How well do we handle succession? Mostly very well. Back in the 90s Celtic stumbled from one manager to another, picking up whoever was available and prepared to pick up the inevitable poisoned chalice, without any perceivable strategy.
Wim Jansen came from nowhere, or Japan, to be geographically accurate, and was a success, but despite a legendary respect for Fergus McCann, this appointment looked like a stab in the dark. After Wim left, we had the seminal reign of John Barnes. Millions were spent, and wasted, before King Kenny held fort for the final few months of season 1999-2000.
The changes introduced by Martin O’Neill are still being felt. We had been rubbish for decades in Europe, hadn’t knocked out a team from the ‘big five leagues’ since Leeds United in 1970. We were conditioned to expect and accept defeat, but after Martin, the world would never be the same again.
Martin’s strategy was not without its flaws, for a start, it wasn’t sustainable. Celtic lost millions every season, despite competing in Champions League football for the first time, and the momentous matter………. Seville.
Gordon Strachan came with a remit to change the problems the club faced immediately before his arrival – bring spending down to meet income, win the league and make progress in the Champions League. Despite starting with one of the worst weeks in the clubs history, Gordon delivered.
There was a problem, though. A disconnect opened up that first week when Artmedia smacked five goals past David Marshall, which was never fully resolved. When we went back into the market, fixing this disconnect was high on the agenda. Who better than a popular former player who ‘invented’ the Celtic huddle.
Tony Mowbray ticked the boxes which Gordon Strachan showed little appetite for but he was miles off plan for Celtic. The first week in the job he asked to sign Marc-Antoine Fortune for close to £4m. I’m sure the proposition was a bolt out of the blue to the club. Expensive 28-year-old strikers with a low- scoring record was not on strategy. Having appointed Mowbray, the club had little choice but to back his maiden request, but I bet there was a raft of people at Lennoxtown who knew how this chapter in our story would end.
Neil Lennon was working as a coach at Celtic during the Mowbray era. He was close to the scouts, sports science people, fitness experts and chief executive. In other words, he was on plan. After the John Barnes ‘tried and tested rookie manager’ strategy, I didn’t want Neil, or any other debutant, but he was intelligent, tactically aware and experienced inside the Celtic system. Within no time, Neil was making headlines as a Champions League manager. The shine will quite rightly never fade from Martin’s halo, but I could make a case that Neil Lennon has been our best manager since the guy from Burnbank.
Notice the pattern?
We have a habit of appointing a manager to address the perceived deficiencies of the previous incumbent. Right now, the need for someone to connect with fans will be less pronounced than it was when Gordon Strachan left, the need for someone to work within budget is fundamental, but will not stress anyone.
Neil’s most glaring faults are a whole lot less glaring than any of his predecessors. This time, we should be looking for someone just like the previous guy:
A student of the game, who understands the tactical trends in the world game.
Intelligent.
On plan with club scouts, nutritionists, sports scientists, coaches, player trading policy and budget.
Order your SIGNED copy of Tommy Gemmell’s All the best from the (fabulous new) CQN Bookstore.
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tommytwiststommyturns
It is too early in John Kennedy’s career. But it was probably too early in Neil Lennon’s career. With Houston as his mentor/assistant, it wouldn’t surprise me
Incidentally, Laudrup is a time bomb – idle, flaky and self-obsessed. Barge pole required.
I do not understand the level of opposition to Owen Coyle.
Of course he was reluctant previously to put his family in the same situation we now see as the reason NL is leaving and we roundly dis-approve.
Apart from Moyes,Coyle is a more experienced Manager than any of the others,but for some reason we seem hell bent on appointing Henrik who should stay well clear and retain his legend status,as in Management he can only hope people on his behalf influence a game.
Coyle is, and has always been a die hard Celtic fan,more than can be said for almost all of the other candidates,playing for a Club does not necessarily make you a fan,instance Murdo and Provan.
I would like someone to go home feeling like we do in the event of defeat,coupled with sufficient experience to avoid same.
For me any permutation of Coyle,Clarke,Collins,even Keane would maintain a genuine link to both fans and Club.
Gary67
12:08 on
23 May, 2014
Turkeybhoy
Murat Yakin,
I always thought that was Hakin Yakin,with the long hair.Is that the brother who also played?.
tommytwiststommyturns
the huddle – my first thought was John Kennedy, but it’s too early in his coaching career.
———–
It probably is to soon but that didn’t stop Barca or numerous other big clubs giving rookies their chance.
I just hope it’s someone who wants to play a passing style of football, there’s got to be similar to Martinez/Rodgers types out there. Also Swansea have been doing something similiar for years now, employing coaches to fit a style of football/club set up.
G67, aye that’s him. Cheers.
Turkeybhoy
Yes. Murat was the centre half who also played against us. Think he’s the older brother. Cracking centre half and by the looks of it a very good coach
The new manager will inheriting a good team. On paper you or I should be able to win the league with these players.
