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When a managerial hero has to leave the stage

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By on CQN BLOG & Comments

I loved the Leicester City story as much as any of you. Well, maybe not just as much. Leicester’s title win was astonishing, but it was no fairy story. They outperformed far wealthier clubs, sure, but this was achieved by spending the kind of money Celtic couldn’t dream of parting with.

Apart from their league win, Project Leicester was typical of the financial chicanery which has been prevalent in English football for so long, and which Financial Fair Play seeks to end.

Right now they are in freefall. If they go down, loaded with an underperforming squad on eye-wateringly high salaries, they will find it impossible to downsize sufficiently to give anyone sitting around the King Power Stadium boardroom table that they will be able to achieve stability in the Championship.

Once you drop out of the Enland and Wales Premier League, the biggest parachute in the world simply isn’t big enough. Two of the three Championship relegation places are currently occupied by recent Premier League clubs. Aston Villa, twice the size of Leicester but with a far smaller wage bill, are currently 17th. Leicester will look ominously at Blackpool, 14th in League Two, and appreciate how rapidly a Premier League relegation fight can turn into something altogether more serious.

Claudio Ranieri is a football hero, but even from the outside it has been plain to see that something has been seriously wrong under his control in recent months. His comments before the Sevilla game, “we know they are the better team”, spoke of a man who didn’t believe in himself or his players anymore.

It is never easy to spot when a managerial hero should move on from a club where he’s loved, exect in hindsight. Clough was the greatest English manager, but stayed on far too long at Nottingham Forest. Relegation was his reward.

Jock Stein’s sacking as Celtic manager in 1978 was shabbily handled, as was the way at the club back then. I was too young to know the best of Jock’s years at Celtic, but I remember the grief he got from the terraces during his last four seasons, when Rangers (remember them?) won three titles and two trebles.

No one will tell you they got on Jock’s case back then, but it happened. Football fans in the 1970s took no prisoners.

Looking back, Jock stayed too long at Celtic. He produced miracles for five years then managed decline for eight. He should have taken the Manchester United job when offered. Clough squeezed two League Cups out of his squad in 1989 and 1990 and should have headed for this hills right then.

As for Claudio, he should have bowed out a champion in May. He didn’t have managerial alchemy after all, it was inevitable that performances would return to his normal trend this season. Someone at Leicester had to take responsibility.  That’s football – and it’s not even a modern aspect of it.

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  1. TheLurkinTim on

    Floatin,

     

     

    Masty is a guid Tim….thawt it funny his name was on a

     

    Masty Harry No Surrender Fleg….;-))

     

     

    NoiseupCSC

     

     

    FTSFA

     

     

    H.H.

  5. yorkbhoy on

    IKI on 25TH FEBRUARY 2017 12:00 AM

     

    ITALIABHOY on 24TH FEBRUARY 2017 11:41 PM

     

     

    Car crash comments from Murty. Who is the Mystery Man advising him?

     

     

    ======================

     

     

    There will be some who will make wild guesses but, having looked at the consequences of this mysterious source of the advice, it has got to be Derek McInnes.

     

     

    —————-

     

    More likely Broxi Bear

  7. Rioskorrie on

    Salutations from offshore Congo.

     

     

    Today was one of these days offshore when everything that could go wrong did. A day when everybody and their dog is on your back to know how long before it’s fixed. A day when you sweat so much you’ve gone through three shifts of gear before half a shift is in. A day when if one more, just one more, person reminds you that “time is money” you’ll explode in uncontrollable age. A day when the comfort of your bed is a distant memory.

     

     

    Then. About a hour ago. As so often happens, everything fell into place and started working perfect again. We’d just got is all back on track when a call came over the radio “Did you hear the news from Inverness the night”.

     

     

    A squad of fully armed riggers, armed with crowbars and chain pulls couldna get the grin off my face !!

     

     

    Oh the small (but sweet) things in life.

  12. petec on

    thetimreaper on 24th February 2017 11:23 pm

     

     

    When you walk up to Celtic Park you see those big images of past glories, European, trebles, doubles etc. How good would it be to see 2017 ‘the invincibles & the treble’. What an opportunity we have this season. Brendan will know history is there for us. Looking forward to seeing the Griff back in business tomorrow, hopefully leaner and meaner. A very timely comeback as we turn for the home straight.

     

     

    ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

     

     

    It is so Wonderful.

     

     

    Thank You

  19. TheLurkinTim on

    MWD

     

     

    not yet…..it’s probably covered by the 100 year rule…..hahahaha….;-))

     

     

    FTSFA

     

     

    H.H.

  20. EmeraldBee\o/ still proud to be an internet bampot on

    RIOSKORRIE

     

     

    Just know that Tims all over the globe are sharing your joy/satisfaction/pleasure tonight. Luxuriate in that you are part of a wonderful, positive, happy family that, where ever you are, thinks of its fellow Tims in a positive fashion.

     

     

    Tomorrow will, I hope, bring you more joy and satisfaction, even as we pray for the loved ones who have have left our family over the last day or so.

     

     

    Hail Hail to all our Celtic Family!!

  23. petec on

    What is the Stars on 24th February 2017 11:49 pm

     

     

    CQN needs a strong Rangers )))

     

    …………………………………………………………………………………..

     

     

    NEVER, never……Every Hun is just a human.

     

     

    Celtic is Timeless.

  25. Paradox on

    Ref possible administration of them, am i right in thinking that if they make the top six then they cannot be lower than sixth at the end of the season even if they go into admin and are docked 15 or even 25 points.

  31. Melbourne Mick on

    ROY CROPPIE

     

     

    Great pics as usual, thought that one with the African bhoys

     

    was taken at our park in Melbourne for a moment.

     

    H.H Mick

  36. Art of War on

    Paradox -aye, i believe so as it is effectively 2 leagues.

     

     

    Anyhoo, see during the 90’s, the press (led by the lying filthy mouth of Murray) led me to believe that the reason that Celtic were so poor was the boards fault and that they wouldn’t spend money.

     

     

    It was put across in such a fashion that the money was there but we wouldn’t spend. This birthed the ‘biscuit tin’ mentality.

     

     

    With lack of press investigation and genuine business people at Celtic; we were a laughing stock to those that would wish us ill.

     

     

    It nearly killed us. But it didn’t. We have come back stronger than they can ever imagine being.

     

     

    Results like tonight make me smile.

     

    Karma is a bitch.

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