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Where to now for Celtic

1509
By on CQN BLOG & Comments

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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  4. The Battered Bunnet on

    Mags

     

     

    Depends on how far you see I suppose.

     

     

    If you take a 5 year view, unhindered access to the Champions League over that period is untouchably profitable. Base income £50M per year, plus say 3 years out of 5 qualifying for UCL @ £25M gives £325M income before player trading, trading which of course is enhanced by UCL benchmarking. (We get a substantial premium for our players having shown they can compete at that level, cf Wanyama).

     

     

    If you take the 10-20 year view, then it’s all about reconstructing the football environment at the European level, and the locus of influence is somewhat distant from Govan. A respectable ‘Rangers’ team would perhaps enhance the Scottish leverage in such change, but would it be significant? Is there even such a thing as a ‘respectable Rangers’?

     

     

    Over what period in the timeline does an emergent ‘Rangers’ change the landscape positively for Celtic?

  7. harryhoodsdugbitme on

    Just like Neil Lennon David Moyes gets us. Like Jock he was an average player from a non Celtic (!) background. We could do worse than welcoming him back home. HH.

  9. tonydonnelly67 on

    £50 million for David Lois, and he is not even a good defender in my opinion, more of a in front of the back four kinda player, not a bad player, but not at £50 million sorry.

  11. corkcelt on

    The clock is ticking re the European Qualifiers. It was generally agreed we needed 2 or 3 in and bedded into the team before the campaign. If its true that the Club are “going to take their time” in appointing a new Boss that leaves a very small window of opportunity for any new man to assess his existing squad and to make decisions on who to punt and what new players to chase. Add to that the prospect of offers for FF & Virgil and it makes for an uneasy few weeks.

  13. jude2005 is Neil Lennon \o/ on

    Japan beat Celtic 17s 1-0 in the tourny in Holland. Sounds a bit Sushi to me!!!

  15. hoopy-do on

    has anyone considered following the lead of that french club and getting a female manager?

     

     

    i’m thinking of Jane from Rod, Jane and Freddy – she’s a woman.

  16. MickTT on

    joe filippis haircut

     

     

    09:26 on 24 May, 2014

     

    I think football is full of folk who would not understand reality if it slapped them in the coupon.Big Johann saying Lennie and him were getting stale after 4 years in the job a Celtic now im sure they both were paid handsomely for there work and never gave a consideration to normal punters who graft hard in the same job for the whole of there working life without going stale.It is called self motivation or maybe even survival.I am certain that when the dynamic duo get a new club it will be much smaller than Celtic and very unlikely to be in the CL and it may well not take either of them very long to realise that they walked away from one of the top jobs in UK football. H.H.

     

    ——————————————–

     

    Morning, decent post an one I agree with, the grass as has been proven many a time, is not always greener.

     

    But I think Neil will be relived to haveca bit of normality back in his life, although I think it will have to be away from Glasgow and Scotland.

     

     

    Ayrshire is Green and White

  18. shady - 'mon the wee Oscar on

    kitalba 05:41

     

     

    After sharing a bottle of wine and following up with a few rums, I ain’t got the brainpower to process your whole post.

     

     

    However, your idea for a monument to ‘an Gorta Mór’ stands out. Why have we waited for Glasgow City Council to start on this? Surely the new Celtic Way is now the most fitting site for this? There must be an excellent spot alongside Brother Walfrid.

     

     

    Maybe the 2nd stage emigrants who have bounced to here in Oz via the West of Scotland should club together.

     

     

    S

  20. up_over_goal on

    Oscar Garcia – classic case of unemployed manager talking himself up in the press whilst having had no communication with Celtic.

     

     

    Ask any Brighton fan and they’ll tell you the football they played this season was gash and tactically clueless.

     

     

    He may have an exotic name, but Owen Coyle would be an improvement. Steer well clear.

  24. Dan Supporting Wee Oscar on

    Just been looking at the great pictures of the surviving lions on their way to Lisbon, Fantastic.

     

     

    Question for some of the older CQNer’s from the Stein era. My old man says of the big cup win, at half time Stein said to the players, “just continue to keep playing the same way, but instead of playing the ball across the Milan box, try to cut the ball back to the deeper players coming in” Any of you remember hearing this quote?

     

     

    HH Dan

  25. The Battered Bunnet on

    Mags, the reflection of my point would look like this…

     

     

    Emergent ‘Rangers’ return to the SPFL Premiership in 2015/16.

     

     

    Season ticket sales increase from current 44,000 to 49,000 (assuming half of the drop from the peak years of 54,000 is accounted for by Old Firm fixators) and current discount is disapplied: Uplift of £5M income per season.

     

     

    2 ‘Old Firm Derbies’ sell out the remaining seats in the stadium at £42/seat: Uplift of £1M

     

     

    2017/18 new TV deal reverts to old deal plus inflation: Uplift of our share of £5M/year = £750K from 2018.

