Celtic are right on track to achieve the ‘treble treble’ and one man who has made an important contribution in the second half of the season is Neil Lennon. The former Hibernian manager had to take over the top job at Parkhead out of nowhere, but the Hoops have just gone about their business as usual as they recently wrapped up the Premiership title.
Celtic have been linked with plenty of names in the past two months. Marco Rose, Rafael Benitez, Andre Villas-Boas and Roberto Martinez were some high profile names. Recently reports started emerging that the Hoops had tabled an offer for the ‘Special One’ Jose Mourinho. However, Celtic have rebuffed those claims.
What did Lennon indicate?
There is no doubt that Lennon should be the favourite to take over permanently in the summer. This would be particularly true if he goes on to deliver the treble which looks very likely at the moment.
However, the Northern Irish man indicated that he is still unsure about his future and said (The National), ”There are going to be changes staff-wise behind the scenes that we obviously need to do. But right now I just want to live in the moment (on being asked about his future). I’m ecstatic. I think people lose sight of a lot of things, not just the form this team has shown since the turn of the year.”
Lennon didn’t give a clear cut answer, and it seems like he too is unsure whether he would be offered the role permanently or not. He would certainly feel hard done by if he didn’t get the job after delivering the treble. The Hoops have had a comfortable run to the Premiership title without any hiccups, and Lennon deserves to be applauded for that.
Threats for Celtic
However, if Celtic want to reinvent themselves or take their game to the next level, then they should look beyond Lennon. The Northern Irish manager could be a safe and secure bet as he knows the club inside out, but his side hasn’t looked that threatening since he took over. Rangers were in the title race until January, and they will look to strengthen further in the summer. We expect the gap to be closed and if Celtic choose to remain stagnant, then they could be taken over soon.
What should the board do?
Results for Celtic have been satisfying under Lennon, but the club lacked that killer instinct. If Celtic don’t get their hands on someone from the list of the selected few managers mentioned above, then only they should hand Lennon the top job. Maybe that is the reason why the Northern Irish man is not yet confirmed as the main man as Celtic might be looking at some other options as well.
