Anyone need a Number 2?

Don't ask me - I'm saying nothing!

Amid all the recrimination and justification of all and sundry over Ronny Deila's tenure as Celtic manager, some have pointed to the backroom staff.

Any manager is entitled to an assistant and coaches he can trust. These guys are not just professionals carrying out the training and tactical instructions of the manager but they are also his allies and friends, his extra sets of eyes and ears.

It is vital that he can trust them. When the going gets tough – as it inevitably will, especially at a club with the pressure associated with Celtic, these guys are the rock that the manager will lean on.

Any rebellious player will find himself facing a solid, indivisible phalanx of comrades. Gordon Strachan had Tommy Burns; Neil Lennon had Johan Mjallby and Alan Thompson; Martin O'Neill had John Robertson and Steve Walford, Billy McNeill had Tommy Craig and Frank Connor; Jock Stein had Sean Fallon.

Ronny Deila had the two Johns.

Now, I have no reason to suspect that John Kennedy is anything but a good guy. I just fail to see what he brings to the team. Having a “defensive coach” sounds oh-so-modern, and yet, Celtic often defended abysmally, persisting with a zonal marking system that the players lacked the wit to implement – and rarely appeared to understand.

And, individually, to see Dedryck Boyata running forward, losing the ball, tracking back and pulling a player down was to despair. If John Kennedy couldn't knock that out of him, what the hell was he doing?

But I was reminded recently of Eric Black, when someone touted him as a potential Celtic manager. Black, as some will remember, had a coaching role at Celtic under Wim Jansen. Wim was not the saint he portrayed himself to be but he once curiously dismissed Black as “Brown's man”, referring to the then “Manager”/Football Director Jock Brown.

It was a comment dripping with sinister undertones.

Black is a curious figure, having been appointed as caretaker manager four times in his career, on each occasion taking over from the man he was appointed to assist.

And I can't help thinking of similarities between Black and John Collins. Maybe it's the silky-skilled play they both once demonstrated, maybe it's the fact that they both went to the French league for the best payday they could get, maybe it's just the suntan.

But Collins was widely said to be a divisive figure when manager of Hibs and similar rumours persist around his dealings with Celtic.

I recall when Gordon Strachan was verbally abused by a steward at Pittodrie, having answered back some fans who had been baiting him. Clearly upset, Gordon didn't speak to the press that evening but, instead, Tommy Burns gave the TV interview in as noble and comforting a show of support as anyone could have wished for.

When Mark McGhee refused to shake Ronny Deila's hand, Ronny decided not to take the interviews. And John Kennedy gave what seemed like a professional performance, without any words of support that I read reported.

But where was John Collins? In fact, where has John Collins been at any time when the pressure was on his boss?

Remember, Collins is the one with the Celtic connection, who knows the pressure attached to the club, is familiar with the Scottish game and how the press react.

And Collins should have been the first one standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Ronny when the going got tougher than any manager in the Tippeligaen has ever had it.

Perhaps the fact that Norway is a non-EU member meant that Ronny's coaches would have found it difficult to get work permits, as happened when Christian Gross went to Spurs, from Grasshoppers, though Haakon Lunov, Ronny's academic analyst, would have had skills that were not readily available in the UK, allowing him to come.

But some of the pressure on Ronny came from statements like committing himself to winning the treble, which is the sort of comment that anyone who understands the Scottish game would advise against.

Maybe Collins is being hard done by. Maybe he was just too shy to back his manager in the media – and when Kris Commons acted so disgracefully. But I hope that he didn't have the impression that Ronny's failure could have been his opportunity to step into the breach.

If he did, he must be a very disappointed man that Ronny has chosen to see out the season, rather than allowing Collins the chance to show how he could transform the team overnight.

One of the best gifts that the next manager could be given would be vacant positions to fill with his own assistant and coach – and that should happen soon.

Good luck to them both, especially Collins in finding another managerial position. He'll need an assistant. I can't recommend any individual but would it be wrong to hope that his next number two is a hedgehog?
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Six good reasons why Neil Lennon should not be Celtic manager

Wanderer: "I wonder if I could get back to Celtic"

Neil Lennon is “open to a return to Celtic”. Let the bells ring out!

