Paul Tisdale appointed Celtic’s Head of Football Operations | TalkCeltic - The Ultimate Celtic FC Forum

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Notorious Gold Member Gold Member

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Celtic are set to bring in former Exeter City boss Paul Tisdale to revamp the club’s football operations

Describing himself as a 'football doctor', 51-year-old Tisdale has been working as a self-employed consultant.

The former Southampton midfielder also coached MK Dons, Bristol Rovers and Stevenage in a managerial career which spanned over 1,000 games in the dug-out

With head of recruitment Mark Lawwell and chief scout Joe Dudgeon having left Celtic in March, Tisdale has been targeted for a senior role at the Scottish champions, overseeing functions such as recruitment, data and coaching development.

‘I work as what I call a football doctor,’ he recently told a scouting podcast. ‘I go into football clubs and I try to find performance-improvement solutions using data and also my experience as a coach.

‘I can translate very well from the boardroom to the pitch, and from the pitch to the boardroom, and also deliver CPD (continuous professional development) or coach mentoring.

I’m currently into a period where I am doing a bit of a lot of things, waiting for one thing really to take off. (It’s) keeping me busy and I am self employed with my own business and really enjoying

Once described as ‘the most stylish man in football’, Tisdale has previously advised Fulham and Crystal Palace. As a coach, he gave Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins his first-team break at Exeter, but missed the striker’s winning goal for England against the Netherlands at Euro 2024 because he was taking in a match between Queen’s Park and Celtic

Speaking to talkSPORT the morning after, he said: ‘I was delighted but I was actually at Queen’s Park last night for the pre-season game against Celtic and I was in the boardroom afterwards. When Ollie came on the pitch as a substitute I had a feeling he would score. But I didn’t want to start screaming if he did, so I ran out to the car. I actually missed it because of that.’

Celtic have gone down a similar route before, drafting in former manager Gordon Strachan on a three-month consultancy basis in 2021

Working as Dundee technical director at the time, Strachan reviewed the club academy, women’s team and B team operations, providing recommendations to former chief executive Dom McKay
Notorious, Oct 9, 2024

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McChiellini..

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Something...at least..

McChiellini.., Oct 9, 2024

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Mr Shelby Moderator Moderator Gold Member

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It is movement aye, at least.

However at first glance it doesn't come across like a permanent solution. If he's consulting. I don't know why we don't just spend money on an experienced DoF and allow them to build a team below them.

Really think we should have a DoF. This just seems like another stop gap approach but hopefully I'm wrong. Perhaps he will be consulting on how we build that team.

Mr Shelby, Oct 9, 2024

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JC Anton Get yer, hats, scarfs badges & tapes

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I'm glad there's something..

Knew my email a week to Michael Nicholson would pay off.. :56:

Hopefully the club clarifies the role and appointment and what the vision is.. as the Communication from CEO is nonexistent.

JC Anton, Oct 9, 2024

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Peter T. Lawwell Esq Chairman of Celtic FC PLC

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He's the new club doctor. Much cheaper than going through Bupa.

Peter T. Lawwell Esq, Oct 9, 2024

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Peej Gold Member Gold Member

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Let's just hope he can advise better than whatever the * it was that Gordon Strachan advised us on.

It's something at least, but is it just lipservice or are we actually gonna do something?

Did we not hire a consultancy agency to find us Mark Lawwell? Or was that someone else who happened to be on our doorstep.

Peej, Oct 9, 2024

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JC Anton Get yer, hats, scarfs badges & tapes

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If he was at our pre-season game v Queens Park in the summer, must have been in the pipeline for a while.

JC Anton, Oct 9, 2024

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martin_d

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The Diet Huns - of all clubs - are talking to the owner of Brighton, and who do we consult? A guy who couldn’t keep a job managing Exeter City.

Way to go, Pistol Pete & Co…

Edit: I’ve calmed doon noo. As @McChiellini.. says, at least it’s something, but I remain to be convinced. Be delighted to be proved wrong.

martin_d, Oct 10, 2024

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Theres nothing wrong with self care or being fashionable.

