So it is the 25th of May again…
Of course, if you’re of the Hoops persuasion then you won’t need any reminder of what that date means in the Celtic calendar.
Now another remarkable chapter in the long unbroken history of the Parkhead club could be written in just three days from now.
This time at Hampden rather than Stadio Nacional.
Of course, it will not be easy to prevail in the Scottish Cup Final on Saturday.
Hearts are tough opponents and Craig William Levein’s agricultural ensemble will inflict their rudimentary style of “play” on the Celtic players.
Consequently, it will be a day for sacrifice and suffering as well as skill from Lennon’s men.
What is not in doubt is that the guy in the Celtic dugout cares for Parkhead club in a way that few can imagine.
No matter what moves are afoot in the boardroom Neil Francis Lennon will do his duty for his club until they tell him his services are no longer required.
Of course, there are other names linked with the current managerial vacancy.
However, they do not have the Celtic credentials of the man from Lurgan.
I wrote this about the man seven years ago for a Spanish website and I haven’t changed my view.
Indeed, only six months after it was published the Irishman engineered a famous victory over arguably the finest club side in Europe at the time.
During his time as the Hoops manager, he had players sold against his will and he rebuilt the squad each summer.
Moreover, Lennon’s ability to unearth relatively unknown players who would later generate huge value for Celtic compares very favourably with the recruitment record of Brendan Rodgers.
If anyone thinks that a properly resourced Neil Lennon could not take Celtic onwards to 10IAR then they haven’t been paying attention.
Of course, this week the Armagh man will have tunnel vision all the way to Hampden.
I think it is a measure of the guy and his affection for Celtic that almost certainly his main concern, if the job was offered to him, would be about the football budget available to him rather than his personal terms.
So whether or not he gets the job on a permanent basis, he should have the gratitude of anyone who professes a grá for his club.
This season could have gone very badly for Celtic when Rodgers left in the middle of the night last February.
It was vital that someone could step in and step up.
In an era of badge kissers and smooth talking charlatans, Lennon is the real deal.
Some fans blame NL for the recent lethargic displays, conveniently forgetting that some displays under BR were no better. Im undecided if i want NL to get the job or not but, its worth pointing that out.
Our displays since the start of the season have been mostly mediocre. The fans who think this has only been the case since Lenny came back have short memories. When sevco beat us ten days ago, AFTER the title was won, in a dead rubber basically, NL was scathing of our performance. When they beat us in December in what was effectively a six-pointer BR made excuses, citing the number of games we’d played. This was a lame excuse when you consider that sevco had played only one game less. I.e. the League Cup Final.
His poor record in the domestic cups puts me off, I know cups are one off games and anything can happen but it happened too often for me against teams we should have beat.
Well said Phil and spot on regarding Neil’s credentials as Celtic Manager.
Some of the negativity towards him has been unbelievable.
Almost 90’s Hunesque in its delivery.
If the Board back Lenny he has the tools to do the job no danger.
GBNL
“Almost 90’s Hunesque in its delivery.”
This.
GBNL, A Celtic legend, then now and forever……he will deliver the Treble Treble.
Having met Neil socially on a couple of occasions, the only impression he’s ever given me is that of a decent, honest, highly intelligent and thoroughly likeable man.
Incidentally he also comes across as someone you would fuck with at your peril.
Phil much as I admire your love of Neil I’m afraid I disagree and think it would be a backward step to give him the job permanently.
I think we as a club have moved on since Neil was last manager and to be on the cusp of a treble treble is testimony to this.
He has managed to get us over the line in the league and for that and taking us hopefully to
🏆🏆🏆 x 3 I will be eternally grateful but it is time to move onwards and upwards and appoint a new manager. I hoped for Marcus Rose but he has gone to BMG in the Bundesliga.
I can’t see Rafa coming but he would be a great appointment and would see us over the 10 in a row line.
I just hope it is not moyes either.
Neil Lennon took a Celtic side built on 40% less Budget to the last 16 of the Champions League.
Shiny teeth hasn’t been past the last 32 of the Europa in 5 attempts.
All one winning Domestic Trophies (with 10 times the turnover of some Clubs) different story in Europe where all Managers are judged.
RAFA’s approach to Football would drive the Support to tears.
Bang on!!
Enough said on credentials for beating a team higher up the ladder.
Barcelona
01 Valdes
02 Alves
15 Bartra (Pique – 71′ )
18 Alba Booked
06 Xavi
08 Iniesta
10 Messi
14 Mascherano
25 Song Booked (Fabregas – 71′ )
09 Sanchez (Villa – 67′ )
17 Pedro Substitutes
13 Pinto
03 Pique
19 Montoya
04 Fabregas
12 Jonathan
07 Villa
37 Cristian Tello
Excellent wee read,all points raised I’m in agreement with,but the link to the Vaval site prove fruitful too.For,I was not aware that The Celts have been/were/are nicknamed ‘The Barcelona of Scotland’
Knew about other connections,but that one is new to me.
I was at the game in the Campe Nou in ‘07,great night,stone cold sober,having indulged the night before,were we went to see Shebeen in some underground club,(10/10) literally underground.Taxi drivers refused to take us to that area where the gig was,stating that they are ‘all loco’ which we took as a positive😃
A club where they had Carlsberg Special Brew on tap! Scary thought.
At least there was a pump-head with that logo on it,I stuck to The Murphys.
Thanks Phil appreciate your time.HH🍀
Agreed 100%.
What if Lennon hadn’t been available when Rodgers did a runner?
Regardless of what happens on Saturday, he rescued the 10IAR charge – and further enhanced his place in Hoops folklore.
