Neil Lennon

Lenny's last season we got 99 points in the league. We started off badly, when we were reassembling the team after the sale of Wanyama, Hooper and Wilson, the spine of the previous year.

By the end of the season we were making some serious strides, regularly pumping teams and generally looked 1/2 signings away from where were the year prior.

That got stopped in it's tracks.

 

Aye, Lenny definitely is that guy. For one, we know he's already told them to * off and left because of it - and the board went on to utterly fail without him. The other is he didn't take the job in the first place under the boards biggest condition, a 'mentor' for Lenny. He fought his ground and brought in his own team.

He's not a guy who doesn't stick to his convictions.

I want something that works for us. I want us in the Champions League. I don't think there is any evidence that Lenny is incapable of taking us to that level once again.

 

I'd bite your hand off to get back to that level :smiley-laughing002:

I think some people think the likes of Moyes and Rodgers will surpass what Lennon did but I'm not really sure how. I think if Lennon came back it wouldn't take him as long as it did the first time to get into the CL (3 seasons) because he's a better manager now than he was then.

Basically if Lennon came back I would expect him to qualify for 3/4 CL's and win the league consistently, along with a few cups. Could Moyes or Rodgers really top that? Obviously that's just my opinion though and others mightn't be as confident in Lennon being able to do that, but I'd be interested to hear what kind of expectations people would have domestically and in Europe for Moyes or Rodgers.

 

I would rather Lennon than those other 3 but those names aren't the be all and end all. It doesn't suddenly go from the likes of Moyes and Rodgers to Mackay and Lambert.

Names like Murat Yakin and Laudrup. I'd rather have them than Lenny.

 

For what it's worth Moyes is my first choice and Lennon second, mainly because I do like the idea of something fresh, and I think he'll only take the job if he is backed properly, which would get me excited.

 

And so did he, and within a day of Ronny's news, he was on the telly saying he'd jump at it..

He's not exactly in a position of strength. In fact, I'd say he's in a weaker position than just before he left..

Ledley, Sammy, transfer budget and target's getting worse and worse, a voice box via Pedro to the media countless time's. I couldn't see Moyes or Rodgers standing for any of that..

 

Really? Okay let's look at it.

2012/13 season - we got to the Last 16 and beat Barca, amazing. I don't think any of us are expecting the next manager to do more than that. Getting to the QF's is a pipe dream let's be honest. Even the Last 16 now under any manager would be beyond incredible.

But in that same season we got 79 points in the league. We've already got 80 points this season with 3 games left - and domestically this season I don't think anyone has been impressed. 79 points in a league with no huns was pretty diabolical.

The next season - 99 points in the league, again amazing and we don't expect the next manager to get that every season. However, Champions League? Whipping boys in the group. Two cup competitions? Knocked out at the 3rd and 5th rounds by Morton and Aberdeen - both games at Celtic Park.

So you're not sure how they can surpass it?

Qualifying for the CL and put in respectable performances (qualifying for the Last 16 shouldn't be expected). Win the league a bit more impressively than the 79 points tally. Win a cup, or at least get to both finals.

To me, that doesn't look like a huge ask.

 

So you want us to get around 90 points in the league, put a respectable performance in the CL and be at least on the brink of a treble every season? I don't think that's impossibly by any stretch but you are expecting a lot.

If we qualify for the CL and win the league by any amount of points then I am relatively happy, although I don't want to see us embarrassed in the CL either. Cups are a bonus after that.

 

And within a season he got the worst aggregrate score and the least points of any Celtic manager in the CL?

All within 1 season?

The way I look at it, there are similarities with Lenny and Ronny for me, they are kinda set in their own way, and that leads to problems in the long run.

As has already been shown, the continuation to bottle it in cup ties etc have been there for all to see in both their stewardships.




That's the thing I saw.

 

Expecting a lot? That maybe shows how far we've fallen if people think that's expecting a lot.

We could reach 89 points this season, and we've been less than impressive in the league. 85-90 points is very doable. By a respectable performance in the CL I mean picking up a win or two at home and a draw away, and not being skudded 3-0 at Celtic Park or beaten by 5 goals away.

85 points, 5/6 points in the CL and a Scottish Cup.

If that's asking for a lot from Celtic we'd better chuck it.

 

He's in a far stronger position than he was first time round and he told the board to get tae with their mentors and * that time. The boards in a far weaker position now than ever before as well.

Rodgers? Did you see what he stood for at Liverpool?

 

In an ideal world we'd be winning every competition we entered but I'd happily sacrifice winning the Scottish cup & League cup to have our success in Europe we had under Lennon.

Bringing up the fact we got hammered off Barcelona in the Nou Camp as if that makes him a bad manager That could happen to literally any club in world football.

Deila got hammered off Legia and Strachan off Artmedia Bratislava ffs.

 

Last16 of the champions league playing at a better tempo, style and still one the league

 

"Still won the league".

We had * all competition that's why. It was the lowest league winning points tally in * knows how long.

 

Strachan didn't do too bad in the CL either, and I presume you forgot about Utrecht under Lennon?

We had a good season in CL under Lenny, no-one can say different, but apart from that his Celtic career is practically a carbon copy of Deila. The one year Lenny had a challenge he blew it at ICT. Wouldn't surprise me if Deila was still in charge, he'd have blown next season.

 

Agree with that. I don't think folk realise just how far away the side Lennon left are from the current side, despite being the whipping boys in the CL (I would argue that with the signings Lennon had made in Griffiths, Johansen, VVD and Bitton we would've done a lot better the following year). Right now we're the whipping boys in the Europa League unfortunately.

The main point I see repeated on here against Lennon is that people want change, something fresh. That's all well and good but change for it's own sake is rarely going to be beneficial. If Lennon could replicate his first term in charge (and that point is debatable imo), we would be idiots to not have him very near the top of our list. I think if the board were to describe their ideal manager he would basically do what Lennon in his first term in charge - excellent in the transfer market, get the best out of players, unite the club/fans, punch well above our weight in Europe, bring through young talented players and sell on our star players for significant profits. I'm more than willing to sacrifice a domestic cup every now and again for that.

 

No comparison between Deila and Lennon for me. Actually, I guess it's fair to say they both turned around the team they took, just in opposite directions :smiley-laughing002:

 

I don't agree. I think Lenny's stock is at it's lowest. I actually don't think the board want him back, just a hunch mind and that'll he'll be someway down the pecking order..

I don't, no. I do know that if we're to get such a sought after candidate like him, then we must be putting some package together and both side's mean business..

 

Can't wait until we appoint a new manager, hopefully the over the top Lenny love will die down a bit.