1. Having trouble logging in by clicking the link at the top right of the page? Click here to be taken to the log in page.
    Dismiss Notice

Harry Kewell

Discussion in 'Ex Players' started by Henrik 07, Jun 10, 2022.

Discuss Harry Kewell in the Ex Players area at TalkCeltic.net.

  1. JC Anton Get yer, hats, scarfs badges & tapes

    Joined:
    Jul 26, 2010
    Messages:
    50,816
    Likes Received:
    35,391
    Aye like any selection has to be the right person..

    A Luis Campos type, rather than Wee Gordon Strachan..:56:
     
    Liam Scales likes this.
  2. Mr Shelby Moderator Moderator Gold Member

    Joined:
    Jan 7, 2012
    Messages:
    49,978
    Likes Received:
    32,926
    Location:
    West Lothian
    Fav Celtic Player:
    Larsson. Forever and always.
    Fav Celtic Song:
    Symphony
    I think behind the scenes Ange is pushing to make this happen.

    We just aren't privy to it. There already seems to be a swing in our approach to scouting.

    Whether it means a director of football will come on board I don't know.
     
  3. craigtheceltic

    Joined:
    Dec 30, 2016
    Messages:
    2,670
    Likes Received:
    2,684
    Fav Celtic Player:
    Tom
    An article on the expected academy changes and why they are making the changes.


    Why Celtic have restructured their academy
    [​IMG]
    By Kieran Devlin
    42m ago
    Celtic have announced a restructuring of their academy and B-team staff and operations. They have suffered a significant loss of emerging players to clubs such as Liverpooland Bayern Munich in recent seasons — and have taken an action to stop the talent drain.

    They also want to improve the numbers coming through to the first-team squad. Stephen Welsh and Mikey Johnston are recent graduates from the academy but are peripheral now and expected to move on soon. Not since Kieran Tierney in 2015-16 and Callum McGregor in 2014-15 have first-team regulars been produced, something they are keen to rectify.

    Here is what is changing and why, and what it means for the future.

    What specifically is changing?
    First-team coach Stephen McManus has joined the B-team set-up as they rejoin the Lowland League for their second season in Scotland’s fifth tier.

    Beyond the staff changes, the organisation around the B team will change too. From now on they will always train at Celtic’s main training complex of Lennoxtown. This was not always the case last season, although that was at least partly down to COVID-19 restrictions.

    [​IMG]

    McGregor, the Celtic captain, came through the academy and into the first team (Photo: Andrew Milligan/PA Images via Getty Images)
    Every other age group below the first team and Bs will train at Barrowfield, Celtic’s second training centre that is generally used by Celtic women and the youth teams, but which the Bs used at times last year.

    The most notable change is that the Bs will specifically try to emulate the training sessions and programme of the first team.

    This happened to an extent last season when they worked on high pressing and inverted full-backs, but it was never officially incorporated, which is what is being proposed for the upcoming season. Ange Postecoglou wants the Bs’ training standards, fitness levels and tactics to be as close as possible to what he has created with the first team so those players that are promoted fit in more quickly.

    Why is this happening?
    There have been two growing concerns about the academy in recent years: player retention and the number of academy graduates making the jump to the first team.

    Over the past three years, Celtic have lost many of their most promising prospects to other clubs before they had played a minute for the first team. Ben Doak’s move to Liverpool is the most recent and high-profile, but it is a list that includes Leo Hjelde (Leeds United), Josh Adam (Manchester City), Liam Hughes (also Liverpool), Liam Morrison and Barry Hepburn (both Bayern Munich).

    Although there are still gifted prospects in the academy, the club have become increasingly worried about the talent drain’s impact on the number of players coming through with first-team potential.

    The club began communicating clearer first-team pathways to young players last season, but it is hoped that more formal links between the Bs and the first team could persuade players to stick around.

    The second issue is how few academy players are making the step up. Postecoglou is not opposed to playing youth — Doak’s two league appearances at 16 years old show that — but he does not hand them minutes for the sake of it.

    If they are good enough, they are old enough, but his prerogative is to win matches and trophies. If the manager believes a player is not capable of contributing to that cause, they will not be picked.

    Last year, during the first half of the season and mostly during international breaks, B-team players would be called up to first-team training to test themselves while making up the numbers for those away on international duty. This generally stopped during the second half of the season, partly because Postecoglou wanted to foster a close-knit mentality among his first-team players. A second factor, however, is that even if he rates many academy players on an ability basis, he did not believe they were yet physically or tactically ready.

    The training sessions could break down because the B-team players were off the pace. The gulf in preparation, focus and intensity between the Bs and first team was too significant. This was not necessarily the players’ fault or a reflection of their ability, but that they had little or no experience of the first team’s high standards.

    Postecoglou believes that mirroring the first team’s sessions and standards in training with the Bs should, in theory, make academy/first-team integration more cohesive. The knock-on effect is that B-teamers not only improve but are more prepared to handle the rigour of first-team training if called upon, and are therefore more likely to earn competitive minutes because Postecoglou trusts them.

