Should Celtic go down the route of bringing in a new manager in the coming days or even weeks, it’s vital that we don’t allow 10-in-a-row to define him.
For nearly nine-and-a-half years, the Hoops have been working towards securing the historic 10. Something that would be a first in Scottish football and indeed the club’s history. It’s been our main target at least since Brendan Rodgers took over back in 2016 and it started to become a reality.
Since then, you could perhaps argue it’s led to the club becoming unhealthily obsessed with it. The 10 has become a fixation – something that will reap us with more emotional reward and anything financial as a football club.
You could argue that our strong desire to get the 10 has led to increased pressure on Neil Lennon this season. Had this been any other season, would Lennon be under the same monumental level of pressure he’s currently under? I would go as far as to say no, but perhaps only to some extent given how long the performances have been poor for.
However, our mentality towards the 10 has to change if Celtic make the bold move of bringing in a long-term option and part ways with the current manager.
Should an Eddie Howe, Marco Silva, or Dan Petrescu come in, they can’t be held to account for the 10 the same way Lennon would’ve been. Yes, any new boss will be brought in with the idea of turning around our 11-point league deficit and turning this into a successful season.
But if that doesn’t happen….if for some reason a Marco Silva failed to win the title this year from this point forward, it can’t be used to define his Celtic career.
Manager needs time to get his own players in
Remember, anyone who comes in will have to largely work with Lennon’s group of players. He would hardly have any time to work with them before January, and given the outlay the board spent in the summer, funds won’t exactly be in large supply when the winter window does come around.
We can’t hire a manager for the long-term and then bullet him if we don’t go on to win the league this season. What we need to see as supporters is a progression. First off, an improvement in performance levels and noticeable signs of a footballing philosophy being put into place.
Secondly, a massive improvement in tactical awareness in differing matchday situations. This has something that Lennon has struggled with badly this season, with very little quality in-game management being evident.
And thirdly, better results/performances in the remaining derby matches. Lennon has lost three of his last five Glasgow derbies against Rangers, and has only really dominated one of them. That’s not good enough for where we should be as a club compared to our rivals.
If any new manager can show us an improvement in these aspects and give us a promising glimpse into the future, that has to be enough to be given more time if the league doesn’t go our way this season.
It’s a different story if we’re still being bossed by our rivals and dropping key points in home games whilst being knocked out of the Scottish Cup by a mediocre side. That would be a different story.
Celtic have built for absolutely nothing beyond this season over the last two campaigns. There’s been no long-term plan in sight since Rodgers’ departure. Now we have the chance to implement something fresh and vibrant to the club.
The 10 will still be the remit on paper and we’ll be going all out to secure it. But a failure to do so shouldn’t lead to a sackable offence for our next manager – so long as he ticks some of the other boxes.
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