And so it’s Lenny. Let’s put some easy to apply context onto the decision, Jose Mourinho and Rafa Benitez were not about to pitch up in the east end of Glasgow, those names were placed in the pubic domain by those in the betting markets. Jose is pondering his next move, with a number of oil wells pumping away at his disposal. Should Rafa leave Newcastle, he has a mind-blowing deal on the table from a Chinese club, and that’s before he is on the market. There was not a candidate of Brendan’s calibre.
Salzburg manager, Marco Rose, ticked lots of boxes. Salzburg were scintillating against Celtic this season, but the whole of Europe knows about Rose, who will join ‘some German team’ in the summer.
We could have had David Wagner, two great seasons with Huddersfield before it all collapsed, but never having managed a club bigger than Huddersfield (or any other club), the risks were evident. How would he cope with the scrutiny and pressure to win every game, when he has not actually won anything? Before he joined Schalke, he was a possibility, but not a clear favourite.
We could have thrown the field open and gone for a Ronny Delia-type candidate, someone who has outperformed – and won things, in another European league. There is a time for this kind of appointment, but is that now?
This month saw new names on the market, like Chris Hughton. Hughton did for Brighton what Wagner did at Huddersfield. He was a worthy candidate but there were red flags among the green. Hughton spent £77m at Brighton this season (selling £12m of talent), but it was careless. £17m went to Alkmaar for Alireza Jahanbakhsh, but the player was given 90 minutes only four times. This is the kind of shabby recruitment that values Oliver Burke at £15m. It is as wrong for Celtic as it was for Brighton.
The major consideration, and why Neil got the job, is that Celtic have a major rebuilding exercise to undertake. They need to replace Lustig (whether he remains as backup or not), Boyata, Benkovic and Mousse Dembele. Despite the mainstays of central mid being under contract, this area of the team needs at least one significant recruit.
Not only do they need to spend money this summer, but they need a high success rate from the new arrivals. Signing the likes of Burke, Toljan and the legendary Compper would jeopardise the most precious of properties in football – a place in history.
Whatever you think of Brendan Rodgers, Celtic know very well the commercial impact a manager of his calibre brought to the club, but that level was not open this time. We could have repeated the Ronny Deila experiment from Europe, or picked up someone recently out of a job in England, but not at this time.
Everyone at Celtic knows that for the next 100 years, fans will look back at this period and ask one of two questions: What was it like to live through +10-in-a-row? Or, How did they not get 10-in-a-row?
We need to spend, what for Celtic, is a lot of money, perhaps more than ever. It needs to be spent well, with a lot more hits than misses. If we break our transfer record again this season, the player(s) needs to an outstanding success.
Whatever Neil’s strengths and flaws, one comment from Peter Lawwell immediately after the Cup Final gave insight into what the club seen in the manager, “he has a great eye for a player”. This appointment was not about stepping up when required, being a real Celtic man, or winning the league and Scottish Cup. This was about spending a lot of money to make sure we get nine and then 10-in-a-row.
Celtic believe Neil Lennon can spend your money effectively. That is why he is here. Buckle up.
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WESTCRAIGS on 27TH MAY 2019 2:37 PM
When I read that we had sold 50000 season tickets and that there was a waiting list i thought that the job was neil’s.
—–
That imo was a big factor in appointing Neil.
The board knew that season ticket sales are assured on the back of going for 9 and likewise hopefully ten.
Season ticket sales are guaranteed for the next couple of years regardless of the product and quality on show.
@ROCK TREE BHOY on 27TH MAY 2019 4:44 PM
“We won’t stand still. We want to make Celtic the best that it possibly can be.”
People are sceptical because his actions have not matched his words. Look at the last couple of transfer windows. We have stood still. P67 even produced an article criticising our transfer policy and the team’s stagnation.
Today’s article talks of a squad overhaul while there are quotes from PL to the effect that the squad isn’t as bad as it seems and only smaller scale change is required.
It will be interesting to see how the summer progresses but history shows that we very rarely invest heavily in the transfer market.
The criticism of Lennon seems to be that there is a suspicion that he doesn’t use sports science or perhaps work as hard as some other managers – he may also be tactically poor… he may not be the best and using positive motivation.
I have my doubts too and I think we could have got much better if we were prepared to pay for it. Salary salary salary…
Has Lennon accepted yet or are we waiting on the finer details being signed? I hope Lennon is not accepting the job on a small percentage of Rodgers deal. If so we jeopardise 10.
Villa squeeze out a forgettable win.
Should Peter have come out and declared “There will be a major reinvestment this close season” agents all over Europe and beyond would be inflating the asking price of their second rate clients.