    [​IMG]

    Postecoglou, left, wants to make the transition to the first team smoother (Photo: Craig Foy/SNS Group via Getty Images)
    Senior figures at the club are also aware they are not producing enough first-team-ready players from their academy, and agree with Postecoglou that this is a potential solution.

    The club were reasonably pleased with their inaugural season in the Lowland League in which they finished third, behind Rangers B in second only on goal difference, but believe their ceiling to progress further is much higher than what they achieved last year. Emulating the first team is viewed as a positive step toward building upon those foundations.

    What does this mean for this season and beyond?
    Potentially more players will train with the first team, because Postecoglou will be more confident of them adapting to the pace of training, and the Bs will always play at Lennoxtown.

    Postecoglou’s precise training methods and tactics are engineered to maximise a player’s potential so this restructure should help young players’ technical, physical and tactical development too.

    It remains to be seen whether some of the more senior Bs players will be content with these changes in standards and with greater proximity to the first-team, or if the carrot of regular senior football via a loan move would be more enticing. There are no immediate plans to loan out any of those senior B-team players until Postecoglou has the chance to monitor them in pre-season.

    The proof will be in the pudding but this appears a positive first step in improving academy and first-team integration.

    (Main image: Doak came through at Celtic but has left for Liverpool. Photo: Craig Williamson/SNS Group via Getty Images)
     
    OziBeerMan and JML67 like this.
  4. Valhalla Thus spoke Batistuta.

    Joined:
    Oct 21, 2016
    Messages:
    24,670
    Likes Received:
    22,528
    Fav Celtic Player:
    Broony
    Fav Celtic Song:
    Celtic Symphony
  5. Henrik 07 Gold Member Gold Member

    Joined:
    Oct 6, 2012
    Messages:
    160,757
    Likes Received:
    88,535





    In the summer of 1999, Harry Kewell took part in Celtic’s pre-season preparations as the team steadied themselves for the campaign ahead – albeit he was part of a Leeds United side taking on the Hoops in a friendly at Paradise - and at the start of the term in which a 16-year-old John Kennedy made his debut.

    The packed crowd took in a 2-1 win for the Yorkshire side, and now, 23 years later, Kewell is back in the environs of Celtic and involved in the Hoops’ preparations for the coming season once more, but this time with a much more hands-on and concerned approach to the team’s welfare and expectations for the coming term.

    And despite spending nearly half his life away from his homeland on his football travels, not to mention spending the morning with John Kennedy at Lennoxtown, there’s still more than an Australian twang to his accent which will no doubt help Ange Postecoglou feel even more at home in his northern Paradise.

    Kewell told Celtic TV: “I’m kind of blown away, I haven’t been at a huge club for a while now, so this is all kind of new to me and it’s nervous to come in to such a huge club like this, to only see the facilities at the moment.

    “It’s fantastic, and the training ground set-up, it’s the perfect size. So for me it’s been a brilliant first day.

    “I’m really looking forward to meeting the players, first and foremost, and then getting to understand exactly their movement patterns and all that, just sitting there with John for the last hour or so, talking about how they play, it’s kind of similar to my ideas.

    “So working with the manager as well, it’s going to be great, because the idea of what I like is similar to what he likes.”




    There may be around 10,000 miles or so between Scotland and Australia, but the road to Celtic for Kewell was pretty straightforward – and quick!

    The new coach explained: “I was actually going for another interview for another job, and I thought it went really well, and I was looking forward to the call back.

    'And in between that time, I got a call from the manager, and the way he spoke to me, the way he presented the job, I said ‘Yes’ straightaway.'

    “I didn’t even worry about the next part because I felt it was the opportunity for me to learn from, not only a great manager, not only an Australian manager, but a great manager that has been, and started to do his work, into Europe, and his ideas of what he wants to come across.

    “He’s very forthright in what he wants out of his players, it’s similar to what I like and the way he spoke to me about football and what he wants from me, I said virtually there straightaway, ‘Of course I’ll come.’

    “He always likes to mix things up, he always likes to bring in fresh ideas and I said when I spoke to him that I didn’t want to be just someone coming up here because of that Australian link.

    “He spoke very positively about how he’s been monitoring me for a while, and I never knew that, so when he did speak to me about the ideas of what I can bring to the team, it was a no-brainer."



    He added: “I have strong ambitions, but I’m not going to lie, like I said, I’ve come in to a huge club, I’m going to sit and I’m going to learn, I’m going to watch, I’m going to stay, I’m going to see exactly what I can bring to the team.

    “I’m not going to go straight in there and go this, this and this – that’s not me. I want to learn, because even just speaking there to John, he’s got so much experience. I’m going to be just picking his brains left, right and centre
     
  6. _DannyBhoy_ Gold Member Gold Member

    Joined:
    Aug 13, 2013
    Messages:
    5,419
    Likes Received:
    5,231
    Well impressed with him from that interview.

    Love how humble he is. Especially when he was saying that he wasn’t going to come in and throw his weight around and he was just going to listen to the manager and coaching team. He had high praise for John Kennedy as well saying he wants to pick his brains at every opportunity.
     
