The reaction of Hearts fans to Neil Critchley’s appointment as Hearts manager reminded me of the summer of 2005, when Gordon Strachan arrived at Celtic. Gordon had been out of work for over a year and had been seen by some supporters as a regressive step.
He had an impossible task: follow Martin O’Neill, a club legend, win the league and do so without the financial overspend which characterised every season under Martin (including the fabled Seville season).
By any objective measure, Gordon was an outstanding success. He picked up a squad which, without Henrik Larsson, died on its feet the previous season, and just like Ange Postecoglou in 2021, had a disastrous Champions League qualifying campaign, but built a squad which won the league and twice took us to the last 16 of Europe’s top table.
Hearts fans do not like Critchley because he was sacked by Blackpool after a year in the post and lasted less than three months at Queens Park Rangers (where he was asked to pick up the pieces after Michael Beale left for Newco).
I know little about Critchley but there is one reason to believe he will be a success – his appointment was recommended by Brighton owner and potential Hearts investor, Tony Bloom. Bloom is a professional gambler and one of the sharpest minds in analytics.
There are two things Bloom wants from his managers: excel in his valuable and confidential Key Performance Indicators, and just as importantly, be onboard with the plan. KPIs in football, including management, are notoriously difficult to assess, as an individual’s performance is overwhelmingly dependent on the performance of external factors.
Bloom’s method of assessing: Critchley or Naismith, O’Riley or Hatate, has made him enormously effective. Just as importantly, even amateur gamblers like me would bet that Critchley will do what he is told to do in building and developing the squad.
There is no room for managerial egos, gurus do not exist in football, and for clubs to reach their potential, development plans need to be followed ruthlessly.
It is unlikely Brighton or Hearts will ever win their leagues, but with ruthless devotion to analytics so seldom followed at other clubs, they have a punter’s chance. Keep your eye on Bloom; everyone else is playing catch up.
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The World’s Turned Upside Down- A Dutch team has accused Celtic fans of smoking weed during a match against them
Carl Jung, like Freud, is an interesting and entertaining writer but he never used the scientific method in his puff.
He invented his theories from observation and categorising without any checking on accuracy. There is a place for Grand Theory but…. if it doesn’t generate any testable hypotheses, then it is just someone’s opinion.
Nobody can place intuits into a testable situation and find that they can reliably be accurate based on “gut instinct”
It is no surprise that Jung, and armchair psychologist, who generated powerful ideas, but did not want to test them out with scientific methods, would like to attribute a higher hit rate to intuitiveness than can ever be demonstrated. It was a form of self praise
SETTING FREE THE BEARS FOR RES. 12 & OSCAR KNOX on 17TH OCTOBER 2024 12:30 PM
Jung’s theories are still used in therapy practice – Jungian psychodynamic psychotherapy is still popular.
His theories on personal development, particularly in later life among men are still considered to be particularly valid. His theory of Individuation is really interesting.
Celtic40ME
They are still enduring. They are still popular as are Freud’s theories. Especially in business circles and with the Idle Rich, where everyone wants to be “validated” as intuitive, creative and successful.
Validity has a specific definition in the Scientific approach- Has Jungian theory ever survived a test of validity
SETTING FREE THE BEARS FOR RES. 12 & OSCAR KNOX on 17TH OCTOBER 2024 12:59 PM
I couldn’t tell you, my interest doesnt stretch that far. I do know Jungian psychotherapy is still taught and practiced and considered to be an effective form of treatment for less severe psychological problems.
So questions for the weekend.
Is AJ fit or do we have to ask Tony to play 90 minutes again?
Is Greg back or does Valle get the nod?
Does Paolo Bernardo play at the expense of Hatate or Engels?
Do we stick with the front 3 of Kuhn Kyogo & Maeda?
SFTB
Are you asking me?
I’d say I don’t know, I hope Greg’s back but I’d also be happy having Valle tested against better opposition for 90 mins ahead of the Atalanta game, Hatate and Engels start for me when fit and yes to that front three, with the usual subs coming on at the usual times.
What are your thoughts?
I was asking everyone
I think the front 3 have picked themselves
But I would give Bernardo the nod at the expense of either Engels or Hatate.
I’d prefer AJ & Taylor 9for the moment) but only, if fit.
I assumed you’d post it on the new article’s comments if it was for everyone.
Not being clever
It would only be clever if there had been a new article announcement and I had missed it.
I can’t see one.
God sorry! My fault for the misunderstanding, I wasn’t accusing you of being clever.
I was saying I’m not trying to be clever with my response. I thought you’d realized there was another article and were continuing our conversation about Jung away from the new topic. I’d have told you if I’d realized
I’ve been posting on both