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.
[calameo code=000390171873c910154bd lang=en page=106 hidelinks=1 width=100% height=500]
1,509 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- ...
- 40
- »
NatKnow
14:08 on
23 May, 2014
onlymallony
14:03 on 23 May, 2014
Would love to see Glen Hoddle as Celtic Manager – fantastic coach.
Has often voiced his admiration of our club.
HH
——————————————————————-
What, the guy who implied that disabled people were disabled because they didn’t believe in god? Do you think his “faith healer”, Eileen Drewery would be able to help fix Derk?
I think you are looking for Steve Austin’s surgeon for that one..
Doc.
Yep Rene Macintosh design, housing many of his treasures. The library was the best room I’d ever been in my whole life. It took a genius to design and many skilled geniuses to build. There’s not enough geniuses in the world to replace it.
Sipsini- :}}
Greendreamz
Your point about Peter lawell is bang on
The sale of vic only benefited 2 people Vic and PL
As long as we have someone in charge who’s only target is to get as much money in bonus’s , then we will never move on
No more AGM balance sheet transfers
If it has to be an ex-celt hero, I am going to throw Zheng Zhi’s coolie hat into the ring
!!Bada Bing!!
14:13 on 23 May, 2014
NatKnow
14:08 on
23 May, 2014
onlymallony
14:03 on 23 May, 2014
Would love to see Glen Hoddle as Celtic Manager – fantastic coach.
Has often voiced his admiration of our club.
HH
——————————————————————-
What, the guy who implied that disabled people were disabled because they didn’t believe in god? Do you think his “faith healer”, Eileen Drewery would be able to help fix Derk?
I think you are looking for Steve Austin’s surgeon for that one..
———————————————————–
Might need a psychologist too….!
REALLY bad news about the School of Art building…….its nothing short of a cultural disaster for Glasgow, Scotland and the world really.
THM, not enough money either.
Glad to hear the CQN guys are coming down to see you, I was speaking to them on Saturday, they were very keen. I can’t make it, but enjoy it, you’ll be well entertained.
Not interested in peoples “faiths” or lack therof.
Just interested in their ability to coach good footballers and make them better.
Forgive and forget – move on.
Glen Hoddle my No 1 choice.
theoriginalsadiesbhoy
Are you still on?
I think that Neil Lennon just had had enough of Scotland. He could have gone a year ago but stayed on. Had he left at that stage we may well have seen Owen Coyle get the job. I mentioned on here a few weeks ago that he was very interested in a job like West Ham and that the Norwich job wasn’t for him. And suggested that a few quid on Steve Clarke might be worth a punt.
Steve Clarke doesn’t however quite fit if you consider what paul has to say today. I know that he expects the unexpected so bookies favourites – such as Coyle – are pretty much ruled out in my mind. Hope so anyway.
If Clarke isn’t the man someone like John Collins might be considered.
Jonny …I made a mistake ….we can lose our money at 7.50 at Towcester… :)
Doc .
Aye looking forward to it.
We need events like this to keep the Celtic interest in London. It will be a cracking night.
Hail hail
onlymallony
14:20 on 23 May, 2014
Not interested in peoples “faiths” or lack therof.
Just interested in their ability to coach good footballers and make them better.
Forgive and forget – move on.
Glen Hoddle my No 1 choice.
——————————————————————–
It’s not his faith that’s the issue. He was sacked – rightly in my view – by England for the comments he made about people with a disability. Not what I’d expect of a Celtic manager I’m afraid. There are plenty of good coaches out there who are not arseholes.
Quincy Adams Wagstaff
23 May, 2014
What’s Jimmy Calderwood up to these days
————————————————
Bang on Gordon J!!!
Posted yesterday, Parkhead Cross is awash with sunbed shops!
There’s yer dinner : )
PMSL as the youth’s say!
Some interesting stats on Celtic players this season:-
SPFL scoring & assist stats
competition
http://www.mctears.co.uk/competitions/
Kieron Westwood released by Sunderland, could be a decent shout as he’s a free. 29, not too old for a keeper and we all know Big Fraser’s off.
WC
You and I need to speak! In fact I’ll tolerate most likely appointments but not JC.
That would likely be a short term sabbatical from CP for me.
They’ll still have my money but not my presence.
Word on the street is that the Glasgow School of Art was being used as a McGill’s bus depot!
I remember seeing this on CQN some years ago. I cannot do the sausage thingy but have copied the article below. This from the Liverpool Echo of 15th May 2010. Overall quite prophetic ……….. so far.
FOR some time now one football club has dominated discussion over David Moyes’ post-Everton career.
It has almost become accepted wisdom that Moyes would only leave Goodison Park should a certain vacancy at the other end of the M62 suddenly open up.
Many view the Everton boss as the natural successor to Alex Ferguson, while they list the various similarities between the two men as evidence.
This season the speculation reached its peak, when it was alleged that Ferguson had verbally anointed Moyes as the man to take over when he draws the curtain on his illustrious reign at Manchester United.
Further reports, later rubbished by Bill Kenwright, suggested the chairman would allow his manager to go to the Red Devils with his blessing.
Yet all this conjecture about Manchester ignores another destination, further north, where David Moyes has openly said he would like to work.
