The leap to management. Nervy few days ahead

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The leap from player to manager is difficult.  Talents which maintained your career on the field, like technique, fitness and an ability to follow team instructions, mean nothing.  Instead, you are required to support, develop and discipline players who work in a constant state of flux.  You need to understand and work within budgets, and you know that a few bad results will see grown men yell obscenities at you to compensate for whatever inadequacy they have (they are always there).

So why wouldn’t Scott Brown want to manage Ayr United?  Setting all the negatives aside, Scott needs to do something to get him through the days, months and years ahead.  Being retired and wealthy in your thirties must be great, but what gets you out of bed and going in the morning?  The novelty of hair care will soon fade.

His one full season in charge of Fleetwood Town ended with a respectable midtable finish, but the current campaign started disastrously and Scott was hooked six games in.  Things did not improve for Fleetwood who are bottom of League One without a win in 13 games.

Ayr are a different challenge.  A win over bottom side Arbroath last night, with Scott watching from the stand, saw them move out of the relegation play-off place.  Next up they have the monied Queens Park, who now occupy that play-off spot.  Their campaign could pivot before Scott has time to learn all the player’s names.

For Celtic, it would be helpful to foster good relations with another Scottish club.  Our fringe players benefit from loans in the hands of a manager who knows our systems and where they can be watched every game by a Celtic coach.  Hopefully we’ll see a couple make the journey before the month is out.

We’ll discuss Matt O’Riley tomorrow.  Celtic’s face is set to stone to any club asking about him.  It will be a nervy few days, nonetheless.

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  1. Back to Basics - Glass Half Full on

    How many ex-players currently managing in Scotland have come through the Celtic “process”?

     

     

    Genuine question.

     

     

    I think I see what you’re hinting at Pablo

     

    (I could be completely wrong).

     

     

    But if the tentacles of influence are going to spread to an extent that benefits Celtic?

     

     

    I suspect we’ll need to see recent (last 15 years) ex-Celts managing a few clubs in the SPFL and Scottish Championship.

     

     

    BTW – not just managing but holding onto jobs for several years and working with a board that will support their convictions. i.e.

     

    “Yes, we should take this Celtic player on loan”

  2. GlassTwoThirdsFull on

    No big deal if Matt leaves – I’m sure we’ll be able to find a sixteen year old to replace him. The only problem we could face is if Ange demands that Spurs go and get his favourite recruiter.

     

    What then…..?

  3. If they have, Atletico bidding shows Matt’s quality – playing twice against a player is the best scouting you can do.

     

     

    It wouldn’t be a surprise if we see more bids for him in the next week from EPL teams, although they mainly seem to be keeping an eye on the Prem’s spending restrictions in this window.

     

     

    With a 4 year contract signed recently Celtic have put themselves in the best position possible, but theres only so much control we have over the sale.

  4. We will get the same money if not more for O’Riley in summer, specially if he scores the winner for Denmark v England at the Euros,tell clubs to form a queue in July

  5. CELTIC40ME on 24TH JANUARY 2024 12:33 PM

     

    “With a 4 year contract signed recently Celtic have put themselves in the best position possible, but theres only so much control we have over the sale.”

     

     

    I think we have full control. Similar to Hearts with Shankland, despite what the SMSM would have people believe.

     

     

    The signed contract gives us the final say and I’d hope upon signing it he was advised that this season (and hopefully next) were the minimum we required from him.

     

     

    I don’t think MOR is the type to do a Viduka, especially if assured that for the right money he can leave in the summer once the league is won and his replacement has had another few months to find his feet.

     

     

    Even if MOR did a Viduka, I’d still keep him until the summer at least, and if he did down tools/play up then I’d keep him for longer to dissuade any similar conduct. After all, we can still point to recent sales (Starfelt, Jota, Jura and Gio) to show players that we are not awkward to deal with – but any deal must suit both parties.

     

     

    QB

  6. LEFTCLICKTIC

     

     

    A step closer to game day.

     

     

    ————————

     

     

    VALEBHOY

     

     

    You’ll be around 2.5 hours from me! This time of year can be very similar to Glasgow temps. Usually a little milder. We just got through a freeze so it’s quite mild.

  7. Abada, CCV and O’Riley linked away this window ? Shirley, not ! It is, after all, a very tough window to buy players…

  8. QUADBHOY on 24TH JANUARY 2024 1:00 PM

     

     

    Legally of course we can keep him, but I dont think stopping him from moving to Atletico Madrid if he wants to go and the price is right is either the right or the smart thing to do. Its a dream move for him, probably a one-off chance.