Now, I'm not going to forget the service Neil gave to Celtic as a player or as a manager.

On the other hand, anyone entertaining notions of bringing him back should allow themselves a reality check.

Neil got the Celtic job – his first in management – because he was prepared to take on a position in circumstances that other, better-qualified, candidates refused to consider.

It was a huge gamble. The last managerial rookies to be given the job had been Liam Brady and John Barnes – and look how those experiments worked out.

He did well – nobody could reasonably say otherwise – winning three titles and two Scottish Cups. And he delivered some memorable European nights, most notably that incredible win over Barcelona.

When he left, it was with the best wishes of most of the fans and he was quite within his rights to do so.

But, that doesn't mean he should be back – and there are several reasons why he should not be given the job.

Firstly, Neil left for good reasons. One of those was his wish to pursue higher aspirations; another was that the wheels were falling off the cart before he left.

Most of us could see that – a 6-1 humiliation at the hands of Barcelona being the worst kind of confirmation of that downward spiral Celtic were in.  I thought it was a smart move at the time, indicative of a club recruitment-and-sale policy that was leading us to on-field ruin.

I recall a Norwich fan joking with me that I must be crying in my beer, as he was expected to go there at the time. I replied that I was relaxed about his leaving. I thought he would do a good, professional job but not set the heather on fire.

That was more-or-less how things transpired at Bolton. He made a big initial impression and, admittedly under difficult circumstances, the endeavour turned out to be a damp squib.

So, reasons 1 & 2:

There is nothing to suggest that the conditions at the club are better than those that Neil left and there hasn't been a cavalry charge for his services, since he parted company with Bolton Wanderers.

When he was on the way up, Celtic wasn't big enough for him, But now it appears he thinks the job should shrink to fit inferior managers, who have tested themselves at Championship level and would like to make a big splash in a small pond again. Thanks, but no thanks.

Reason 3: As has been pointed out recently, Neil's record in his last two seasons was very comparable to Ronny Deila's – which was just not good enough, right? QED!

Reason 4: Some of Neil's conduct has not been exemplary and while we are all entitled to a private life and to our transgressions, I do not want to see the sort of news story – “blackmail” or not – that he endured at Bolton coming to Celtic Park.

Neil endured horrendous abuse in Glasgow – and, no, he did not bring one bit of it on himself. But anyone who had ever met his hooligan bouncer when he was still a Celtic player would have been surprised to see him given the Celtic job.

We make mistakes and we grow up but I don't want to see the veracity or otherwise of certain stories being freshly tested for our manager. Yes, I'll say it – there are question marks around his character that most of us probably overlooked due to our natural desire to defend him against threats and violence.

We don't need the complication of the Scottish media looking for fire where there is a fair reek of smoke.

Reason 5: And, for me, the most damning of all. A few months ago, Ronny Deila was riding high but around the time that Neil's encounter with Bolton was clearly coming to an end, certain people started undermining Ronny.

Several of those people had close connections to Neil Lennon. His agent said that Neil and Celtic “needed each other”. His former teammate, Chris Sutton (remember how much we admired him?) had been criticising Ronny for some time – many of us blaming him having sold out to the tabloids.

Then we had John Hartson talking about conditions which should lead to Ronny being sacked.

And let's not forget the contributions of some of Neil's favourite players – like Charlie Mulgrew furiously denying being a little too ready to hide on the sidelines in a European match, with some questioning just how injured he was as he left the field.

Charlie, you may recall, was brought back to Celtic by Neil, Gordon Strachan having been prepared to let him go, allegedly due to issues with his attitude.

And that other favourite of Neil's – Kris Commons (who I would like to see kicked out of Celtic tomorrow). Who could forget his outrageous diatribe towards the bench when he was being substituted – again in front of the cameras for all of Europe to see. Commons should have been given his belongings in a bin bag the next morning but Ronny wasn't getting that sort of backing and was seemingly too decent a guy to demand that his lucrative contract (which Ronny had apparently questioned) be terminated.