The one-time uncompromising defender considers his project with Everton to be unfinished business at present, and says he wouldn’t be interested in being the man to permanently succeed Tony Mowbray at Celtic.
But he is certain about one thing.
“My ambition is to manage back in Scotland someday,” he says. “At Celtic, in time. But it wouldn’t be my time just now.”
The 47-year-old boss started his playing career in Glasgow with Celtic in 1980 before heading south for a seven-year period, which encompassed spells with Cambridge United, Bristol City and Shrewsbury Town.
He then returned to Scotland with Dunfermline Athletic in 1990 and spent three years at East End Park, followed by a brief spell with Hamilton Academical.
At the age of 30, he returned south to become a stalwart at Preston before taking over from Gary Peters as manager.
That four-year tenure at Deepdale, which culminated in taking them to within one game of promotion to the Premier League, led to Everton snapping up the promising manager and he has been building steadily since 2002.
Like in his playing career, Moyes would like to flit between Scotland and England in management.
But for now he will not consider quitting the hard work he has put in with the Toffees to gamble on being a success in the cut-throat role as Celtic manager.
“I hope someday people think I am good enough to get a job back up the road,” Moyes continued. “But I still think I have a lot of work to do down here. Maybe someday that will come around.”
Evertonians hope that Moyes can achieve everything he wants at Goodison Park. Champions League football, a concerted crack at the top four, maybe even one day being in the mix for the ultimate domestic prize.
But if that were not to be the case, a sideways move to Celtic would, in theory, provide the experience of winning titles and managing in the European Cup.
Championship medals in the SPL may not carry the same kudos as elsewhere, but they would still be notches on a CV.
Perhaps there is more to the Celtic link than people imagine. It is certainly a club, and a league, Moyes is still passionate about.
This week it emerged that he has suggested to the powers that be in England that Celtic and Rangers should join the reserve set-up in the English Premier League.
Moyes believes it would be a testing ground for any future possibility of the pair moving to play south of the border permanently.
The financial treasures on offer in England’s top flight has long attracted interest from both sides of the Old Firm. But chairmen threw out plans to welcome them into their league in November last year.
The Everton boss hasn’t given up hope of the Glasgow pair participating in England in some shape or form.
Evertonians will hope that seeing Celtic take on his Everton team twice a season one day would be enough.
This is what Glenn Hoddle said:
‘I have got an inner belief and an inner faith with God. I do believe spiritually we have to progress because we’ve been here before. The physical body is just an overcoat for your spirit. At death you take the overcoat off and your spirit will go on to another life in a spirit dimension.
‘I think we make mistakes when we are down here and our spirit has to come back and learn. That’s why there is an injustice in the world. Why there’s certain people born into the world with terrible physical problems and why there’s a family who has got everything right, physically and mentally.’
Just proves that football people should stick to talking about football when in public.
ElDiegoBhoy
Neither would be my choice! And certainly not Coyne.
Henrik would be welcomed by me but I understand the risks.
But Neil left for his own reasons – nothing to do with the stuff on ETims.
Alec O’Henley reporting on Twitter that Larssson has given his word to Falkenburg Director of Football that he is staying.
Moyes is a loser, whats he won? Zilch. Its habit forming, not for me.
BigYinMilan
My late wife knew David Moyes’ dad fairly well through business connections. His dad is a big fan of the deid club, and according to her a very decent person, but he made it clear to her that his son was only interested in Celtic and would love to go back to CP one day.
I’m not keen on how he sets his team out to play but I guess staying in the EPL at all costs influences that.
With us he could be more keen to adopt a more outgoing style of play.
I would welcome his appointment were it to come about.
Gordon_J…….
I think it’s his inner ear that is blocked. It causes the buzzing.
BigYinMilan-Moyes,and a few others wouldn’t accept trying to make a team out of players bought by an accountant and a Chief Scout with a patchy record .HH
* doctor whatfor
13:53 on 23 May, 2014
theoriginalsadiesbhoy
Are you lurking?
**************
I am now. I challenge for the ball in the air. I nod my head 1-0. We’re a goal down.
Just spotted Neil Warnock outside Parkhead… ( bahahaha ha)
Coyle favourite across the board now,hope this market is as volatile as it usually is,Henrik was 1/3 last night is now as big as 6/1.
Met Moyes a few times when I worked at Deepdale in 99/00. He freely chatted about Celtic and a lot about how good Danny McGrain was. He actually started a conversation with me one of the times regarding Celtic so he’s obviously got love for the club.
Gordon J
Disagree with you 100% on your Hoddle thing were football people should stick to speaking about football.
I give you Alan Hansen, Pat Nevin…
MWD says Aye
Stuart McColl … Derek McInnes… It’s only a matter of time …?
No no no no to Coyle
Been thinking about our vacancy…
What does the manager actually do?
He rarely if ever takes training, I imagine, he rarely does any hands on scouting, he doesn’t do contractual negotiations. The club strategy is taken forward by the Board…. So
He manages the players in a macro sense, he probably conducts charm offensives with sponsors and prospective signings, he handle the media and he does the team talk..
Therefore we need a great communicator….
For me that rules out quite a few… And opens the door to others…
It’s looking more like Coyle with Houston.
Davy Moyes was in the same hotel as me in Seville………….he’s a Celtic man.