However the manager must be able to motivate the players and have their trust and respect. Recent events have demonstrated that it`s not always easy to take on a winning team and make them better.
Hopefully this time.
Thanks to Paul67, Kevin and Doc in particular, Season Ticket renewed despite some reservations about the role of the board on a number of issues well discussed on this forum.
With the state of flux at the club due to NFL departure, the support needs to get behind the new manager, whoever that may be, with as few distractions as possible.
Champions League qualification is a huge priority for both club and support alike.
Unlike some posters, I do not believe the board are infallible just because they are the Celtic board (and I don’t flounce !), but if there are no positive movements on certain issues ( relating to SFA, Sevco, OBF, stewarding, GB etc) then the AGM will be the platform to address these issues.
A pity our majority shareholder won’t be there to address some of these key issues.
surely not Owen Coyle.
This is a great opportunity for someone to establish their E
Have we missed any manager dead or alive, it seems every name under the sun has got a mention on here lol can’t wait till they name him everybody will claim they where right haha
excathedra44 – speaking only for myself, but I don’t want Owen Coyle purely because in my opinion he is not a very good football manager.
excathedra44
12:32 on 23 May, 2014
My opposition to Coyle isn’t him knocking us back last time he was asked, its the fact he is a poor manager who has no Plan B. When things get tough he has no answers. That and the fact he’s an EPL sycophant.
Gary67 – we got away with appointing a rookie manager…this time! Why should we continue with that high risk approach?
delia – that’s interesting re Laudrup. What are you basing your assertion on, mate?
T4
if I may finish…Euro credentials. In the interim, Neil’s departure brings into focus the need to jettison the Scottish league system.
Most of CQn are on plan. So who’s applying?
Just need to be a YES man.
MWD says Aye but no YES man
Owen Coyle and his wife , who was very fashionably dressed while he looked like he’d robbed his gear out of What Everyone Wants, were outside the stadium in Seville happily mingling with fans. Wee James Grady and his slightly less glamourous consort were there too. No arguing either’s credentials methinks. What odds wee Jamesie, now I come to think of it. Surely he’d be up for the Hunnageddon challenge if he could take a grogger off big Amo and come up smiling?
tommytwiststommyturns
12:36 on 23 May, 2014
Gary67 – we got away with appointing a rookie manager…this time! Why should we continue with that high risk approach?
Totally agree with you. The answer however is money. Look for the cheapest option and you won’t be far away.
tommytwiststommyturns
12:22 on 23 May, 2014
Maybe we should keep an eye on Betdaq for the odds on our next manager….who owns them?!
darwin – evolve or bugger off back to your brethren on FF.
T4
__________________
Didn’t DD sell up a while ago?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Paul67,
My big worry is a few players will leave now, our best players and the transition will not be smooth enough to get us in to the Champions League. If I was betting, I would say Celtic are now outsiders to make it.
Whits aw this “fits the bill” pash?You could come up wae a million reasons
why someone would or would not “fit the feckin bill”.Make it happen Celts.
The King.
embramike
good to hear you finally made your decision.
mines made too. Season out for me at least. Sickened by it all.
AGM makes not a jot of difference.
MWD says Aye
Has Kris Commons not got his UEFA coaching badges yet? A possibility?
Whatever Yakin it is,he built up a fantastic wee team at Basel.Humped ALL the big teams,in the CL,and UEFA league.Always watched their games in CL.Great to watch.
Someone said he was free.
Henrik would bring a “Feelgood”factor with him.Dont think we can look at the Swedish teams he has managed.Like O”Neil cutting his teeth with wee teams.
excathedra44- Coyle the Celtic diehard who knocked us back to stay with the mighty Burnley? Never to be asked again IMO.But i fear he ticks a lot of PL’s boxes.Cheap-he will do the job for half Neil’s salary,and talks up the O** F*** any chance he gets.So as you can work out,it’s a no from me mate.HH
There are a multitude of reasons Coyle should not even be considered but primarily there are far better football managers than him we could appoint.
If Coyle was appointed it will be proof positive that the board are as out of touch with the fans as at any point in our history.
RogueLeader
12:35 on
23 May, 2014
Fair comment.
I guess we could level our own preferences against all the candidates,I dont want Henrik as I am afraid of the consequences if all goes wrong.
“How well do we handle succession? Mostly very well”
Don’t make me laugh.
MON was appointed through an 11th hour direct intervention of DD when we were on the point of securing the services of Gus Hiddink.
Gordon Strachan was appointed following a chance meeting with a Eddie Jordan at a pro-am golf event when GS revealed he’d be willing to step in to replace MON. This was duly reported to DD and no other candidates were considered.
When GS announced he was leaving, DD made a last minute desperate attempt to get him to stay on despite the unpopularity of the style of his football amongst a large section of the fans who were willing to tolerate it as as we were beating the huns.