And then there's Anthony Stokes – currently at Hibs, following his public criticism of the coaching staff for daring to reward his laziness with a seat in the stands.

Now, far be it from me to accuse Neil or his advisers of having actively undermined Ronny Deila to improve his chances of getting back a job he willingly gave up when there were few, if any, other options but you know how folk talk.

And I, personally, would never want there to be a hint that anyone could benefit from insidious attacks against the incumbent Celtic manager.

That would be a dangerous signal to send, enough to make Reason 6 – his playing the Level5 “same club” game to garner media support – almost obsolete.

So, thanks again to Neil for his service to the club as player and manager. I hope he continues to enjoy visits to Celtic Park as a VIP guest. And if there are no Championship clubs that want him, surely there must be some League 1 or 2 clubs or even some other Scottish teams he can manage.

But when anyone aims high and the arrow falls short, it would be a poor show indeed if “redemption” was achieved as a result of proxy stabs in someone else's back.

Enough of the Lennon talk; let's move on.

Related link:

• Could any coach sort out this mess?
• Neil Lennon or Malkay Mackay for Celtic? Our survey says...

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Ronny Deila leaves Celtic with his head held high - others should be in our sights

So, Ronny Deila has gone. And, typically of the man, he has gone – or at least announced his departure – with dignity intact.

Like many Celtic fans, I had come to the conclusion that he wasn't going to be able to turn around the foundering ship that is Celtic at the present time.

So, yes, all things considered, it seemed it had to be this way.

But Ronny leaves with the respect, gratitude and admiration of this Celtic fan and many thousands more – seemingly the overwhelming majority.

We know that he didn't ask the Celtic Board to break with all precedent and appoint someone to the most important position at the club, with only experience at small Norwegian clubs to draw on.

We can see that his role in developing players who were sold on at a profit, including Martin Ødegaard, was what attracted the great player traders, keen to cash in on transfer fees to the detriment of the team.

We remember that he said he didn't want loan signings as then “you're developing other people's players” – a job he was given with Jason Denayer, who then promptly left. And we remember that the same board sold Virgil van Dyke, the other half of our central defensive pairing, leaving us with Tyler Blackett and Dedryck Boyata for the new season.

We can see that he was never given the support that he needed from the boardroom, certain team members and maybe coaching staff.

We could see the people from outside the club undermining him, many with their own selfish agendas.

We remember the ideals, the dedication, the standards with which he conducted himself and the trophies – hopefully a second league title in two years, to boot.

This Celtic fan has as much gratitude, respect and admiration for Ronny Deila tonight as I ever have.

There are many others remaining at the club and outside it – with big Celtic reputations – who I cannot say that about. In fact, the conduct of some has been shameful.

I hope Ronny goes to a club with an adequate structure to allow him to develop fully as a coach. If he comes back to Celtic Park with another club on a European night and wins, I won't be happy.

But a part of me will see it as just reward for a man who gave us total commitment in keeping with the finest ideals of our club.

We should not miss our targets in identifying those who have made his tenure so difficult.

There should be “blood on the carpet” – and on the training ground grass – at Celtic Park in the coming weeks and months. But Ronny's hands are clean.

All the best, Ronny – and thanks.

Related link:

• A (respectful) open letter to Ronny Deila

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Legitimate questions for Scott Brown as Celtic captain

Firstly – and this is likely to disappoint some – this will not be a diatribe against Scott Brown.

Scott has his detractors – even “haters” – amongst the Celtic support. The latter group have been comprised of some of the most unthinking Celtic fans I have ever known. The sort who harboured ridiculous suspicions and nurtured them as all evidence rendered them absurd.

Brown has his faults, notably a tendency to carelessly give the ball away through slack passing that I always expected him to iron out. But, though that has been a perennial flaw, we're not talking Steven Gerrard bad.

No, but his use of the ball in the middle of the field has always been the major flaw in his armoury, even if he did “boss” that area against England's Gerrard and Frank Lampard in 2013 (a contribution that both of those English midfielders were generous enough to acknowledge – it was a friendly, after all).