  7. craigtheceltic

    Joined:
    Dec 30, 2016
    Messages:
    2,670
    Likes Received:
    2,684
    Fav Celtic Player:
    Tom
    Probably read some of the comments on this forum :giggle1:
     
    _DannyBhoy_ and scuzzy like this.
  8. moravcik1888

    Joined:
    Nov 24, 2009
    Messages:
    6,972
    Likes Received:
    5,052
    Location:
    Paradise city
    Fav Celtic Player:
    Paul McStay
    Fav Celtic Song:
    Fields of Athenry
    Honestly - Im not totally convinced by this appointment; i'll reserve judgement until the end of the season
     
    King Kwon likes this.
  9. Keano88

    Joined:
    Aug 11, 2012
    Messages:
    49,079
    Likes Received:
    25,427
    As long as he’s doesn’t interrupt the big man when he’s busy he’ll be awrite.

    [​IMG]
     
  10. Hammy89 Gold Member Gold Member

    Joined:
    Apr 10, 2008
    Messages:
    18,025
    Likes Received:
    20,556
    Location:
    Paradise
    Fav Celtic Player:
    Larsson, McNamara, Moravčík, Boruc and Boyd
    Fav Celtic Song:
    YNWA, Fields Of Athenry and The Celtic Song
    I just love Ange.
     
    craigtheceltic likes this.
  11. Hammy89 Gold Member Gold Member

    Joined:
    Apr 10, 2008
    Messages:
    18,025
    Likes Received:
    20,556
    Location:
    Paradise
    Fav Celtic Player:
    Larsson, McNamara, Moravčík, Boruc and Boyd
    Fav Celtic Song:
    YNWA, Fields Of Athenry and The Celtic Song
    Really enjoyable listen.

    Speak well and another person who said after speaking to Ange, they wanted the move here.

    Ange gets it. I * love the bloke.
     
  12. RalstonFanClubPresident

    Joined:
    Jul 13, 2021
    Messages:
    1,682
    Likes Received:
    2,359
    Fav Celtic Player:
    Antoni Ralstonovic
    It's getting a bit mad now just how many people have said that a 5-minute conversation with Ange got them on-board immediately. O'Riley, Siergrist, Kewell and I'm pretty sure GG as well. I was thinking that he could have had a career negotiating multi-million pound deals, but I guess that's kinda what he's already doing.
     
  13. RalstonFanClubPresident

    Joined:
    Jul 13, 2021
    Messages:
    1,682
    Likes Received:
    2,359
    Fav Celtic Player:
    Antoni Ralstonovic
    Interesting article. When it was announced that McManus would be working with the B-side, I did wonder whether Ange had something like this in mind. I remember reading that Ange brought McManus into the first team coaching set-up last season after being impressed by him, so this being some sort of demotion seemed unlikely. Sounds more like he's trusting him to be able to replicate with the B-team what the first team are doing, in training at least.
     
    craigtheceltic likes this.
  14. davidhannah

    Joined:
    Aug 13, 2014
    Messages:
    1,813
    Likes Received:
    1,173
    I think Harry Kewell looks like he has charisma. A sun kissed Aussie that's looked after himself. He looks like a film star. A Champions League winner with management experience. He'll be able to connect to players on an emotional level. They will love him.

    Lurch and laptop are successful, but I think they are both traumatised and timid.

    Kennedy, hasn't recovered from uninspiring disguise as the covid caretaker manager from Young Frankenstien. While laptop has been raised as the lovechild of Gordon Strachan and Barry Fry.

    Welcome Harry. It's time to fry some Hun shrimp on the barbie. WE. NEVER. STOP!

     
    Last edited: Jun 24, 2022
  15. Mr Shelby Moderator Moderator Gold Member

    Joined:
    Jan 7, 2012
    Messages:
    49,978
    Likes Received:
    32,926
    Location:
    West Lothian
    Fav Celtic Player:
    Larsson. Forever and always.
    Fav Celtic Song:
    Symphony
    Speaks well. Handsome *.

    Hopefully he can add something. Damien Duff type appointment.

    He's not lost his accent.
     
  16. Mr Cleansheets

    Joined:
    Jan 21, 2013
    Messages:
    2,407
    Likes Received:
    2,282
    To my Australian ear he sounds a tad cockney.
     
  17. Mr Cleansheets

    Joined:
    Jan 21, 2013
    Messages:
    2,407
    Likes Received:
    2,282
    Mind you, the Australian accent was more or less derived from cockney. The first few decades of colony convicts were mainly from the Home Counties.
     
  18. craigtheceltic

    Joined:
    Dec 30, 2016
    Messages:
    2,670
    Likes Received:
    2,684
    Fav Celtic Player:
    Tom
    Just need him to have a chat to Kevin De Bruyne :giggle1:
     
  19. _DannyBhoy_ Gold Member Gold Member

    Joined:
    Aug 13, 2013
    Messages:
    5,419
    Likes Received:
    5,231
    :56::56:
     
  20. The big Viduka

    Joined:
    May 29, 2021
    Messages:
    637
    Likes Received:
    1,047
    Fav Celtic Player:
    Mark Viduka
    Followed his career closely. He will be an asset to Celtic. AP aint stupid as you all know.
    If you trust in AP you should support his appointments.
    Pretty simple