weigh relative success and 2) asses getability. That’s probably beyond me, given I’m just a guy with Google, but the club ought to have the ability to speak to agents to assess number 2, and access to a range of other materials (WyScout, etc) to assess 1.
Clemente is my favourite – he’s built two title winning teams and has bucked a trend of champions falling apart (see Celtic, Liverpool, Juventus, Istanbul, Real Madrid, etc).
JAMESGANG on 24TH JANUARY 2021 9:26 AM
Timbhoy2
BRITISH Broadcasting Corporation.
The clue is in the name!
###
If you mean BBC Scotland, yes the clue is in the name, or at least the last part of it.
The coverage of Celtic by the English based BBC is for the most part, balanced and fair, without any ingrained cultural bias. Most of their pundits would probably be more in our camp than the hun’s. It’s the complete opposite of BBC Scotland.
As I said, who does Griffiths think he is? His manager has been critical of the player`s fitness level so that will make said player respond by praising the manager. Is that about right?
Elynoussi and Marvin Bartley can be put in the same category ,
Jamesgang
You are far too young to quote Profumo !
Anyway,the `he would` comment can just as easily be interpreted as being said by an opponent who cannot fault the argument of his adversary.
Guillem Balagué reckons there’s little chance of Rafa coming to Celtic. Apparently, he has offers in Germany, a national team but might want to recuperate for a while and take a break from the game.
U
Rafa?
His age suggests to me that his next job could be his last job.
If that is the case, Celtic don’t operate on a large enough stage.
I’d guess he’d be looking for something bigger to bow out on.
…….Eddie Howe on the other hand….
Yes,how dare Griff come out and say that the players are all behind Neil.How dare he contradict most CQNers.Cue the bitchy outrage targeted at the messenger.Some wanting him to go along with the manager.Thank God a great many of them were not around when Jinky was giving Big Jock nightmares with his behavior.No debate,or alternative comments allowed when CQNers are on a rant.Its their way,or the highway for the likes of you Griff,and any one else among the playing staff that agree.
There’s two chances of Rafa coming to Celtic – none and ……
So we sign Rafa on what, 5 miillion a year, that’s £100,000 per week and covid is still running riot in this country>
Is the possibility of null and void disappeared?
£100.000 a week for possibly sitting about on your erse doing not very much, and probably with little or no budget.
Canny see it masel!
Thanks, Turkeybhoy, your post will save me from being slaughtered !
PS We DO have a game today, don`t we?
A lovely but cold day here in Arbroath so a walk beckons.
Cheerio for now.
SFTB
Sorry to read of your loss.
Prayers said for you and your family.
Oh no we don`t !
I misread Wednesday !!!
All of you ghuys wanting rid of the Griff.
No chance until he is fit.
…..I kinow….I know, but…….
how MANY…………..
penalties wull they git?
( Rafa??? My guess is that if the “story” originated from mirror Group then it’s guff….and merely allows the rekord to headline that we’ve been “snubbed” and positions any possible replacement for Neil as second rate….as per.
Ho hummmmmmm CSC
\
Apart from the big salary, Benitez would want a huge overhaul of the squad.
Difficult enough under normal circumstances but IMHO impossible under Covid.
gRIFF’S COMMENT MEANS NOTHING EITHER WAY.
aNY PLAYER, IN ANY TEAM – UNLESS THEY ARE actively TRYING TO GET THEMSELVES PUNTED – would say the same thing.
Any employee who doesn’t respond at least semi-positively in the press when asked about their boss would be internally disciplined at the very least.
It is a non-comment.
I remember one wee rat – might have been Tanner – interviewing Di Cannio asking him – a player – to come out and say whethe he supported the Manager (Tommy Burns) or the owner (Wee Fergus) – no right answer to that (other than fek off).
Journalists are just looking for a controversal statement. The answer means nothing.
HH
BGFC
And sorry for shouting – CAPS LOCK
Greenpinta- BR basic was £2.3 million, his back up team would be a few quid too,but CL qualification and his £9 million transfer fee, made it well worth it. HH
Turkeybhoy
FWIW, I think all of the replies to HS’s post have been polite, well-evidenced and a fair challenge back to LG’s statement.
HH jg
SPIDEY101
You are correct. No reason why a club of our size can’t do the things you suggest and should have being doing so since Sept/Oct
But too lazy, like May 2019
Spidey101
Well fair play to you at least you have evidenced your choice.interesting data to look at.tho
===================================
Hrvatski jim
Seen this thread re malicious prosecutions
https://twitter.com/afneil/status/1353267897662136320?s=19
HH
” Whatever you say….say nothing….”
Mon was excellent at it.
As for guys sticking up for McIntyre from Shortbread……dearie me
Anyone remember The Maestro being in charge of uplifting the support each season when we were in freefall? Felt so sorry for him later but at the time it worked for me
‘There’s a buzz about the place’
McIntyre hates Celtic and despises our support.
he’s the Fox News of Tonald Rump FC.
ST TAMS on 24TH JANUARY 2021 11:30 AM
SPIDEY101
You are correct. No reason why a club of our size can’t do the things you suggest and should have being doing so since Sept/Oct
But too lazy, like May 2019
==========================÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷
Ah the beauty of bandwagon jumping AFTER the fact
If you wanted Neil Lennon sacked after Celtic you were one of a few.
-He had secured 8iar after BR left
– He pumped every BR stat out the park as Celtic took 9iar- cant recall anyone say sack him.
I put it to you your fitting your girn after the fact….not uncommon tho.
HH
AN TEARMANN
Was it those Tims at the Crown Office who thought they had a case?
;-)