James Devine 🚩☮️

I’ve seen this article from 2019 doing the rounds today as scrutiny of our manager intensifies. Having read it in full I think it’s more complex than it first appears so it’s important to look at it objectively. Martin O'Neill's Forest tenure raises legitimate questions about his tactical approach and ability to connect with a changing generation of players BUT it also exposes a dysfunctional club, questionable player professionalism and the consequences of dismantling the supporting structures within which he historically achieved his greatest success. The article details how Adlène Guedioura reportedly refused a routine post-match warm-down, another player missed the team coach, and another failed to attend a medical appointment. It also explicitly recognises that Forest had a history of players turning against managers, including Aitor Karanka and Stuart Pearce. O'Neill had just 19 matches, inherited someone else's squad and finished ninth, having taken over when Forest were eighth. Those observations are not solely evidence of a well-functioning professional environment being ruined by a stubborn, antiquated manager. They also suggest deeper institutional problems that predated his appointment. There's a danger in confusing a manager's unwillingness to tolerate poor professional standards with an inability to relate to modern footballers. The lesson isn't necessarily that O'Neill's methods are obsolete, they may very well be but It's also that even exceptional managers require complementary coaching expertise, appropriate recruitment and institutional backing. It’s well known that the great Brian Clough heavily depended on Peter Taylor; O'Neill flourished alongside John Robertson and Steve Walford…and latterly Roy Keane. Criticising our manager’s decisions is entirely reasonable but using his Forest tenure as definitive evidence that he's incapable of succeeding in modern football is a considerably less convincing argument and in fact highlights parallels with our own club’s dysfunctional structure. Is it possible that Martin O'Neill hasn't fundamentally changed but the environment around him has, while the supporting structure that allowed him to flourish in years past has diminished? Modern footballers have become increasingly accustomed to detailed positional coaching, structured pressing patterns and explicit instructions about their responsibilities. I saw another article attributed to James McClean discussing exactly this difference between O'Neill's approach and the expectations of younger players during his Ireland tenure. McClean suggests O'Neill trusted experienced footballers to work things out themselves, whereas younger players expected significantly more tactical guidance. That would further support this theory. Is it the case that Celtic are expecting Martin O'Neill to be the manager he was twenty years ago…and if so are they prepared to build the supporting environment that allows his particular strengths to remain effective today? Or has football simply moved on too far for a man for whom sentiment is so richly earned? Time will tell 🍀 theguardian.com/football/201…