But any person going that far to be noticed is usually a few cans short of a six pack.

Ive known a few people who dress outrageously to garner attention, and that level of peacocking usually indicates theyre a * roaster.

Of course, its quite prejudiced of me to suggest that this "football doctor" is a chimp, merely on the impression his dress sensibilities present.

But hey, if you dress like a clown, its highly likely you are one.

Get this tae *.

LectersLuncheon, Oct 10, 2024

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HTG "I have an uncle who does Yoga"

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It's a start, need to be seeing a lot more over the season.

HTG, Oct 10, 2024

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Imagine some * trying to dole out advice to you while wearing that hat.

BigDoggyWoofWoof, Oct 10, 2024

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JC Anton Get yer, hats, scarfs badges & tapes

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I'll reserve judgement until its confirmed and details of the role are confirmed..

Can't moan constantly about making changes to our footballing operation and when we do slate it for not going far enough, with the required details still to be announced.

He has advised Premier League clubs so he may have a good pedigree, anyone calling themselves the 'Football Doctor' is obviously highly thought especially by themselves.. :56:

Last edited: Oct 10, 2024

JC Anton, Oct 10, 2024

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"Football doctor"!!! Write up sounds ike the intro to a new episode in Ted Lasso. Top Shop version of Ian Cathro from the look of it.

Guess we'll see but not holding my breath and can't really see much online about him that would suggest he's got anything to actually offer.

NomDePlum, Oct 10, 2024

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Battle of the ego's with him and BR

Twisty, Oct 10, 2024

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If he was at the queen's park game, that wA 3 months ago to the day.
If we are liking it to the Gordon Strachan consultancy, that was a 3 month spell.

So some questions.
Is the consultant period done already? Is this old news? What's been the outcome if so? Are people expecting a formal announcement from the club about this guy taking up a role? Because it looks like he isn't the fix for our football/recruitment operations, he's simply the guy to tell us what would be a good route for us to take and type of people to hire/infrastructure to implement.

Not sure this is the guy we are gonna get an announcement that he's the new Head of Recruitment or something.

Those things said, what are his actual credentials? He's named dropped Palace as the biggest club he's worked with, but when was that and what did he do?

And inevitably, what's his previous contact with the club? When do we find out that his a cousin to McManus?

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Peej, Oct 10, 2024

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Callum McGregor The Captain Gold Member

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https://x.com/Callum7McFadden/status/1844124812081541625

https://worldfootballindex.com/2021...evity-and-his-biggest-achievement-at-mk-dons/

On the face of it he seems like a good appointment. No previous Celtic link either so we don't have to deal with the tedious nepotism chat.

Paul Tisdale On Exeter City Longevity And His Biggest Achievement At MK Dons

An interview with former Exeter City and MK Dons manager Paul Tisdale, by Callum McFadden for WFi.

You played for clubs such as Southampton and Bristol City before having to retire early due to injury. How do you reflect back on your playing career?

“My playing career ended very early which was gave me a sense of dissatisfaction. Finishing at 26 was difficult as I was not able to achieve what I believe I was capable of.

“I had a real feeling that I still had a lot of football left in me when I retired.”

You coached at Bath from a young age. What were your formative years of coaching and management like from a learning perspective?

“I never wanted to be a coach or a manager during my playing days. Other than Alan Ball at Southampton, I never really had a particularly strong affinity for the game in a coaching sense.

“I fell into coaching because an opportunity arose at Bath University that intrigued me. It was a university programme and I had the opportunity to build it from scratch.

“Then, from there I found out that I was quite good at coaching once I got started. It was a multi-sport environment and a learning experience that was invaluable for me as I was given the opportunity to learn through trial and error.

“It takes a while to adapt to life as a coach and find out what type of coach that you are. I believe that you never fully understand the game of football until you start coaching. It is a very different experience to being a player.”

