Former Sunderland midfielder Jack Colback has already explained Martin O'Neill's strengths and shortcomings ahead of the veteran's new deal at Celtic.
O'Neill is expected to be confirmed as the club's permanent manager after a successful interim spell that saw him win a league and cup double during the season just gone.
Colback on the O'Neill experience
O'Neill has had a long and successful playing and managerial career, now extending into his 70s following his Celtic return.
The veteran boss has had a number of successful runs down South, but he is part of the older generation who have largely been phased out of the game as part of a game-wide shift towards an in-depth tactical approach.
Speaking on that topic and where O'Neill fits in, Jack Colback, who worked with the Northern Irishman at Sunderland, said on the Undr the Cosh podcast during the spring: "So, when it's going well with him, the mood in the camp, everone was buzzing and he would give days off for fun. You'd win a game on a Saturday and he would say 'right, lads, I'll see you Tuesday'. Then someone in the back would be like 'Wednesday gaffa', and he would be like 'yeah, Wednesday' and it would be like (cheering sound).
"It was just that feel-good factor. He would make the lads feel confident, We would enjoy training. The sessions were good - very basic."
Speaking to O'Neill's shortcomings as a manager and coach, Colback added: "But then when you are losing game, there was never really a plan B, it was keep doing what we know and you can get in a slump. Especially in the Premier League, it's tough to win games, and when you are losing games, each one looks even harder.
"I think that's why, when he has gone to Celtic and they were strugging, he has gone in there and pretty much won every game. He will be doing the same thing, I imagine.
"Meetings before the game, nowadays, it's clips all set out, mid-third, low-block, all that stuff. We would watch the games with him on a Friday and he would just play it from minute one - kick-off. He would get up 20 minutes in and he would say 'stop it there' 'rewind it' and he wouldn't say anything, he would just carry on. You would just watch the game.
"It's remarkable that he has had success, but he is doing it now. They've gone from the old manager, Nancy, at Celtic, who is the modern manager, tactical and couldn't win a game. Martin has gone back in there and they are winning games again, so I think he just gets the other side of it. We have gone from one extreme to the next now, where is all tactics, but you have to learn how to deal with a group of lads, too."
Success can come from many avenues
Something that has been overlooked in the modern game is the ability to truly lead. Many of the tactical coaches believe they can lead the way with their football knowledge, but getting the respect of 25 or so men, and getting them to actually like you, is not an easy job.
They don't have to like you, of course, after all, a manager is the boss of the players, but such dictatorships always have a shelf life, whereas those who get the players on side have the potential to last much longer.
Clearly, the ideal is a balance of both. It's a manager who has the tactical knowledge and ability, yes, but also possesses that leadership and an ability to get the whole squad bought into the mission, which usually involves offering days off and the odd treat in the way of food and drink.
It's no secret that O'Neill is not a tactical genius, but he does have a knack for getting the best out of players through man management. That is an undervalued skill, and in Celtic's case, this is realistically going to be a short-term relationship, so there are no major concerns over the style of play or the lack of modern football.
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