     

     

    Our manager isnt exactly in a strong position to say he has to stay either.

  9. Paul refers to the ´monied´ Queen´s Park in his article today but I doubt they are using much money to get the use of the national stadium this season, unlike when Celtic had to fork out handsomely in the 1990´s when Celtic Park was being re-built and the blazers at the SFA ( according to Fergus McCann) offered no discounts!!. All the limey journalists in Scotland fawn and revere at the great institution that the oldest club in Scotland is supposed to be. Those journos don´t do the math and see that Queen´s Park is Monaco, Gibraltar, Andorra style football clubs. They said they were going to rebuild Lesser Hampden and they have reneged on it. They should be made to play on Glasgow Green and welcome to the free market.

  10. Celtic do not need the money at this time, MOR seems very laid back about football and I think he is a very intelligent guy, remember he moved to a lesser league to play regularly and then to Celtic where he is being developed and has development to go. Unless MOR is kicking the door down demanding to go which I do not believe is the situation then if he is sold it will be a plc decision, remember we need to pay our corporation tax.

  11. We mustn’t forget, as far as this window is concerned, we’re a buying club not a selling one. Not sure that memo will reach the board, of course. This is a January window like those of yesteryear. Our risk averse board is taking a big risk.

  12. The Board need to back the manager, and not fold at the first bid for any player, there’s a title to win here

  13. The Blogger Formerly Known As GM on

    Keeping Matt O’Reilly in the January window will be like signing 2 new players🤔

  14. AIPPLE,

     

     

    Been out with the dog.

     

     

    Thanks very much for your reply.

     

     

    Appreciate it.

     

     

    I’m an optimist so I’ll hope for the best.

     

     

    Ta.

     

     

    HH.

  15. qpqn

     

     

    all be it, 2 days late.

     

     

    their set up since turning proffesional continues to impress.

     

     

    the work on city stadium continues.

     

     

     

    sir willie is a benefactor, not a part owner, the company is not set up like that and perform as a trust

     

     

    —————-

     

     

    ANTON MCELHONE JOINS QUEEN’S PARK AS HEAD OF ACADEMY COACHING

     

    22 Jan 2024

     

    Recently appointed Queen’s Park Academy Director Tommy McIntyre has wasted no time in bringing in his own replacement with the hugely-respected Anton McElhone joining the Spiders as Head of Academy Coaching.

     

     

    McElhone started his coaching career over 20 years ago when he had a brief spell in Scotland as an Academy Coach at Queen’s Park before working with Hibernian, ahead of a stint in England with Tottenham Hotspur and in America with New England Revolution before helping to develop a “One Club” approach to player development and performance throughout the Celtic Academy where he worked very closely with their Head of Youth and Academy Chris McCart.

     

     

    He has now returned to Queen’s Park with President Graeme Shields saying: “We welcome Anton back to the Club and we know that his wealth of experience and knowledge will be a great asset in assisting us achieve our goal of producing more young players capable of playing regularly for our first team.”

     

     

    McIntyre, who was appointed to his new role at the end of last week, said: “I am delighted to bring Anton into our Academy as soon as I knew I was taking on the role of Academy Director. I am delighted that he has agreed to do that as bringing him on board is a bit of a coup for Queen’s Park.

     

     

    “He has vast experience in the philosophy, methodology, periodisation and player development processes having worked with some of the best players in the world including Harry Kane at an under-15 level.

     

     

    “Anton has also worked on development with some of the best managers and coaches in the world such as including John Collins, Andre Villas Boas, Mauricio Pochettino, Brad Friedel and Ange Postecoglou as well as the renowned John McDermott, who was his Academy Director at Tottenham Hotspur before becoming FA Technical Director and Alex Inglethorpe who is the Liverpool FC Academy Director.

     

     

    “He will add a lot of value to The Queen’s Park Academy.”

     

     

    ——————–

  16. VALE BHOY

     

     

    My boss lives there, been down a good few times as well. Some good wee boozers as well.

  17. I don’t see us selling players like O’Riley or CCV this window – not even our board are that reckless.

     

     

    The fact we held on to them though will be used to counter any criticism of failing to add first team ready players this window.

     

     

    It’s all quite predictable as we enter the last week of the window.

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