You joined Exeter City as manager in 2006 and managed the club until 2018. A remarkable length of time in the modern game. From 2006 to 2009, you took the club from the Conference to League One, winning back to back promotions for the first time in Exeter history. Could you Sum up your memories of that particular spell in charge of the club?

“I had no career plan. I’ve just taken every season as it comes. When I went in to Exeter, my overriding goal was not to fail because over 50% of first-time managers who leave their post never get another opportunity in management.

“My priority as a coach was not to lose two games in a row because two defeats can very easily become three or four which can lead to you losing your job.

“I went around 127 games before I lost two games in a row during that period.

“I always made sure that I made it clear to the players from day one that they were my players. I’ve never agreed with the notion that a manager can go into a football club and state that the players that he has inherited aren’t his. It is very easy to say to the press and the fans that you can only be judged when you have your ‘own’ squad.

“That for me is a kop out because I believe that the moment you sign a contract with a club that you accept the players that the club has as yours and do all that you can to work proactively with them.

“I told the Exeter squad in 2006 on day one that they were my players and that everyone would be given an opportunity to impress me and my staff.

“I signed a couple of players and within eighteen months, I had then put my own stamp on it and got the team playing as I ideally wanted them to. Up until that point, I was pragmatic and business-like.

“Then from around 2007 to 2011, I had the team playing in a pattern that I really wanted us to play. However, in 2011, that changed as we finished 7th in League One — which was and still remains Exeter’s highest ever league finish — and we started to lose players to other clubs.

“That changed the way that I could work as our players attracted the attention of big clubs who could afford to prize them from us.

“It was an amazing first five years with the promotions from the National League to League One then it became a rebuilding process when I needed to build a new team.”

You talk about rebuilding a team and during your 12 years with Exeter, you built numerous sides during a period of real stability for the club. What is the key to successful recruitment in your opinion and how do you adapt as a manager to promotion when you then need to build a squad to compete at a higher level?

“That’s a very broad question. First of all, it is important to acknowledge that every moment is different. There is no magical formula that will always work for you.

“Good recruitment stems from knowing your environment, the personalities of your squad and ensuring that you optimise player potential to the maximum.

“For example, at Exeter, we had to compete against other clubs in our league with a smaller budget. Therefore, we had to get sufficiently good players at less of a price than our competitors in order to be competitive.

“That means that you need to make comprises and target players who have not yet reached their potential elsewhere or that you believe can play at a higher level than they currently are playing at.

“Recently, a few high profile pundits have stated that ‘a leopard doesn’t change its spots’ in relation to footballers and their inner make up. I disagree with that as I believe that if you put a player into a healthy environment then you can change the application and perspective of a player.

“At Exeter, we knew exactly what we were as a club which helped create a healthy working environment. We knew that it was a priority for us to develop our own players from the academy, sign talent on a comprise as I’ve discussed or older professionals at the latter end of their career to come in and set standards for the younger pros.”

Twelve years is a long time to spend at one club in the modern game. How did you continually motivate yourself and strive for improvement year upon year within the same environment?

“Sport can be very fluid with many athletes and staff members not setting down roots at one place for an extended period of time.

“In order to succeed over a long period of time, you have to be fully committed to the project and to be the best version of yourself in order to inspire those around you to continually improve too.

“That can be rare in football at times as people can look out for themselves and strive to make as much money as they can as quickly as possible.

“I was aligned to the way that Exeter as a club functioned and I enjoyed my job. Motivation was never once a factor for me during my time at the club.

“I loved working with my colleagues, developing players and striving to create something unique. I was completely sold on building something very different.

“I was offered many jobs during my time at Exeter and I turned them down because my burning ambition was to build Exeter as a club to one day play in the Championship.

“There aren’t many bigger challenges than that and my form of ambition may be different to others who would have looked for a next move but that was not what I wanted.

“Being as creative as a coach always kept me on my toes as we went through different cycles over the twelve years with players moving on which always brings a new set of challenges.

