The manager must say a million words per season to whoever, such is the demand for coverage
But while i like many will devour most of it, i can't get enough of any man speaking that speaks frankly, fairly, with passion and a humility that seriously underplays their own contribution..
Ange talks and you listen..... like Stein, but with football the way it is currently, he'll never have a fair chance to match the big mans achievements....through no fault of his own
We had a successful manager who was 'born into it' then fucked off at the first flash of a skirt.
Weve had a manager that is still under-appreciated for his success against the backdrop of dismantling the most expensive team we've ever laid eyes on, but once opined fan criticism as from 'a Kestrel drinking, coked up, devil dug owner'.
In my short life as a tim, only once have i witnessed a man that i would support whether he won a title or not.... and that was the late great TB. Ange doesnt have to worry about that, but for me he reflects everything that was TB, only Ange has delivered where TB came up short.
We all know what it means to us when the leader of our Club reflects who we are and what we are all about. That connect means much more to us than a trophy, ultimately though no trophy no job.
Oh back to my point, i notice that on the big occasions like hunbashing, cup wins or titles, there always a line or a snippet in there like the one above which shows the true mark of the man and for me sticks out like a sore thumb by showing his understanding of who he is and who the average celtic fan is, what challenges life throwing at them, what the club means to them, what they sacrifice to support it and and more importantly what joy it can bring them... That was TB, and its Ange
'Life for many people is often challenging and in current times even more so. I've always said though that the true joy of occasions like today, even for a short time, can lift people in such a positive way. That really is something special for me.'
That is the measure of the man......... but...........i also noticed in an interview on pitch, he also got quite emotional when talking about the 'sacrifices his family especially his bhoys make'
I an not for a second worried about any job offer he has from England outwith his and his fathers documented team being Liverpool. Klopp will stay so i dont see anything else taking his fancy yet.... He's intelligent enough to know that 3/4 of the EPL clubs sacked at least one manager this season, so why would he leave for that when he's a king up here
But even the best managers we've had have stated there is a shelf life at Celtic no matter your success. Its probably accurate to state, any job in the EPL would be a holiday compared to Celtic.
Watching that back today, i wondered whether our only fear should be the enormity of the job a Celtic manager faces, especially when you have a man that really gets it where others were oblivious.... Fuck me, the weight that man carries on his shoulders. He's not celebrating 3 points/hunbashing/winning a game, he's acknowledging the happiness his teams brought the millions of us watching world-wide. By acknowledging it, i know that he's carrying the weight of it, which must be huge. FFS, i remember having palpations once in Castle Greyskull, despite being 3-0 up and them being shite. Imagine being the manager, never mind a manager that gets it. Weve had managers that were so arrogant they forgot that football is about the fans. Here we have a guy from the other side of the world, who aint pretending hes a Celtic fan, but you know he aint pretending when he tells you he understands what it means to be one of us. This guy ain't pulling the wool over our eyes, but he's a guy that understands what makes this Club a privelidge to manage. He came here as whatever, 2nd choice, with doubts, with insecurities, with questions he would never share publicly...... he was given support, a fair crack of the whip and the unwavering support of our support. Where others asked questions of his ability, we gave him comfort when he needed it.
Anybody remember the night his reign changed..... Aberdeen away........the night we scored late, won away and the mood went from sack...to support
i really think that Ange is all in at Celtic, but to quote the great Neil Young
,
The same thing that makes you live
Can kill you in the end
I believe that the answers to Anges future lie not in any job offer elsewhere, but closer to home. He openly spoke about giving up hope in getting the type of club he craved, he has one of the biggest jobs in the world but it comes with a heavy load
All hail the manager...
Trophy Day - Celtic v St Mirren, 12.30 Celtic Park, Saturday 18th May