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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the king vic 67
i have been asking this question for many years now
the dwindling attendances did not start with the huns demise
IMO attendances stalled long before that.
someone, somewhere might say that official attendances say otherwise
in response i say official attendances claimed have been rubbish for a few years now
anyway its time for the ten questions to be asked to every man woman and child in the celtic family now
Paul67, its a subject thats probably worthy of a day on its own because clearly relying on fans turning up regardless, is not happening
IMO ten years ago we should have been asking these questions, before it got to this point!
roy croppie
12:17 on 24 May, 2014
Lisbon today…
https://twitter.com/celticfc/status/470153655895990272/photo/1/large
Thank you for that pic
My mind wandered to those “Lions” not in the pic.
Sorry auldheid, do you refer to the trusts open meetings? Excuse my ignorance!
Greenpinata
when I started supporting celtic thems were doing 9iers, we were the poor relations and murray was full of gamesmanship about every fiver etc… my expectations were very low during that time. the victory over Airdrie in the Scottish cup brought tears to my eyes.
Fergus changed everything, better players, a big shiny stadium and then a championship title. celtic had awoken and things would never be the same again
soon ranger would kill themselves trying to hang on to our coattails, winning a few titles along the way but cheating all the while. celtic were buying up land, investing in scouting, training facilities and winning fairly.
if anyone cared to take a look around the big leagues they would see only a handful of clubs are running at breakeven, most are operating on massive losses and its only a matter of time before the creditors come calling and the t.v value like everything else, has a ceiling point.
celtic are playing the long game but its the right game, we get the best team we can get on the pitch
we invest in projects that make celtic park and its envois a revenue stream on match days and non-match days, something for everyone. celtic maximise choice, you benefit, I benefit, everyone and celtic benefit. its all done with Celtic’s money and every team at celtic park is paid for lock stock and barrow.
“We are Celtic supporters, faithful through and through”
and with good reason my man
hh
Madmitch
What makes a happy clapper ?
3 in a row , champs lge twice, 2 Scottish cups, investment in stadium and money of season books. I’m pretty happy with the way things are going. Although I do agree we need to make sure we qualify for the group stages.
TBB @ 12.13
After the Great Karagandy scare of 2013 — how can you be so complacent?
Add in the Sion debacle and we are rapidly running out of luck.
Cash reserves — we are a medium sized club in a big game — we are not Apple.
If we have the resources we should be investing them on and off the park.
We need to revisit the development plan for the area around CP.
Very poor in scale and scope — too much one off capital gains and too few income streams.
As a start — How much would £5mill / 2,500m2 of bricks and mortar generate?
How much would £5mill of a Youth Stadium generate — community use / some lottery or council funds?
BT
He’s in some of the other shots.
Its a big Yes from me : To Davie Moyes.
HH.
GivehimthemoneyPeterCSC
“half a team on the park”
Whit?
king vic
howabout
play outside scottish league set up
standing areas
cheaper entry
less stringent policing
kick off times
no live matches
alcohol?
decent food?
summer football?
and for the 10th- enquiries into sevco rule bending
Just received Tommy’s book with a personal message for my da
God he’s going to love this!
Me
“So who is your choice for the new manager then?”
Wife
“Don’t know, but it’ll be somebody rotten”
AB @ 12.36
Happy Clapper is someone who accepts the empty seats.
Who accepts the CL performances.
Who accepts the PL bonus.
A happy clapper is someone who thinks 6 bought / 5 on the bench is acceptable.
Who thinks that it is OK to be a selling club year after year.
That the current business strategy is sustainable.
A happy clapper is someone who thinks the Irish Raj loves the club.
Who thinks that we are making progress.
Who thinks that all is well at CP.
When I look at the club I see history, struggle and achievement.
When I look at the Future now I see stagnation, apathy and Executive cowardice.
Would the current board approach a modern day JS — I think not.
When I was a nipper I remember queuing for Aberdeen cup final tickets (I think) for about 3 hours. We were at the front of a very long queue and Billy McNeil (manager at the time) came up to us and said “boys you’ve been here a long time, how would you like to see the stadium?” Our first concern was that we would lose our spot in the queue which Billy laughed off and said “don’t worry about that”. Billy then gave us a personal tour of the stadium, changing rooms, trophy room and a walk on to the hallowed turf(as well as free tickets for the final). If there was any doubt that I would be a supporter for life it vanished that day….Hail Cesar and good health to you!
Maybe Henrik would do this for the next generation? Please no Roy keane
leftclicktic@ 12.34
So did mine mate :0(
HH
AH @ 11.57
You really are one dimensional.
Apples for Apples between us and them — corporate / establishment / Ludge Scotland will always give their hospitality pound to the TFOD.
P67 – I completely echo what i’m neil lennon (tamrabam) has asked you to provide. If everyone on CQN could express their concerns in a disciplined, logical format perhaps our club could take cognisance and carry out the appropriate actions before fans decide to watch Celtic on occasion other than religiously!
As I said earlier….would be happy for John Collins to take over from Lenny.
Paul Lambert would be my first choice but can’t see it happening while his stock is still high in EPL.There are some Whingeing Villa fans who still think they are the 1982 side and should be winning the CL, but that ain’t gonna happen and most people who know fitba also know how good a job he has done with very little money after MON spent it all.
The CL would be an attraction for Paul but not with the current squad at Paradise,where getting to the group stages and getting whupped is seen as an achievement by our current custodians.
Please Lord ……no Owen Coyle…….just gonnae no dae that……just gonnae no.
TBB
Yep half a great team
Every season we usually have 3 great players and and we usually try and sell 2…
Will we do everything we can to keep our keeper?
Will we replace Wanyama this year?