I’m sure Neil will be seeking assurances of financial backing to bring in replacements for a number of key positions.
He will be looking to appoint a fitness coach and hopefully John Kennedy will be providing the back room information on the analysis apps employed by BR on health, fitness, diet and performance.
And I’m sure he will be leaning on Broony to convey his game philosophy to the dressing room.
Rodgers had the support of a knowledgeable team and I hope the board continue with that kind of investment.
“He has a great eye for a player”.
Has other meanings but also a dig at Brendan Rodgers, imo.
THCH
“ It will be interesting to see how the summer progresses but history shows that we very rarely invest heavily in the transfer market.”
Like they didn’t invest In Odsonne Edouard who just won us the Cup.
Can’t see the wood for the trees CSC
David17
Clearly was, and merited in the eyes of many.
Irony CSC
Two points.
If neil wasn’t offered the job which club would. An Epl club?
Sevco supporters seem to be happy with peter’s decision.
We are gambling when we don’t need to. We should be burying sevco.
Lenny is here now and the acceptance has to happen and the support need to get behind him which the majority will. The important thing now is to be decisive in the market and add hopefully at least a few quality additions before the squad return for pre-season. We need to show intent in the market as opposed to repeating the mistakes of the previous windows. By all means add potential but add quality and first team ready players. A summer of discontent is not what is needed at this time. These are extraordinary times and the Board need to step up to the plate and deliver.
@BOURNESOUPRECIPE on 27TH MAY 2019 5:14 PM
We sold Armstrong, Sviatchenko and Dembele this summer. We also received a decent sum for VDD’s sell on fee. We lost Paddy back on loan.
Outwith Edouard, we brought in loans and frees. The team was weaker this year than last.
The Hands Cant Hit What The Eyes Cant See
In 2018 we had a Net Transfer spend of : approx. minus 20 Million… That’s right… minus !
Yet from window to window, it largely goes by unquestioned.
Any thoughts on his assistant
WHITEDOGHUNCH on 27TH MAY 2019 5:41 PM
Any thoughts on his assistant
Scott Brown?
THCH
Thanks, but we both know who we bought and sold.
My point was we invested heavily in Odsonne Edouard who won the Cup less than 48 hours ago.
The only evidence there is, indicates we’ll invest again and your continual reference to last season is blind to Celtic’s transfer record in the modern game, and long before Brendan Rodgers rolled up and arguably wasted his budget on some poor signings.
Have a look at the list of players signed by Neil Lennon rather than the signings BR didn’t make. If you can do that, you won’t be predicting mass non investment that hasn’t happened yet.
Still don’t get it, will all those unhappy Celtic fans forecasting it’s going to end in tears be happy if it does end in tears because that’s what they had predicted? Will that cheer them up any? What if it doesn’t end in tears and Neil surpasses all expectations by doing a great job – another treble say – will they be annoyed at that because they got it wrong? I don’t think any other club in world football has a support like ours, absolutely unique.
Thing is, the naysayers demand better players for us. Thing is they don’t gives us names and probable total cost in purchase, signing on fee, agent fee and first year salary.
When you question them they say its not their job to scout and recruit players.!
Knightswood bhoy 1.19 pm
My concern over a Europeans coach would be the high tense environment that will take place next season.
I just happen to think that the suits have picked the guy best suited to getting us the 9th title. In this environment. HH
I
Apparently we’re £20M up in transfers from last season and we have predictions of downsizing and non investment?
You would have thought it would be the other way round from the Daily Recordish mantra, that the money was in a biscuit tin, earmarked for heated drives, or downright ready to be salted away to the wee wummin in Ireland again.
These posters disappear when Celtic are investing, playing, and winning usually with in a few games of the last 8 seasons.
Expat_celt
I see huge value in that
Neil Lennon for better or worse is our new manager. I didn’t want him to get the job, neither did my brother or any of the guys who I go to the football with. However now that’s he’s confirmed in the post he will get my ? support.
There were many “in the know” who said it wouldn’t be Neil, on here and elsewhere including JohnJamesite who this morning offered to chuck his blog for getting it wrong. His source was apparently a “pish stained mole” who saw Lenny blootered at the player of the year awards? At least E-Tim’s admit their stuff is made up!
So it seems the rumour mill out of Celtic is not very accurate, who’d have thunk it?
Let the doubters doubt and the Huns rejoice. With a few strategic signings and a wee bit of luck on the injury front we’ll win the nine for sure. Anything else domestically a bonus. Champions League qualification is a must.
Villa versus Derby was dull as ditchwater, we’d have beaten either of them.
God bless Neil Lennon
Thank you for everything this season so many records broken.
SUPERB ????????
???????????
So many great memory’s this season
We look forward to more under you Lenny.
