Celtic’s next permanent manager

I voted for Clarke as he was one of the few realistic options on the list that appealed to me and that I would feel safe bringing the ten, but the more I think about Cocu, the more I feel he is the right man, especially as he has such a fine record of bringing youth true.
I think he would be up for it too.

 

Our best performance under Lennon was at Hampden which is no surprise as it’s away from some of the greetin faced * at Parkhead.

 

Nah, it’s really not. There are fans that have lost all sense of perspective and don’t seem to understand that losing on of our best ever managers, after he’s ran that team into the ground, will have an effect on said team.

Yes, we all know the Snake was a good manager for us. No doubt. He left us and took most of the backteam staff with him at a crucial point of the season, we’re the walking wounded and we’re grinding out the season.

Put the blocks in place for next season right now, we had a wee shot in the arm with bringing in a couple of fresh faces and having a very easy run of games. Had our tail up a wee bit, wee bit of confidence in us... then that got knocked out with him leaving.

I don’t know what people were expecting, if anycunt could do what Rodgers and his background team were doing with this team, then why the * were we paying him all that money?

People need perspective, to me, we’ve largely lost that as a fanbase. That’s not aimed at everybody, you, @Vertie, @Valhalla I majorly disagree with on Lennon’s ability as a manager. However, you’re criticism is coming from a place that has perspective in it so I can respect that and debate. Hyperbolic pish can suck my balls but

 

Well, I must be one of the stupid ones.

Is this, or is it not, his audition for the job?

If it is, then based on what I've seen, I don't want him.

If it isn't an audition, then why not just appoint him now since the results and performances with someone's else's team are seemingly immaterial?

 

I don’t know if it’s his audition or not. The board could have someone else entirely lined up for all I know.

 

Well said.

 

This isn’t an audition, at all. It’s us trying to get the season over the line and win a treble treble doing so. That’s the most important thing. That’s not auditioning.

 

But that's the point, Dev.

Rodgers was an elite standard of coach and it is obvious not everyone could do what he was doing.

To try to replicate that elite-style professionalism however requires two things: money and ambition.

We've got the money. But do we have the ambition?

Lennon, clearly isn't capable of emulating Rodgers, so to appoint him would be seriously unambitious, and in my view, detrimental to the prospects of long-term success.

 

That’s what I have seen it as as well. Lennon was the best man for the job at the time of Rodgers’ departure, to see this season out anyway. Despite the unconvincing performances we are still getting the job done so I think it’s proven to be the right decision.

 

I don’t want anybody emulating Rodgers, I want us bettering him. Now, that’s pretty much impossible domestically.

I really think though, give Lenny the support and the backing then he could build something special in that regard.

Or maybe that’s just still regrets from the last spell, when that backing could pulled from under him and ruined what could have been something special for me. I know Hooper and Wilson wanted to go but by all accounts Wanyama was willing to go another season... would have loved to have seen him and Van Dijk together.

We were going strength to strength and the board * it. It may just be regrets for me but I truly believe he has the ability to build a CL quality team, well I know he can because he has before. If we back him, then I think it’s by far our best option.

But that’s the danger there, I only want him if the board are putting money where their mouths are and actually backing out manager, at least to the level BR was.

If they can’t do that with Lenny, then get somebody who can make them do so.

That’s not the only reason I want him, there’s other more practical reasons for me. Including I * love his style of football (and what we’ve seen hasn’t really been his style, some sorta * hybrid just now that’s not working).

Each to their own but I think he’s more than good enough to deliver the 10 and a promising team, capable of competing in the CL.

 

Fair enough.

I may have misinterpreted what you said.

What I was trying to say was that, if Lennon's remit is to merely get us over the line, then that's fine.

But if in doing so, he then becomes a serious contender for job on the basis of delivering the treble, then that implies his interim role will have had an impact on the decision-making process. It could be argued that is only reasonable. Ok, but surely, it is also reasonable to appraise the situation currently - the dreadful football and the serious lack of cutting edge - and conclude that this is a significant reason why he should not get the job at all.

 

Think we are all agreed the performances levels have been poor, it’s definitely been a struggle to watch..

For me Lenny isn’t getting the best out of the squad. He looks stressed, devoid of ideas and his body language isn’t good.

So how would this change if he was given the job, a magic switch suddenly turns them into a different entity?

We need a fresh approach in lots of ways and to build on what Rodgers brought. Lenny is a step backwards.

 

Making a point to the board about the striker required in the summer?

I'm not for Lennon but disagree we're in freefall mate. We're in a position we probably never expected to be due to our last managers decision making from recruitment 18 months ago to * off 6 weeks ago, as well as decisions in between. Whoever came in had a job on their hands even if we were in a cup quarter final and ahead in the league. Theres been major upheaval, dont underestimate that fact.

The last sentence, people are genuinely worried about what he will build, and rightly so with the squad needing so much work and the ten seemingly within our grasp. Whoever is appointed will be under serious pressure from day one, be it Lennon or whomever. I have a fear regardless of who gets appointed, recruitment-wise this summer is crucial and we haven't got a transfer window totally right in a long time. Lennon is getting it hard because hes the man at the moment and we're scraping by teams rather than destroying them. Whoever came in was gonna get it hard after the success since 2016.

We played against 10 & 9 men for long periods of that match. Granted we started well and looked very good v 11, but I wouldn't use that as a barometer.

 

I

He (Clarke) absolutely lambasted "west of scotland" culture the other week and said hes glad his kids are english etc. Would be a big turnaround for him to come and manage in Glasgow. Yes he was abused by huns but he was sat next to greeting faced pie munching Kris Boyd who has been "abused" ( no laughing at the back) by us the week previous.I would take him though over the other "realistic" candidates.

As for Cocu , I would be fairly excited .

 

I don't know enough about him. If he did a good job at Porto, why not? If he did a poor job, then no.

If the board speaks to managers like Cocu, for example, and determines that Lennon is the outstanding candidate, fair enough; I just want it to do its job.

As supporters, we have a limited idea of who we can attract. Could we attract García, for example? I have no idea. The board could establish that in a matter of seconds, with a phone call.

I want us to be ambitious, within reason (so no Mourinho, unfortunately - or fortunately, depending on your perspective ) - no different to what our player recruitment strategy should be.

If the board has already settled on Lennon, I agree that we should appoint him immediately.

 

By "freefall" I am referring to the fact we have dropped 4 points in last few weeks and our lead has been cut from 13 to 9 and we look like dropping points every time we play. We were all resigned to another 0-0 on Sat and I was suprised we got the goal. Would be anxious if there were ten games left the way things stand.
Hysterical hyperbole? Probably but that's how Lennon makes me feel, very nervous.

 

I don't think Clarke would take it for those reasons and I have some sympathy. Were he to be approached and come, I think the football would be pragmatic, but I could see him doing the necessary domestically.

Cocu would offer a little more risk but almost guarantees more excitement and the prospect of further development as a club.

 

He was Spain’s manager that’s just been sacked at Real for Zidane mate. It’d be highly, highly doubtful.

 

Who created a bigger gap than Rodgers left to begin with?

 

I take your point completely mate but you have to see the warning signs. If we appoint Lennon it will breed confidence into the Huns and we will have a title race on our hands next year. Go with a Cocu, something fresh, and back the manager in summer and we can put them to bed once and for all.

Lennon seems in awe of what Brendan did here. I want someone who will disagree with some of his methods etc and have confidence in their own abilities as a manager and coach.

Hibs are a better side since Lennon left it seems. That worries me also.