     

     

    In the 3 years in which there was no ‘Rangers’ team in the top division, Celtic’s income is £75M per year.

     

     

    In the 2 years following a ‘Rangers’ team participating in the Premiership our income increases by £6M without impacting on UCL participation (6 in a row – a judgement on relative competitive strengths) bringing income to £81M per annum.

     

     

    In the 3 years following that, UCL income is reduced due to not qualifying as Champions (the end of ‘in a row’) but TV income rises by a whopping £750K

     

     

    ‘Rangers’ in the top division adds £6M to domestic revenue as the ‘Old Firm fans’ return to Celtic Park, but we lose £25M UCL income in future years.

     

     

    What’s the smart play?

     

     

    Stick cash in the bank during the (current) good years such that emergent ‘Rangers’ can’t touch us financially, thus hedging the UCL income?

     

     

    What would you do?

  26. stephbhoy on

    It’s sad to see NFL leave celtic park he done us proud (3 in a row, 2 Scottish cups) and importantly he left celtic and the next manager with a decent starting 11.

     

     

    …………………………Foster ………………………….

     

    Lustig…… Ambrose…. Van dijk…… Izaguirre

     

    ………………………….biton…………………………

     

    …………….brown…………….johansen…………

     

    ……………………..commons……………………….

     

    ……………..stokes…………..griffiths…………….

     

     

    Of the rest of the squad i’d keep

     

     

    Zaluski goalkeeper

     

    Mulgrew cenreback/mid/ leftback

     

    Fisher rightback/mid

     

    Mathews rightback

     

    Charmers leftback

     

    Fraser centre back

     

    O’Connell centre back

     

    Henderson centre mid

     

    Twardzik centre mid

     

    McGregor attacking mid

     

    Johnstone forward

     

    Watt forward

     

    Fridjonsson forward

     

     

    i’d punt:

     

    Mouyokolo

     

    Forrest

     

    Kayal

     

    Pukki

     

    Balde

     

    Rogic

     

    Derk

     

    Mcgeouch

     

     

    IMHO we have too many players collecting a wage for nothing squeezing the wage bill and prohibitive with regards academy players making the breakthrough into first team.

     

     

    Get than lot (punt then group) of the wage bill, get izzy, lustig, brown and commons on longer term deals and bring in 2 starters i.e. striker and creative mid that will make a difference to overall first team quality and we’re laughing

     

     

    The core of a good team is there, a little change in recruitment needed now, couple of quality players (principle of resale value still applies) reduction on quantity of squad players with commitment to academy/ youth players needed at this stage and we’re on to a winner

     

     

    same wage structure just spreading across less first team players to hold on to and attract other players

     

     

    You know it makes sense hh

  29. jude2005 is Neil Lennon \o/ on

    Lubo & Henrik spotted hill walking up the Campsies. Thats near Lennoxtown isnt it??

  30. Big Georges Fan Club - Hail, Hail, Wee Oscar on

    Hello this is WEE BGFC. Me and my Dad are in the Apple store in glasgow and I just got CQN on the computer. I think that we should bring in someone who we know is a good manager to succeed Lenny because we don’t have enough time to develop someone into a good manager. However Larsson wouldn’t be a bad bet because he has a lot of Champions league experience and he is awesome!

  31. blantyretim is praying for the Knox family on

    WeeBGFC

     

     

    you talk more sense than your dad…o)

     

    KTF

  34. beatbhoy on

    Jupp Heynckes has said he wouldn’t take another coaching job after his perfect final season in charge of Bayern.

     

    However, if Celtic are now contemplating appointing a Director of Football, what a help his experience would be to any new coach in negotiating the CL qualifiers.

  35. bournesouprecipe on

    Now that the dust hasn’t settled and even though I didn’t consider that Neil Lennon’s resignation was a surprise, the list of candidates and alleged favourites gives me deja vu.

     

     

    So too, does the timing and absence of planning. With the continual decline in season ticket sales, it’s high time for Peter Lawell to get it right, especially since he’ll now be negotiating all footballing decisions, now that there is no football.

     

     

    This is the perfect opportunity to slay the downsizing theme.

  38. theglasgowcelticway on

    Morning all.

     

     

    Watching some build up to the Champions League final on Sky sports.

     

     

    I understand why many of our fans have no time for Atletico, games past, but I’d like to see them win it.

     

     

    Atletico for me tonight.

  40. bankiebhoy1 on

    Mornin’ troops……….

     

     

    Goin’ by that photie of the boul’ Oweny on Shortbread,

     

    ….. if the Blessed gig in Paradise fails to transpire,

     

    he’s got a bright future as an Alvin Stardust look-a-like.

     

     

    Coo Ca Choo CSC.

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