Three recent football calamity appointments that can teach us about recruitment!

  • Wilfried Nancy: 33 days, worst win rate in Celtic’s 129-year history (25%), Paul Tisdale who recruited him, also sacked
  • Ruben Amorim: 14 months, Man United’s worst Premier League finish (15th), lowest manager win percentage in Premier League era, described United as “probably the worst team in the history” of the club
  • Russell Martin: 123 days, Rangers’ shortest-serving manager ever, 29% win rate, publicly criticised players after his third match

Combined cost? £50-100m+ in compensation, wasted transfer fees, and lost revenue. All because three clubs hired for philosophy over fit.

“Shiny Object” Syndrome

All three were hired for their past successes in different contexts, rather than their fit for the specific situation. Celtic needed immediate results after Rodgers left; they got a manager trying to implement MLS-style build-up play. United needed pragmatism; they got tactical rigidity. Rangers needed a culture builder; they got someone who publicly criticised players after his third match.

In our world this would be akin to hiring the superstar from a recognised global business who fails at your 20-person SME because they can’t operate without massive resources and established infrastructure – but you were sold on the impressive CV/pedigree.

Philosophy vs Personnel Mismatch All three managers were wedded to possession-based, build-from-the-back 3-4-3 systems:

  • Nancy immediately changed Celtic’s formation despite it winning 7 of 8 games under interim manager O’Neill
  • Amorim started 45 of 47 Premier League games with three at the back, and said “not even the Pope” could change his approach
  • Martin’s Southampton were relegated playing possession football with players who were unsuited to it, then tried the same tactic at Rangers

These three clubs hired for a vision of what the club wanted to become rather than assessing what the existing squad could actually deliver. Nancy inherited Celtic players suited to a more direct style. Amorim had defenders who couldn’t play out from the back. Martin had Rangers players who were used to more direct football.

This would be like hiring a “digital transformation expert” who wants to implement innovative AI solutions when your team still struggles with basic Excel.

Cultural Misalignment

Celtic fans expect attacking football, but also immediate results in a title race – Nancy’s “process” didn’t fit the urgency.

Manchester United demands the manager embody the club’s traditions – Amorim insisted he was the “manager not the head coach” in his final interview, highlighting a fundamental misunderstanding.

Rangers’ fanbase needed someone who understood the club’s DNA – Martin criticised players publicly after three games and refused to wear the traditional manager’s suit, immediately alienating a large element of their fanbase.

None of them understood what makes their club different. They saw prestigious roles, not unique organisational cultures.

The Time-to-Impact (realistic or unrealistic?)

  • Nancy: 8 games to turn around a team that needs to win titles now
  • Amorim: Asked to rebuild United but only given 14 months despite promises of “three years” from ownership
  • Martin: Expected to implement a total style change with no pre-season preparation

These are unrealistic expectations about transformation timelines.

All three would have needed 2-3 transfer windows to build squads suited to their methods, but clubs wanted instant results.

At Creegan Talent, we see this play out in business hiring constantly. These football disasters highlight why our 6-stage methodology focuses on strategic fit before technical capability:

  • Organisational context analysis – What does this organisation actually need right now, and with a view to what it wants to become in 5 years
  • Cultural assessment – What are the unwritten rules that make someone successful here?
  • Team capability audit – What can the existing team deliver? What’s realistic to expect?
  • Realistic timeline – How long will transformation actually take?
  • Stakeholder expectation alignment – Are the board, team, and candidate aligned on success metrics and timelines?
  • Integration planning – How do we bridge the skills or knowledge gap to set the new hire up for success?

Celtic, United, and Rangers all failed at stage 1.

They hired experienced managers with proven philosophies – but the wrong philosophies for their contexts. Nancy’s possession football works brilliantly in MLS with time and patience; Celtic needed a winner tomorrow! Amorim’s 3-4-3 revolutionised Sporting, United’s squad couldn’t execute it and didn’t have time to rebuild. Martin spoke about possession and attacking football, but the stats during his tenure did not back this up.

The £100m question isn’t “Who’s the best candidate?” It’s “Who’s the right candidate for this context, these people, this timeline?”

We believe that identifying the right candidate who fits your business is vital. We hire for cultural fit as well as technical skills, we proactively identify talent specific to your business. Think more Brighton and Brentford for management hires rather than the examples that I have used.