GIVEN Borussia Dortmund's domestic results this season, Ronny Deila may have been right to shy away from comparisons with Juergen Klopp when he was appointed Celtic manager in the summer.
The Norwegian, of course, made those comments because he was determined to forge his own image, rather than because he had looked into a crystal ball and foresaw that Dortmund would spend the next few months inexplicably scratching around at the foot of the Bundesliga table, rather than challenging for the title as is usually the case.
Deila, though, is clearly a fan of the charismatic Dortmund manager. When still in charge at Stromsgodset, Deila spent time in Germany studying Klopp's coaching methods and, perhaps more importantly, observing the charismatic manager's wider role within the club, the close bond he has with his players, and his rapport with the supporters.
Even when Dortmund found themselves at the foot of the Bundesliga, there were precious few supporters calling for his head. Klopp didn't shy from the problem, insisting that the players attended a fans' Christmas party where they were found behind the bar pulling pints for the punters, as well as signing autographs and obligingly posing for pictures. As a PR man, there are few managers as effective as Klopp. As Deila himself put it in the summer, the German "gives energy to the stadium".
There is growing evidence, too, that Deila "gets it" as well. Perhaps wary initially of trying to exert his personality on a new club too early into his regime, there have been signs - now that the team is showing greater levels of consistency - that the Celtic manager is determined to build something bigger than simply the up-and-down fortunes of any football team.
He has adopted the ritual popular among European sides of taking the whole team over to salute the supporters at full-time, and also acknowledged that there is a greater need for the fans to feel a part of what the team is trying to achieve.
"Let the players gives something of themselves to the public," he said last week. "A little bit like John Guidetti has done so far at Celtic. He is loved not just because he is a good footballer, but also because he is giving something of himself to the fans through the media. I think that's important."
Those who work alongside Deila on a daily basis are witnessing a man looking increasingly comfortable in his surroundings and rising to the challenge of expanding his influence at the club. John Kennedy, the Celtic first-team coach, has seen at close quarters how the Norwegian has adapted and grown following a testing first few months.
"Initially he was finding his feet and the thing that catches people off guard is the magnitude and size of the club, as well as the focus that's on them every day. He's certainly settled in now. He's the right type of character for this type of job and he has all the players on board for where he wants to go.
"I think we're beginning to see more and more of that. At first it's always the same: a new manager with new ideas and things take time. Sometimes it looks as though it's stuttering along and question marks start. But in recent weeks you can see a team that's fully committed to what the manager's trying to do. Once you get that things can only move forward."
Deila, who has always been an engaging figure with the media, seems now also to be willing to give more of himself to the public. Kennedy, though, revealed the manager has not greatly altered how he conducts himself with the players.
"He hasnt changed his style in the dressing room. He can be heated when he wants to be and really enthusiastic when he wants to. But generally he's very calm and thoughtful about what he's trying to do. He doesn't get too worked up and he makes sure that when the players go out on the pitch, whether that's before the match or at half-time, he's very clear about what he wants. That's very important.
"You obviously also have to have the character and everything else to drive the players on, which he's got, but at the same time he's got a calm head to make sure that he is clear in his instructions.
"From my perspective, it's been a fantastic learning curve working under him. He is very specific in what he wants from us all and he certainly makes sure that in training every day he drums it into the players what he wants on pitch at match time. It has probably taken time but certainly from my perspective we're beginning to see that."
Deila is certainly not resting on his laurels. Even after Celtic victories, such as Saturday's narrow 1-0 win over Motherwell, he has not been slow to criticise the team if he feels they have not performed to his high standards. Kennedy, though, knows the most important thing is just to keep producing victories.
"Winning is the big thing at Celtic. If you go two matches without winning all of a sudden the question marks come out but that's the nature of the beast and that will never change.
"When you are the manager or a player you just have to have the mentality to deal with that and that??s something he knows about now. He's well aware that when we don't play well just make sure you still win the match. Performance-wise you want to win with style but, when that style doesn't come across in a specific game, just make sure you win it and move on."
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