The next year, Gordon Strachan watched his team claim an unlikely equaliser before replacing Brown with the returning Darren Fletcher, conveniently side-stepping the issue of who should be the permanent captain. A Scotland team, outgunned in the first half, immediately collapsed.

When faced with a performance, such as the one Scott turned in at the weekend, it is understandable that criticism should be directed towards him. And he has rarely sustained his top form over the past two or three seasons.

• The first question is: Why has his form rarely matched his experience, endeavour and aggression in recent times?
• The second is: Why, for all his passion, energy and standing within the game, do the Celtic players never seem to respond in times of adversity?
• Question number three is: Is this the (beginning of) the end?

Only Scott Brown can answer questions one and two but I''ll add my tuppence-worth.

I suspect that injuries and even excessive loyalty account for much of question one.

It is no secret that Brown has sustained a number of injuries and been left in that terrible players' dilemma of missing games in order to fully recover or play, through pain and slightly diminished ability, when performance margins are slim. [See update below 02/05/16]

That's a tough call for both player and manager. I recall Jock Stein praising Graeme Souness for offering to play with a pain-killing injection in his toe. Jock chose to think of the player's welfare first.

With Brown, one of the reasons that those who doubt his character should hang their heads in shame is that, above all, he has shown loyalty both to his teams and managers.

Brown stood alone in standing up for Ronny Deila when the press vultures were first circling. He also turned out for Celtic and Scotland, dropping hints that his international career might come to an end.

Many a professional has done the same thing, extending his club career by allowing his body the rest time that it needs.

It is no secret that Gordon Strachan urged him to remain the central mainstay of the Scotland team and Mark McGhee's recent comment that Brown had been the stand-out player of the Strachan era should not be taken lightly.

The best thing for Scott Brown's body and reputation would be to announce his international retirement, rest and play to something like his full potential for Celtic. He seems to have chosen the harder option.

It could also be speculated that his coaching interests may have further distracted him from developing his game but that would be to play the devil's advocate.

This is all speculation.

To question number two, there seem to be three possible answers:

1. Brown lacks leadership skills or credibility with his teammates
2. He is surrounded by a group of players so spineless as to be impossible to encourage
3. There is so little belief instilled by the coaching staff that it is impossible for an on-field leader to compensate for it.

My view is that number one can be ruled out due to the fact that the last four Celtic managers have named him as captain, one making him captain of the national team.

Number two is, sadly, more credible. Anyone who has watched the flat performances, the mysterious injuries, the players who would rather go to UFC fights than watch their teammates or who have gone into hiding when the pressure was on would doubt the mettle of the senior players.

But it's rarely wise to make swathing generalisations.

Number three is more vexing. Ronny Deila sets great store by his ability to lead, develop and inspire players.

But reactions on the field of play – as well as reticence when the head coach needed support (and outrageous abuse by Kris Commons) – suggest that the lack of belief may well come from the bench.

Can a captain give courage when the accepted senior leadership cannot? Roy Aitken was famous for urging his charges on for club and country, not least in the centenary double season. But, then he had Billy McNeill as his manager for most of that time – and Alex Ferguson for Scotland.

The question of this being the beginning of the end is a more delicate one.

I believe that Brown can have two or three years as Celtic captain (maybe four). But, if he insists on going through another Scotland international campaign, that scenario will be increasingly unlikely.

At this stage, he should have deputies, people ready to take on the responsibility of running the midfield, allowing Brown respite – to play 75 minutes, instead of the last punishing 15, when his body is tired and hurting.

And that is what a less loyal, less courageous player might seek. It's hard to imagine Brown holding his hamstring, gesturing to the bench that he has to come off and making a miraculous recovery when he realised that there was no sub to allow him to leave the pitch.

I'm a Scott Brown fan – I admit that. And this may be taken in that context.

But I just don't see the performances we have seen from Brown in recent times reflecting the true player, fit and on form.

At a time when many of us have been calling for guts, maybe we should consider what the most courageous player at the club is taking for the team.