Will we get a proper striker to replace Hooper?
Outside Kris Commons none of our attacking players excite
Yep half a team…
Getting it wrong on and off field.
Unfortunately we have too many stay away supporters – the radio clyde brigade who are awaiting the return of a blue team in some form.
The club also need to from time excite the fan base with an ambitious signing. I accept this is getting more and more difficult as supporters opt to stay away and the salaries paid down south.
But when was the last player we signed with a bit of experience too help the rest of the team?
It doesn’t have to be multi million pound buys but the Lawwell & Park specialise in bringing in forwards that are not as good as the young players already in the Celtic system.
From Bangura to Balde maybe £10 million pounds have been wasted on punts on poor foreign strikers. That’s failure.
So it’s wrong to say the club are cost cutting they just can’t scout decent strikers.
My friends in Celtic,
Ref summer football. Yes I think it has a certain appeal and should be considered.— again, however I would not like Celtic to go “head to head” with Coldplay / 1D and a host of others in Glasgow today.
Timing would be everything. Summer festivals are established and clashes could impact on our younger customers ( sorry supporters )
HH.
Would take Davie Moyes in a heartbeat.
Lenny leaving was known at Dundee utd game as he said goodbyes and some wished him all the best.
I heard he was effectively pushed out the door by our CEO, which I don’t have an issue with.
leftclicktic-me too mate hh
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BoYsGnlIgAAFBTj.jpg:large
Lisboa67CSC
ITV all set to interrupt the adverts with the Champions League Cup Final.
Bhoylo83
Glad it arrived safely. Tommy really put in a big shift for CQN over the last week or so. He’s not in the best of health these days but made sure he wrote out every request before heading to Lisbon. He’s a true Celtic legend.
Anyone wanting a signed copy let me know -email address is david@cqnmagazine.com
We can also get signed copies of Willie Wallace Heart of a Lion next week too for anyone who missed out last May.
4 years of management,
4 years of success,
4 years of scoddish hospitality
4 years………
Neil moves on, amicably.
Thank god there was no internet in the early 90s. Some of the comments on here are quite frankly risible.
Under the present scheme of things it just isnt possible financially for us to compete against the top european league teams.
For goodness sake Cardiff waltzed off with 60 M from TV money for being relegated. Thats roughly our annual turnover.
Just being solvent is a success right now.
Neganon 2
Just saw your comment re being strung along on Res12.
My response is the same as to TD.
Are you saying the Company Secretary is lieing to shareholders and the guys pushing the Res face to face?
Do you realise the full implications of that idea and how it would play out at the next AGM if it were true?
Did you read the statement? Did you understand it?
Do you think my head buttons up the back?
Or canalamar or BRTH or Morrisey I should have asked but I was taking what you said personally.
Sorry lads.
added not asked
Winning Captains
Thanks again bhud
B-)
bournesouprecipe
12:44 on 24 May, 2014
Me
“So who is your choice for the new manager then?”
Wife
“Don’t know, but it’ll be somebody rotten”
or, as it went in my house…
Wife
“Eh?”
BocchiniBhoy,
Your comparison with the Welsh team Cardiff is very apt. That is the reality.
I would however push the boat out for DM, if only so we would have an experienced skipper as we navigate the uncharted waters of a new environment.
HH.
http://www.thefootballlife.co.uk/post/86675952746/runners-and-riders-who-will-be-the-next-celtic
On candidates and chances
GP @ 12.51
Fair point about the pitfalls of summer football.
On the other hand given the interest and the demand for tickets could the club not organised some sort of fringe event to soak up the latent demand.
Something low key — child or “tweenager” friendly.
I mention this because I have of these creatures bored in the house at the moment.
Not sure if it’s been posted but there was a good interview with Garcia in the mail this morning.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2637898/Oscar-Garcia-left-field-candidate-Celtic-job-just-right.html
Sounds keen on an approach but does mention interest from other clubs, which is to be expected I suppose.
HH
/Bishop B
bocchini bhoy
a fair point about cardiff getting 60 million quid
however there are another 20 or so leagues in Europe, each with another 20 or so teams
not every club in europe has a higher turnover than us
it is of course a very turbulent time in scottish fitba, and its unlikely to get much better soon, even if some form of sevco 3 ever arrives, it wont really be a moneyspinner
I would hazard a guess that we are not the only club in europe who have outgrown our surroundings, meanwhile CL seedings see to it that we are unlikely to EVER get past the last 16
I think long term we need a plan to work out how we can get more income, but for the life of me i dont see us getting there, in the SPFL set up, with or without sevco.
*THE KING VIC 67*
good question, don’t think there is any one answer.
to be fair celtic have made some improvements with a family section and reduced pricing for all.
here’s an interesting point, last year I called celtic park about buying disabled season ticket for someone I know and was informed I could not get one as there is actually a very large waiting list. that’s right a real waiting list, because of lack of availability/ facilities. so why not invest in another couple of elevated disabled sections, its an outlay but worthwhile as an additional 300 disabled supporters (and 300 carers) means 600 additional celtic supporters in and around the stadium (guaranteed).
the size of Celtic’s stadium should allow the club to offer away and home supporters seating without restricted viewing (i.e. corner of jock stein and LL stand should be closed off rather than the upper LL stand)
celtic could offer financial incentive to other clubs that bring/ sell tickets i.e. £5.00 from every away ticket sold to said club (wee bonus for the clubs to sell more away tickets, everyone’s a winner)
celtic should be pushing hard for singing section (3000/6000) within the stadium because some supporters want it and others would more likely attend to be part of it
getting Larsson to manage would put bums on seats in the short term to medium term
unfortunately a sevco of any description will lead to more interest and increase in attendance