Henrik Larsson

I just cried a little.

 

Then you go on to say the same.

 

I think you should maybe read the posts again.

 

See nothing wrong with this, people weren't complaining with the lack of experience that Duff had (from memory) - who's highest level of coaching experience before joining us was * shamrock rovers. Not to mention one spent 7 years here and the other rejected us to play for Fulham.

 

It would be a strange set up for both men I think. Henrik Larsson answering to Neil Lennon.

Imagine if Larsson done an Alan Thompson, hit the drink and turned up pished for training or something like that.....and Lenny would have to drag him in the office and give him a final written warning. I dont think either men could take that situation seriously

 

If he has been asked he will take it. I would have as a striker coach,he helped take away ten from them and he will help to ten. Here's hoping.

 

He should coach the defenders anaw, then our defenders might actually be able to header a ball straight and into the net instead of wild 50p shaped headers.

 

I'd bring him in, I think he would be a good coach, hard worker whos always kept himself fit, smart and a good personality and the players would probably enjoy having him around in training and giving wee pointers which is all you really need. He probably would be well respected by Lennon also if he had opinions on the team.

 

Look at the chances we missed we dont even score from corners anymore and hes good with his headers.

 

Imo Henrik should always be part of the club in some capacity, I’d cry with happiness if he came in as a coach.

 

Theres people who are more suited to coaching than management though, guys who are probably smart enough and have the right personality to connect with players and get through to them when trying to give them wee pointers and tips on things theyre doing wrong or could add to their game.

Tommy Burns is a good example, as a manager not the best but a great coach. I think Deila or Steve Clark would be good coaches for Celtic also but as managers they don't have the right personality or their tactical style doesn't fit.

I think coaching is a bit overstated, people always talk like a coach is there to help specific players like a teacher but theres much less to it. You want your coaches to be smart and able to help players out if they spot something they could be doing better but it's not like every day at training year round they are schooling players on what to do. Mostly they are relaying information about upcoming games, opponents and just encouraging players through training with a bit of banter maybe occasionally stepping in to give a player a speaking to now and again.

 

Edouard will win ballon dor learning from Larsson

 

That sounds like what Duff will already doing, so why do we need someone else in, whoever it is, to do the same unless he is being dropped back to the youth setup?

My issue is I just don't think Henke is cut out for coaching or management. It's a common theme with great players (with one or two exceptions). I think it has a lot to do with how they played the game. So much of what they do is instinctive. Even they, on a concious level, won't be able to say why they did things at times, so how exactly are they going to pass it on to others? Lesser players often make better managers as they have had to think about the game right through their playing career, to get the best out of what they have.

Yes, hecould turn out to be a great coach, but we already have a relatively inexperienced group, with Lenny having the most out of the 3 we have, so I'd rather we have someone that can offset that. Preferably someone that is really sound tactically, as I don't think Kennedy is.

 

To me coaching isn't all about passing things on to others and teaching though. Theres really only a very small amount you could change about a player.

Larsson would not be coming in to coach strikers specifically like trying to tell teach them how to run, what areas to play in, how to finish, how to control a ball. Thats what you do with children, guys playing for Celtic have been coached for probably 15+ years the time they are in our team and are like 95%+ set in their ways and will only make wee tweaks to their game and improve over time the more they play and more confident and experienced they get.

Nobody taught Messi how to control a ball, Cannavaro to defend, Larsson the intelligence, vision and movement he had around the park etc it's mostly naturally how players develop on their own.

If coaches really moulded and taught players, you'd see a lot of robotic type footballers from certain teams where everyone kind of plays the same because it's how they were taught but it's not. Even famed clubs that "produce players" in reality mostly just sign the highest quality youngsters they can get. Like Barca don't produce highly technical players because they teach it they just sign Messi, Iniesta, Xavi who are already the best technical players at their age anyway.

Even some things like someone will say "Guardiola taught Sterling how to score more goals", Sterling was scoring 10-11 goals in a season for Liverpool when he was 18-20, it's really only natural that he's scoring 20 goals 5 years later the more experienced he gets and confident he becomes.

If Larsson just added a wee boost to the squad being around training it would be a bigger impact than most coaches could make. Also even if Larsson wasn't tactically too clued up or would have much of a say in the style of play and formation, there could be other guys brought in for that.

You can help players improve or give them tips but most players will never learn anyway and the ones that do it'll only be a small change. I think Managing teams is the most important in getting players to change, thats when you get to pick the style of play, bring the players you need to fit your style the best and if you are smart enough adapt new styles and make changes over time. The best managers for me are really just the smartest at spotting what players fit their style the best and adapt their style really well - they don't necessarily improve or teach players as most players

To use Guardiola again has he really changed Walker, Stones, Mendy, Fernandinho, Silva, De Bruyne, Sterling, Aguero - I wouldn't say he has he just uses them in a certain set up they can all fit into. Same with Klopp at Liverpool, he hasn't improved Mane, Salah, Van Dijk, Allisson, he just knew those players would fit into the way he wants his team to play and would be capable. Guardiola hasn't taught De Buyne how to play more like a centre-mid, he just seen that De Bruyne could fit in their and played him there - same with Christie at us this season, he wasn't coached into being a more central midfielder he just got put in there and over time playing there will adapt more and get better.

Coaching and Management are really totally different.

 

Duff joined as the reserve team coach, originally. Bit different.

 

So you don't think there's anyone out there that could coach our players to take better corner kicks, free kicks or the like? You don't think the last lot in charge improved McGregor, Forrest, Dembele by a significant amount as players? Would you ever see top atheletes in any sport without coaches? Why not if they can't do much for them?
I kind of get where you are coming from, I just don't see it that way.

 

I think for example if Oliver Burke employed Guardiola to personally train him 2 hours a day 4 days a week for the next 10 years of his career he'd barely improve and any improvements he did make would most likely only come from him gaining experience of playing over that time. The way he controls a ball, his awareness, how he reacts to situations, the way he strikes a ball etc is likely all set in stone for life as it's likely been natural to him since he first kicked a ball. Guardiola could maybe teach him more about the timing of his runs and where and when to be positioned on the pitch in certain scenarios under his teams tactics that would be the smartest and best for his team but it's not going to change Burke that much.

If we want to be good at corners, we need to sign guys who cross the ball well and we need to sign guys who attack the ball well in the air.

Corner and freekick routines can be worked on but they are hit and miss and it's not like you can set up specific routines to do every time as teams notice them. The best tactic at a corner is to cross it in and have better guys than the opposition at attacking the ball in the air. Jozo will never be taught to header better as the way he goes for headers is just how it is, he will never be a Van Dijk or Boyata he either doesnt have the vision to clock that quick where the balls going to react and get into that position, isnt fearless enough to steam in with the head when he could be clattered or whatever it is.

I think you only really "improve" a player, if you bring them into a tactical set up that suits them better and where their strengths come out more and weaknesses are covered more.

 

@ILoveTheCeltic if that’s the case, why would you even need coaches?

All you need to do is look at the difference Rodgers made to Forrest if you think coaching can’t do anything for a player.

 

To take training sessions, speak to the players, brief them on upcoming games who they will play what style etc partly motivation of being a good character they want to work with.

Forrest for me hasn't really changed, he scored 10 goals in his 45 games for us at 18, was always a capable goalscorer. Played really well under the set up of Rodgers but I wouldn't saying he can do things now he couldn't before.

 

You didn’t notice a difference in Forrest under Brendan?

He can * defend now man