• I shouldn’t have been playing, as I’ve got a dodgy hamstring. It’s good to help him out in any way possible and give something back

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Could any coach sort out this mess?

With just a few weeks to go to the end of the season, most fans are asking who will be the Head Coach next season. Here's a personal take on some of the candidates:

Ronny Deila

Sorry, but no. Most fans seem to like him but few seem to see any evidence that he can vary his

tactics for the team he is facing, reliably pick the best players, motivate a side or adapt to changing circumstances during the match.

That's quite a collection of shortcomings, which perhaps reflect his lack of top-level experience. It can't go on.

John Collins

Absolutely not. Collins has the air of a self-annointed aristocrat of football. Rumours of him rubbing people up the wrong way seem all too credible because he just exudes smugness. Sunnier climes await to keep that tan topped up.

Neil Lennon

No. Celtic were on the way down when he left, which seemed like a smart move at the time. Now, Neil's coaching career is on a downward trajectory, why should he be expected to make things better? And his “same club” nonsense may have won him friends in the media and the Celtic boardroom but it has lost him some admirers amongst the support. Time to move on, Neil.

David Moyes

Maybe. But would Moyes take on the job without a clear assurance that he would have funds to recruit players of his own choosing? Moyes's stock is not as high as it once was but he could do a good job at Celtic – only if the conditions were right.

Gordon Strachan

In our dreams! Probably the best candidate by far but he knows too much about the machinations of Celtic PLC to walk out on a crack at qualifying for the World Cup with Scotland.

Martin O'Neill

Forget it! This is the man who spent circa £6m each on Chris Sutton, John Hartson and Neil Lennon. He is not going to come back to Celtic under the current strategy.

Roy Keane

Let's hope not! The man punches people who ask for his autograph. Enough said.

Eric Black

Not on your nelly. One of the more bizarre internet rumours. Black has a long history of taking over as caretaker, having been someone's number two and then being let go. There's a reason for that and we don't need to find out precisely what it is from a second stint at Celtic.

Henrik Larsson

Seems like madness. Why sully a near-flawless reputation as a player by appointing him as manager of a club in the eye of a storm. Helsingborgs are currently 12^th in the Allsvenskan and Henrik's win rate with them is around 35%.

Alan Stubbs

A solid season with Hibs but nothing yet to suggest that he is ready to step up to the Head Coach's role.

Mark McGhee

The perennial stage-door Johnny no doubt reckons he has the club connection, coaching experience and lack of scruples to woo Dermot Desmond and is probably pleading with his mate Strachan to put a word in. Gordon should give him two words: “Get tae!” © John Brown

Derek McInnes

When hell freezes over.

Robbie Neilson

Not as bad a candidate as some might think and seems to know the game but he would be a hard sell to the fans.

Mark Warburton

Celtic plc wouldn't weaken the new club they have done more than most to create by wrecking their management structure.

John Hughes

A left-field candidate whose credentials shouldn't get him anywhere near the running but would probably do a decent job for a club with no European ambitions. At least he can coach, organise and motivate.

Brendan Rogers

A named that's bandied around more in hope than expectation but he sort of fits the bill in that he has top-level experience and is currently out of work. Slim chance.

Michael O'Neill

Hotly rumoured at one point and has done well with Northern Ireland but would the board really take on someone who they fans would struggle to accept? They would – the plc damned well would appoint him. Just to piss us off.

Malky Mackay

A name only suggested by a mainstream media pundit to stir things up. He would be a PR disaster and has a reputation for liking to spend on players.

Steve Clarke

One of those guys who is definitely well-respected in the game and knows his stuff but who is also bandied about by those who like to think they are smarter than your average fan. Doesn't feel right.

Steve McLaren

Just the sort of tosser Celtic plc would like to foist on us, accompanied by a puff piece on a well-known blog, telling us how smart a move it is.

Paul Lambert

Is currently with Blackburn Rovers, sitting 18^th in the Championship, having lost six and drawn one of their last 10 matches. This probably makes him the hot favourite.