D. :)
Angel Gabriel I take your point but respectfully disagree with the decision but I genuinely htf you are right and I am utterly wrong. Hi to you my friend
The bluenoses biggest nightmare is Lenny leading us to 9 and then 10 in a row, watch them implode if we get any sort of lead in the league.
Stairheedrammy, interesting point.
I feel this probably puts more pressure on Neil than pretty much any other candidate.
I do not see this as a positive for Celtic or indeed for Neil himself.
I would love to see who the best realistic candidate any of the football geniuses on here can come up with ?
I really struggle to find anyone I would feel great about, certainly can’t see anyone with the mix of big club experience and winning and knowledge of the Scottish game.
Could one of the board critics at least volunteer a few names to consider ? Then your critique of our board can be taken for real.
All these anti NL appointment telling us how they and their mates , and probably their aunties and grannies and dugs, did not want him, but they will now support him 100.
Haud me back !
By all accounts when we unfurl the winners flag on our first home game the majority of our support will be hoping for Neil to fail.
Grown Bacardi @ 6.01
Agreed.
We even have detractors who bemoan loan signings as if they’re freebies!
I’m sure Man City (Roberts), Leicester (Benkovic). West Brom (Burke) etc all demanded a loan fee for borrowing their players – not to mention our contribution to the players wages whilst we have them.
Some will say we spent little to get Moussa as the fee was comparatively low – without knowing at all how much we paid as a signing on fee and wages, which when combined will not have been cheap. Yes, we got a return via Lyon’s fee (and possible add-on) but the initial outlay gets ignored by many when we sign these players.
HH
RON BACARDI
Nonsense, since you’re explicitly referring to me I’ll be cheering the Hoops on from the same seat I’ve occupied for over thirty years.
I hoped for a more progressive coach. Someone in the Marcus Rose mould, his team were great against us. It seems at least according to Peter Lawwell we never even spoke to any other candidates, that’s dereliction of duty by the board in my book.
@ BURNLEY78 on 27TH MAY 2019 6:24 PM
“Could one of the board critics at least volunteer a few names to consider ? Then your critique of our board can be taken for real.”
In the same way any criticism of the government’s handling of Brexit cannot be taken seriously unless an alternative plan is put forward?
Celtic received £2M for winning the SPL.
Aston Villa will receive £170M for qualifying for the EPL.
Just let that sink in especially for Scottish Nationalists CSC
Grown = Ron
Apologies (stupid pred text)
@ BOURNESOUPRECIPE on 27TH MAY 2019 5:46 PM
The question has to be asked why we didn’t invest more under Brendan (or indeed Ronny)? Brendan’s transfer budget was quite meagre when you look at the price paid for the vast majority of his signings. In his time at the club we only spent £2m+ on four players. Given the amount of success and income brought into the club during his tenure, that isn’t a huge amount.
Neil had some great signings (VVD, Wanyama, Hooper etc), but there is also a fairly long list of failures (Juarez, Balde, Pukki and Boerrigter to name a few).
“ Some finish from Edwin Ozzard “
Alan Stubbs on Sportscene
No half-hearted support for Neil from me and Wee BGFC – full backing and delighted to have him back where he belongs.
Excited to see what gems he manages to unearth over the course of the summer – if previous experience is anything to go by, we can hope for one or two cracking players.
In the car earlier, Wee BGFC read out a post – don’t know who it was – being negative about Neil being in place because he will be trying to pick out ‘bargains’ when looking for players.
However, outwith all of the EPL and a small selection of the top teams in Germany, France, Italy and Spain, that is EXACTLY what every other club in Europe is trying to do. Surely therefore it makes eminent sense to have someone in charge who is good at it?
What is the alternative? We can’t enter into the inflated market that those top teams shop in, so we need to aim to bring in players that are better than their current price-tag would suggest – i.e., pick up bargains.
It might not sound glamorous but is a sensible and sustainable approach for Celtic.
HH
BGFC
ROBINBHOY,
Was not referencing you, get over it. Good that you have had the same seat for over 30 years – must be in the main stand .
THCH
If the decision to appoint Neil Lennon was because we couldn’t hope to find another Brendan, then it firmly places the CeItic Board, behind the eight ball.
It does not downsize the higher ground we/ve attained in eight years IMO and the fact we haven’t spent the Dembele money, merely means we still got it to spend.
With regard to Rodgers players how many of his signings left at the club, would result in a profit when they are shown the door?
Plus and minus for every manager but Neil Lennon thrashes Brendan Rodgers in the transfer market given that Moussa Dembele was scouted by Deila.
Its over to Peter from Saturday at 5.00PM and if he’s one thing it isn’t stupid.