“Every season was different and I had to change the style that we played to suit the players that I had at my disposal. I enjoyed analysing data analytics to pinpoint improvement for my players and my staff.

“For example, in my last two seasons with the club, I sold my front three who were integral to our 4-3-3 system and replaced them with one target man which led to me changing a new team and a new way of playing.

“Both seasons saw us reach eighty points and get to the playoffs but involved a different set of tactical principles.

“Changes like that always kept me incredibly motivated and interested as a coach as I loved the challenges of the job.”

You left Exeter for MK Dons in 2018. How tough was it to leave a club that you had been in charge of for such a long time?

“It was difficult to leave the club after such a long time. It wasn’t planned over a long period of time.

“I could easily have stayed at the club but a set of circumstances arose that led to me leaving and it was very rough.

“I haven’t been back to Exeter and I haven’t watched a game of theirs since because it’s impossible for me to. I gave my life to the club and it is a very difficult emotion to deal with when you move on having given so much to a role that you loved.”

You won promotion with MK Dons from League Two during your first season with the club. How do you reflect upon that success and your time at the club as a whole? Did it differ to Exeter in a major way?

“I would say that winning promotion with MK Dons in my first season was my biggest achievement as a manager.

“I say that because I was leaving a club where I had total control to arrive at a club that was in a state of chaos following two relegations in three seasons was very challenging.

“The dressing room environment that I walked into was toxic. The chairman was panicking that the club could go out of the Football League so to turn it around and win promotion automatically was my best achievement.

“I didn’t get the time that I needed in the second season. I won promotion and lost my job five or six weeks into the second season after a tough start.

“I knew what I was getting into and I knew that I was a possibility but I don’t think I would have done anything differently.

“A set of circumstances arose that made things difficult for us at the start of that season but we would have come through it without question.”

Your last managerial job was at Bristol Rovers. What did you learn from your experience with the Pirates?

“I was not there long enough to learn anything in all honesty. I went into the club for eleven weeks at the height of lockdown with no office, no changing rooms, no meeting rooms and a squad that was already struggling. We started well in the first month then the next six weeks went quite poorly.

“There was not too much that I could have done. There were so many things that needed fixing within the place and during the height of lockdown, it was very hard to build relationships across the club as I normally would.”

What have you learned while out of the game and do you want to return to management in the future?

“I do want to return to management. I’ve taken time out in the last eighteen months to evaluate my career as a coach to date.

“It has been a privilege to work for over twenty years as a coach and I am a better coach now than I was ten years ago.

“I am only 48 and I am very much looking forward to getting back in. I need to pick the right set of people within a club to work with and I am very much looking forward to my next opportunity wherever that may be.”
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Callum McGregor, Oct 10, 2024

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JC Anton said: ↑

I'll reserve judgement until its confirmed and details of the role are confirmed..

Can't moan constantly about making changes to our footballing operation and when we do slate it for not going far enough, with the required details still to be announced.

He has advised Premier League clubs so he may have a good pedigree, anyone calling themselves the 'Football Doctor' is obviously highly thought especially by themselves.. :56:
Click to expand...

Sounds like a good prescription for change :fear:

Let the awful medical jokes commence!

NakamuraTastic, Oct 10, 2024

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Tisdale will be charged with overseeing a review of functions such as recruitment, data and player and coach development.
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I know I'll be looked at as I'm always negative, but for me that's the key part to all of this news.
Overseeing a review. Not obsessing the process of the changes, just the review.

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Peej, Oct 10, 2024

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neilly1987 Do I look happy? Do I look settled? Gold Member

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My first impression is the guy seems like a bit of a parody but it is something like others have said so we shall see.

neilly1987, Oct 10, 2024

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NomDePlum said: ↑

"Football doctor"!!! Write up sounds ike the intro to a new episode in Ted Lasso. Top Shop version of Ian Cathro from the look of it.

Guess we'll see but not holding my breath and can't really see much online about him that would suggest he's got anything to actually offer.
Click to expand...

BELIEVE

BigManSmalls, Oct 10, 2024

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