Celtic are winless in nine of their last 10 games in all competitions. The Hoops are in chaos and Neil Lennon is on the verge of being sacked – if he hasn’t been already by the time you read this.
With Steven Gerrard reinvigorating Rangers, now 13 points ahead of Celtic, and failures in the Champions League qualifying stage and now Europa League group stage, Lennon’s time as manager is nearing its end.
Lennon succeeded at Celtic after taking over nearly two years ago from Brendan Rodgers. Yet, his successes should be taken with a grain of salt. Celtic were already the best team in Scotland and regularly winning domestic titles – while failing on the continent.
This season he has simply failed to keep the status quo going as Celtic have dropped 11 points in the Premiership. Desperately seeking success in Europe, Lennon’s inability to get the Hoops past Ferencvaros in the Champions League qualifying rounds fell incredibly short.
In the Europa League groups stage, Celtic have been outplayed as Lennon has failed to outthink his coaching rivals. On Sunday versus St. Johnstone in the Premiership, Lennon chose the same players that have continued to struggle in recent weeks.
His decision to play the same underperforming players showed his inability to think outside the box and manage the Hoops through the chaos.
Perhaps it is because his success in Scotland as Hoops manager has been due to Celtic always coming out on top in spite of form – meaning Lennon has had to do very little in terms of actual coaching. His track record elsewhere wasn’t great.
Now, with fans protesting outside of Celtic Park at the weekend in favour of a managerial change, a shortlist of possible coaches has come to light from leading sportsbooks.
Martin O’Neill coached Celtic between 2000-05. He had plenty of success at the club, but like other managers, struggled in jobs away from Celtic Park. His last managerial job was at Championship club Nottingham Forest in 2019. After 19 games with 11 ending without victory, he was sacked.
Jack Ross has been in charge of Hibs for the last year, making a name for himself as an up-and-coming Scottish manager. Hibs are third in the Premiership tallying 29 points from 16 games. Ross has shown potential with limited budgets at St Mirren, Sunderland and Hibs. What could he do with Celtic’s money behind him?
Eddie Howe may be one of the most overrated managers in English football. Sure, he did wonders to get Bournemouth into the Premier League, but his track record in the transfer market and getting the best out of players in times of relegation were atrocious. Would he be an upgrade?
Roy Keane played 10 Scottish top-flight games for Celtic over a decade ago. Could he be lured back into management to lead Celtic? It is doubtful as Keane has a very cosy pundits' job with Sky Sports. Although he was an assistant with Nottingham Forest under O’Neill, he feels like a long-shot for the job.