Jackie McNamara gives insight into John Barnes’ tactics at Celtic | OneFootball

Jackie McNamara has been giving an insight to what it was like to play under John Barnes, and has revealed the tactics the Englishman tried to execute during his ill-fated spell as Hoops boss…

John Barnes Celtic FC manager, 7 November 1999 Photo Mary Evans

John Barnes was drafted in to replace Jozef Venglos in the Parkhead dugout and was brought in under Kenny Dalglish back in 1999 to try and combat a rampant Rangers who were overspending with money they didn’t actually have.

Barnes was regarded as a forward-thinking, fresh, up-and-coming coach

Although Barnes was thought to be a forward-thinking, fresh, up-and-coming coach, his ideas just never translated onto the pitch with his Celtic team and was subsequently shown the door, after the Bhoys crashed out of the Scottish Cup to Inverness Caley Thistle at home in an embarrassing moment for everyone involved.

imago/Colorsport – John Barnes and Kenny Dalglish (Celtic) – Photo Randmotiv Personen

‘It was effectively the graveyard shift’

McNamara was speaking on the Let Me Be Frank podcast with former Celtic great McAvennie and Simon Houston, and revealed exactly what Barnes was trying to do with the team and more specifically, his full-backs. He said: “He would say to me, ‘you’ve got two touches, one to control and one to pass. Get yourself up there, get a touch, get your cross in and then, get yourself back’. So then, it was effectively the graveyard shift, as you would call it.”

Berkovic and Moravcik didn’t chase back

When Houston remarked with a giggle that he was basing it on Cafu and the way Brazil play, Jackie jokingly replied: “Run into the ground! A few of the games we had Larsson and Viduka. Then you had Berkovic and Moravcik in behind them. They just did what they want. They didn’t need to go and chase. Then you had Craig Burley and Paul Lambert. Then the back four; myself, Stubbsy, Boydy, Stephan Mahe.”

July 1999: Celtic head coach John Barnes and Terry McDermott during their pre-season tour of Norway. Mandatory Credit: Stu Forster /Allsport

The Seville veteran admitted that against weaker opposition they performed well and Barnes’ tactics worked a treat, however, when it came to opponents with more quality, that’s where they fell well short during Barnes’ spell as boss.

‘When Henrik broke his leg in Lyon’

21 October 1999: Henrik Larsson of Celtic suffers a broken leg during the UEFA Cup second round first leg match against Lyon at the Stade Gerland in Lyon, France. Photo: Clive Brunskill /Allsport

“You know, a lot of the games we were doing well. But against better opposition, they were overloading the wider areas, and wee Lubo or Eyal is not going to go and chase a full-back. So when you actually look, when Henrik broke his leg in Lyon, he’s down near my area, where he shouldn’t be.”

Paul Gillespie

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