Celtic have failed in a bid to bring back Gordon Strachan as advisor to Neil Lennon?
extract below from the evening times today:
"DAVIE HAY today insisted Neil Lennon’s position has in no way been undermined by Celtic’s attempt to bring back Gordon Strachan.
The man who led the club to a hat-trick of titles before leaving the hot-seat in 2009 was asked to come in as an exper-ienced advisor to Lennon.
The current manager was aware of the move and fully supported it. But, though this was not a full-time position, and definitely not a director of football role, Strachan would have been required to give up at least some of his TV work, but a financial agreement could not be reached.
So, the plan was dropped, though Strachan will continue to be available to Lennon at the end of a phone, as and when the rookie boss feels he needs advice.
Himself a relatively raw manager when he was handed the position at Parkhead, SportTimes columnist Hay believes it was an appointment which could have worked well, not least because Strachan knows all about the pitfalls of working in this environment.
He said: “This attempt to bring Gordon back as an experienced advisor to offer assistance to Neil has a lot of merit. Neil is the first to admit this is a very tough position in which to cut your teeth as a manager.
“And the fact the backroom staff he selected are every bit as inexperienced as him was always a concern. That’s why, at the outset, the club were keen to bring in a mentor such as Stuart Baxter.
“But, this was a flawed plan because he was not Neil’s choice, so any working relationship was always going to be difficult. It’s a trust thing, and Neil would have been constantly looking over his shoulder wondering if someone like Stuart Baxter was angling to move into the manager’s job if it all went pear-shaped.
“The difference with Gordon is that Neil knows his only motivation and ambition would be to help him become an even better Celtic manager.
“The fact he has always been there for him at the end of a phone whenever Neil has felt he needed a sounding board or just someone to talk to about the unique problems which managing Celtic brings proves there is already a good, working relationship.
“I can see why Celtic would have wanted to formalise this because things were not going well in the early part of the season, and someone who has experienced and survived these situations can bring fresh perspective to it.
“While Neil would undoubtedly have been happy to continue with the same informal arrangement, the club would have been happier knowing he was in situ and there to offer his input on a more regular basis.
“Whether or not this would have even included during games, no-one can be sure.
“Unfortunately, when you ask someone to commit more of their time to a job, you have to be ready to pay them for their trouble.
“It would have been very interesting to see the reaction of the Celtic fans if an agreement could have been reached to bring him back aboard."
Did anyone else miss this??
posted on 23/11/11
Ritchie may be Lennon knows as much as you. It is possible..
A couple of days ago you said that we needed a Jock Stein or a A Ferguson.
Stein had played and coached at Celtic went away for a couple of years , came back and in his first year won the cup and the rest his history. Alec Ferguson managed St Mirren and Aberdean with success went to United and won nothing for years and years. Lucky to keep job before finally winning the cup. Surely you can't compare the two. Would you give Lennon the same amount of time?
posted on 23/11/11
When did i say we needed a Jock Stein or a Fergie? What I did say was that before getting a job like the Celtic job you should go away and learn the trade, i used Fergie and Stein along with McNeill as examples in that they went away to learn the trade at lower level teams before being given the big job.Point being if club legends like McNeill had to go away and learn the job WTF qualified Lennon to be given it straightaway a couple of SFA badges and a setting up the cones course? Bloody ridiculous!!Would I give Lennon the time Fergie got at Man Utd?? NO CHANCE!!! Ferguson was a proven winner as a manager and it was always a matter of time before he changed things for the better. Lennon on the other hand is a proven NOVICE ie he has no track record as a manager that would indicate whether he can do a job or not and our performances and lack of development as a team would indicate that he cant!!I dont like making comparisons with Lennon and Stein as i dont thinl Lennon is fit to be mentioned in the same breath as either a manager or a man!!
posted on 24/11/11
Comment Deleted by Site Moderator
posted on 24/11/11
Ritchie, sorry for lateness in reply. Its a well documented fact that Ferguson was but one game off the sack at UtD. A real horrible snowy cup tie against Notts Forest. UTD Directors did not think it was only a matter of time.. Many many clubs have hired Managers who were successful elsewhere only to have to sack them after a season or two. In the modern game a lot of young men hit the ground running and are successful immediately. Many people would say Neil Lennon has and will be very successful, attaining 92 points in his first year in the league and winning cup would be in most impartial fair minded Observers eyes as successful but you are a biased bigot not but better than those that targeted Neil and his family last season.
posted on 24/11/11
"but you are a biased bigot not but better than those that targeted
Neil and his family last season."
OMG that is one pathetic juvenille statement to make give impartiality a hand you should perhaps take a look in the mirror !!!!! For your information bigotry has absolutely NO part in my life whatsoever,I grew up as a Celtic fan I was attracted to them because when I was a kid they were quite simply a superb team !!my first memories of Celtic are from the early 70s when our team comprised of several of the Lisbon Lions and players like Dalglish,Deans ,Macari Hood ,McGrain,Hay etc I am not a catholic and have no interest whatsoever in the religion of our players ,staff or fans but I will say that i cringe at some of the utter pash that comes out of both sides of the OF.Would you care to explain in what way my views on Neil Lennon bring you to the conclusion that I am a bigot???Biased ?yes without a doubt i dont like the man at all but the proof is there to see that he quite simply isnt up to the job ! We are talking about home games to Dunfermline and St Mirren as being hard games FFS!! what more proof do you need that he cant do the job???
posted on 24/11/11
Comment Deleted by Site Moderator
posted on 24/11/11
Ritchie
You have an unnatural hatred of Neil Lennon and for that matter Scot Brown.
I apologise for the term bigot but I still maintain that for whatever reason your hatred for these two men is certainly out of control. There is no point in me arguing with you as your nonsensical attitude to these two people is beyond reason. I have followed Celtic from the early 60's and of course I have been disappointed with how some of the players have performed. Quit a few managers have been at Celtic who have been given proportionally more money to spend and could never achieve anything near 92 points. Despite this I never displayed the hatred you have, I recognise that Neil hasn't yet proved himself and I really wanted him to win the league last year but having endured the year he did I just cannot see how you can adopt your completely negative biased attitude.
posted on 24/11/11
apology accepted impartiality .As for Broon and Lennon then i dont hate them (i dont know them do you?) but what i will say is that they both unfortunately come across as no more than snarling neds which is unfortunate given the top positions they hold at our club its not exactly a positive image they bring is it?Character defects aside neither have the talents required to hold the lofty positions they have at the club IMHO..Im sure there have been a lot of footballers over the years that you have taken a dislike to as well? unfortunately for me both these guys are at my club just now and i honestly cant think of any other hoops players that I have disliked as much as that pair.As for the 92 points thing then to be honest that is neither here nor there really is it? I mean nobody can argue that Scottish football is at an all time low as far as quality is concerned both sides of the OF are now almost down at a level that Hibs and Hearts were several years ago the rest of the SPL wouldnt even survive in the English championship to gain 92 points against that lot is hardly a glowing recommendation
posted on 24/11/11
I STILL See nNo Subs fair enough mate I appreciate your sentiments and respect your opinions
posted on 25/11/11
Ritchie The great Jock Stein came across as a snarler and a bully.
If your reason for not liking Neil Lennon is his rarely used snarl then you should think again.
A wee snarling double for you Roy leg breaker Keane and old man Ferguson neither if went out of their way to charm anyone.