Owen Coyle

Refused the job before Tony Mowbray, because he saw the conditions he'd be working under. Hard to imagine he'd leave the States to walk into the same conditions, having seen how hard it has been for the last three managers.

Jackie MacNamara

Ha! Just messing with you, Jackie!

Pep Guardiola/Jose Mourinho

Likely to be mentioned around season-ticket renewal time. You never know.

In conclusion, Ronny is on his way out and unless the board changes its policy, we're in big trouble.

Celtic season tickets: time for experience to triumph over hope

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

And you'd buy a season ticket because...?

The quote above is most often attributed to Albert Einstein, though there is little evidence that the scientist ever actually uttered the words.

However, it is repeated so often as it is not necessary to be a genius to recognise the truth contained therein.

Dr Johnson was talking about second marriages when he wrote of “the triumph of hope over experience”.

But clearly both quotations speak to the same thing: there are only so many times that it makes sense to repeat an action that has led to a disappointing result.

Celtic fans should be pondering this today.

Those of us old enough to remember Celts for Change in the early 1990s will recall a fateful Celtic Park match against Kilmarnock for which the fans' pressure group had organised a boycott. The people Celts for Change called in to estimate the attendance put the figure at 8225, while the official figure reported by the club was 10,055 – just above the assumed break-even for a match.

In doing so, Celts for Change demonstrated that organised fan action could call into question the club's viability, never mind its prosperity or the profiteering of its directors, and a major step was taken towards the Fergus McCann revolution that saved Celtic.

Those particular incompetents of the White-Kelly era had actively discouraged the sale of season tickets, in what now seems like a policy of buffoonery. Their alleged logic was that season book discounts robbed them of the potential earnings of repeated full houses fans paying for single, full-price tickets (though there were probably other reasons).

That mistake hasn't been made since, with the major focus in terms of revenue generation being a push for season ticket sales that has seen an annual love-in, promise of glory or plea for support from Peter Lawwell and the board. And tens of thousands of supporters have repeatedly responded, vainly hoping that the next season will be better than the experience of the last.

In doing so, they try to help the club and guarantee their seats for a whole season, watching diminishing quality and entertainment from a fixed vantage point. Over and over.

The other result is that the fans pay in advance to reduce their ability to influence the direction of the club – or even to demand satisfaction. They can vote with their feet but the money is in the PLC bank account anyway and they can be safely ignored until next renewal time.

To continue this cycle, with the club in its current state, would be an act of questionable sanity.

You may pay in advance for a product or service, the vendor reasonably claiming to need some money to buy materials. But if the quality regularly fails to meet your expectations, you will most likely decide whether to stop buying it at all or at least choose to pay per item, satisfying yourself that you are getting value for money.

How many other things do you pay hundreds of pounds for, up-front, feel frustrated and even deceived, then repeat the same act of faith again and again?

Being a football supporter is about more than being a customer but, unless that quality is fully reciprocated from the club, it leaves fans open to exploitation, while the PLC pursues its own agenda.

It's hard to admit that you can't trust the people running the club that you have loved for years but Celtic fans have experience of this. It's time to let that experience triumph over hope.

Instead of buying season tickets (and new shirts or other merchandise), it's time for supporters to make the club earn that ticket money by putting a team worthy of the name Celtic on the field, properly resourced both in terms of playing and coaching personnel.

If they do, then fans should keep buying the tickets, match-by-match and retain that one bargaining chip until confidence in the (preferably different) people running the club is regained.

It is hard to “hurt the club”, just as it was for those who boycotted that Kilmarnock match. But Celtic, as a team and an institution, is being destroyed before our eyes. In truth, there is little left that is recognisable, as we speak.

And you may miss out on the chance to watch Celtic struggle against minor European opposition or teams that are not even in the same division or even league, as has happened this season.

But it is difficult to see how buying season tickets will not simply keep enabling those running the club to continue what they have been doing, corrupting something that once represented the highest ideals in sport.

Do you want to do that?

Related link:

• Missing in action – the men who want your season ticket money (May 25, 2009)