Whether or not he gets the job permanently is a wholly separate issue.
If he does get appointed, I’m sure there will be some initial grumbling – but then all supporters will give Lennon the support he deserves, [but not the Board].
Agree with most of what you say – I want someone else – however if it turns out to be Neil, he will get my full support….as always.
You say that “he had players sold against his will” – maybe true, but not the whole truth.
When players like Virgil, Ki, Victor and Fraser are sought after by EPL clubs, they always want to go and will not sign new contracts. What would be the point in keeping unhappy players that you eventually lose for nothing – Boyata is a prime example. The board should have overruled Brendan, if indeed he was the one who ‘dug his heels in’. We still had all sorts of trouble with Boyata and lost £9m transfer fee and/or £40m CL money….take your pick!
When players are unsettled and want to go, it is incombent on those who run the club to get the best possible deal for Celtic.
Let’s stop this fairy-tale that Neil left the last time because he was ‘shafted’ by Peter Lawwell – it is just not true and is an insult to the intelligemce to those know about the club.
In February Neil was conveniently available when BR left and jumped at the chance to step in as interim manager – had he still been at Hibs, then I believe Gordon Strachan would have been approached.
Brendan’s appointment was a watershed moment, much like the MON appointment some years earlier. This time there will be no reverting back to so-called ‘affordable’ replacements and downsizing.
A manager of stature will be hired, my preference is Moyes, however whether it be him, AVB, or, someone else, I believe we will know next week. Neil will not be the next manager…..I think he knows this already – his interview statement at the end of Sunday’s match said it all for me “it’s my ,club, it was my duty”…”even though I am not getting the job permanently” eas not said, but implied.
You were going rightly until the word Moyes.
Nice try David.
David?
Explain what’s so bad about David Moyes?
Preston – did an excellent job
Everton – did an excellent job
Man Utd – didn’t do any worse than elite calibre managers Van Gaal and Mourniho
Real Sociedad – bad career move to go to Spain where few British managers succeed
Sunderland – poisoned chalice club in decline with no money as witnessed by their relegation to League 1 and subsequent sacking of Simon Grayson and Chris Coleman
West Ham – joined them in the relegation zone and kept them up. Contract wasn’t renewed as WestHam wanted a “sexy” foreign big name.
On 13 January 2018, West Ham registered a 4–1 win away to Huddersfield, which was Moyes’s 200th victory as a Premier League manager. He became only the fourth to reach this milestone, after Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsène Wenger and Harry Redknapp.
You WANT MOYES!!! Sorry pal, but are you completely, totally and utterly off your fuckin head. I cannot think of ANYONE less suitable. Moyes is a “Has Been” who NEVER actually WAS in the first place. Personally I’d rather have Walter Smith!! They play the same negative, mind-numbingly boring football but at least the cardigan won things.
Also, it’s NO fairytale that NL was shafted by the board the last time. He was rogered rigid. The four players you mentioned above went for a combined sum of around £43m and not ONE PENNY of that OR the MONEY from two CL campaigns, including a last 16 appearance was reinvested on the field. RD came in after Lenny and was told to CUT the wage bill.
Your first paragraph I will ignore for obvious reasons.
As for the second – why would some return to a position where they were ‘rogered rigid’? Makes no sense.
Why would an organisation employ someone, at the most important time of the season, who they had ‘rogered rigid’ in the past? Makes no sense.
Surely there could be no goodwill between the ‘rogerer’ and the ‘rogeree’.
Football clubs are run on money with the biggest outgoing by far being on playing staff. We are in the second-most successful football period in our history – it could not have been done without serious investment in the playing squad – please think again!!!!
I doubt very much that he is returning under the same constraints.
Any board is temporary. The club is permanent and he, like the rest of us, genuinely loves the club.
Lenny did not receive the money. Nor RD. BR did and for the most part squandered it on duds. He won two trebles with a team built by Lenny and RD. The Dembele deal was in place before BR arrived. He had nothing to do with it. BR brought in Sinclair, who had one stunning season out of three. Ntcham who has been relatively successful and big Eddie who I believe will become a really good player. That’s it. I’m not going to even start to list the duds. There’s just too many.
Sorry Phil but I think you’re letting emotion in the way here. We’d all love a Celtic legend like Neil to take us to 10 in a row but I think appointing him permanently at this stage looks like cronyism. Celtic should not be appointing managers based on emotion or pre-existing relationships; they should be figuring out what skills and experience are needed for the role and then looking for an applicant that fits these. I’d argue that currently Neil does not fit what Celtic need which is someone with a proven track record in developing young players and playing a cohesive attacking style of football. His track record since leaving Celtic has been poor and I think if he was anyone else he wouldn’t be anywhere near being linked to the Celtic job. We can all talk about the famous Barcelona victory but a certain Tony Watt was a key figure that night and nobody would call for his return to lead the line.
Neil hasn’t done his reputation any damage with the way he’s stepped in and steadied us for 8-in-a row and potentially securing the treble-treble but I think at this stage we would be better thanking him and going our separate ways. I wish him well but I think at this stage Celtic need something different.
His track record since leaving Celtic has been poor.
Wakey wakey… He’s been knocking the b#locks out of us with Hibs on a fraction of the budget. His midfield which ran over Ours was sold from under him thankfully, or We wouldn’t be going for a treble. He may not be Pep, but he deserves our respect and he will deliver 10, after that who knows.
His track record since leaving Celtic is poor! Really? BR NEVER got the better of him one single time in a league match, with vastly superior resources. Hibs played the most exciting football in the country for long spells last year.