Tony Mowbray was appointed in desperation when other candidates (Owen Coyle and Roberto Martinez) spurned our advances.
Such was the board’s desperation at the time, the club paid West Brom £2m. to buy out Mowbray’s and his assistants contracts. This has to go in the club’s history as the worst £2m.spent ever.
When Mowbray was ignamoniously dismissed, the club turned to a rookie manager and paraded him up and down to country to convince supporters that Lennon was in fact the correct successor to Mowbray. No other candidate was considered, a fact admitted by then chairman, John Reid.
If there is a trend emerging here it is one of blind panic and desperation. I sincerely hope the current board handle this managerial vacancy in a more professional and business like manner than they have in the recent past.
Gary67
12:38
Look for the cheapest option and you won’t be far away.
——–
OK, I’ve looked.
Here goes…..
Paddy McCourt as player manager.
However, we would need to be cognisant of his fitness levels while prowling the technical area, which would surely rule him out.
Paul, I don’t agree with more of the same. I loved Neil as our manager, and in hindsight I agree that he was the right man, given the problems the club faced at that time.
However, today’s challenge is a bit different. The Club is in good health. The systems are working well. What would make a difference now, is having someone who could squeeze out another 2,3 or 4 UCL points. I’d go for European experience ahead of trying to ‘connect’ with the Celtic support.
Our support has effectively 2 camps. One that will respond to results, performances, then the other stuff.
The other camp – well represented on this blog – will hate the board/PL/Sustainable strategies, etc. And they will keep on hating. We can’t acquire a manager that will appease them.
I think that there is a ‘next level’ that is attainable. We flirted with it a couple of years back. It is possible to make that a regular thing. That’s the target we should have in mind when going for a manager.
Turkeybhoy and Gary67
see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murat_Yakin
Interestingly, Murat appears to have parted company with Basil only last week …
FF
excathedra44 – I’m with you on Henrik. He is an even bigger gamble than Lenny was. Lenny had been in and around the club prior to the appointment, Henrik hasn’t.
i would have him in as an Assistant with a view to taking over though.
Moonbeams
saw yes to bv, ill be there from 2.30 onwards. ?
open to all, plenty of students of the game and a few raspers thrown in for balance..
Folly Folly – “Interestingly, Murat appears to have parted company with Basil only last week ”
You sure? That story seems Fawlty to me
Gary67 – sadly, you’re most probably right. It’s unusual to have so many likely candidates out of work just now…Malky, Clarke & Coyle.
petec – didn’t know the Great Desmondo had sold up. Is that confirmed?!
Anyone know what days the club have allocated for season card holders wanting to move seat? Depending on the appointment, I might have plenty to choose from!
Or will I bin it after 18 years and just pick & choose games?!
Decisions decisions….
T4
Not posted in a long time as i’ve quit football due to the level of corruption involved now. I’ve supported Celtic for over 35 years but will never return to Parkhead, not so much as Celtic’s fault, more with Scottish football and those who run it for the benefit of one team. As much as it pains me to say Rangers or what ever you want to call them have won. Let me explain, when they held onto a place in the league structure i could see the writing was on the wall, most Celtic fans laughed at the situation they were in, but despite the mess and convenient reconstruction they slowly crawled up the leagues, and next year will find them back at the top league either through winning the league or just plain old cheating, probably a combination of both though. i’ve spent a long time lurking on this forum and have great respect for what Paul has got here, but over the past season the articles have started seem to me to be deflecting from the real problems, Yes we get articles telling us how good the league has become, but it was still a stroll in the end, we don’t need to win the league other teams will win it for us by taking points from each other. Then the constant reminders of how bad the huns are, cash woes and the like, but they’re still here and as much as it hurts me to say there will always be a team called Rangers here, society will never let them die. When they are back in the league that then will truly be it for me, for death to resurrection in 4 years, Paul knows it, the board know it, deep down all Celtic fans know it’s coming, and when they’re back are you still going to watch them ? i won’t. All this nonsense about how it’s a good time to be a Celtic fan, renew your ticket etc, whitewash and hogwash, the attendance figures don’t lie, pictures of half empty stadiums tell the real story. I used to go with 9 mates, so ten guys @ £400/500 each per book, 7 have chucked it and won’t return, money that Celtic are losing from us along with many others. The solution, who knows, but until those who are in charge of the game remain in postion, then the worse it will get, A possible but unlikely scenario is for fans off all clubs to stage mass boycotts of their respective clubs and hit them in the pocket to force change at the SFA/SPFL etc, i believe it’s the only way they would listen when the grounds are empty and no income something would have to done.
Paul……Glad you agree. It’s Henke for me. Come on down, “The King of Kings”
BT
have the wee fella this weekend so straight home from the ole slave masters.
enjoy.
MWD says Aye
m6bhoy
——-
There’s a theory that you make your best decisions when panicking, that gut instinct is usaully right. MON, WGS and Lenny were successes so it would be daft to change the approach :o)