Celtic are seeking a new manager after the resignation of Neil Lennon. The Northern Irishman, a former club captain, met Celtic’s majority shareholder Dermot Desmond in Dublin on Monday afternoon. Celtic’s hierarchy had been aware since the end of last week that Lennon may well be of a mind to leave the club after four years in charge, a matter confirmed by the man himself during talks with Desmond.
Celtic’s unwillingness to convince Lennon to stay owes plenty to timing and the advantages of seeking a new manager during the close season. The Scottish champions also clearly wanted to avoid a concerted period of speculation surrounding their manager.
Lennon took the decision after talks with his close family and friends at the conclusion of the season. His coach, Garry Parker, is expected to follow him out of Celtic Park.
Lennon had grown disillusioned with the lack of challenge offered by Scottish football and is now of a mind to work in a fresh environment. There is also a belief within Lennon that he has taken Celtic as far as he can in their current form.
He will now seek to continue his management career, which returned three league titles in as many years and back-to-back Champions League involvement, in England.
For now, Lennon has nothing whatsoever lined up, which will leave his decision to leave as stable a club as Celtic as a surprise to many. Lennon, though, is keen to further himself as a manager and believes that can only happen beyond the Scottish scene.
In recent weeks, Lennon’s assistant, Johan Mjallby, has left Celtic in curious circumstances. Strange, too, was the analysis of the Greek forward Georgios Samaras of his exit from the club under freedom of contract.
Samaras said: “I cannot lie to the people. I had a chat with the manager. He would have loved me to stay at the club. But me and the gaffer, we don’t make the decisions – there are people above us who make the decisions and they never approached me.”
The manager himself had expressed public fear over the ability of Celtic to land transfer targets who would be suitable to ensure Champions League qualification once again.
Lennon watched as his “crown jewels”, Gary Hooper and Victor Wanyama, were sold last summer without being adequately replaced. Despite narrow qualification for the Champions League, Celtic toiled badly in their group a year after progressing to the last 16.
Celtic would ordinarily turn towards one of their former players, Malky Mackay, as Lennon’s successor. However, the ex-Cardiff City manager is strongly tipped to take over at another of his former clubs, Norwich City. Lennon has also been on Norwich’s radar; he may suddenly be more appealing to the newly-relegated club should they have second thoughts about Mackay.
Owen Coyle is out of work and could appeal, but rebuffed a Celtic approach in the past. Coyle retains strong support inside Celtic Park. Steve Clarke is also instantly available but has never previously displayed a temptation to return to his native Scotland.
Should Desmond insist on a high-profile figure in order to boost attendances and interest at Celtic Park, the likes of Roy Keane and Henrik Larsson may well come into Celtic’s thinking. Odds shortened on Larsson being appointed on Wednesday.
Celtic will enter the Champions League at the competition’s second qualifying phase, on 15 or 16 July.