Neil Lennon may have inadvertently revealed that he will be the new Celtic boss at a recent press conference. During Friday’s pre Rangers presser the interim manager referred to the Hoops players as “my players” when answering a question about motivation.
Lennon quickly corrected himself saying: “Sorry, I don’t think the players need any motivation.”
While this may have been a simple Freudian slip, it does give us a glimpse into Lennon’s current mindset. The Celtic boss is in charge of a team going for multiple honours, but it’s not his team. He’s still just the caretaker of a squad assembled and then abandoned by his predecessor.
Should Celtic have announced Lennon by now?
There are pros and cons to the club announcing Lennon as manager mid-season. It could be argued that the move would give the players certainty and also help with plans for next season. Having a permanent manager in place would give us the best chance of success next year and also limit the distractions this season.
On the flipside, you could argue that Celtic have no real need to make a decision right now. Lennon is already in place until the end of the season and has proven himself as a steady hand. Winning trophies is the most important thing for the club in the here and now and Lennon understands that.
Parallels have been drawn with Lennon’s situation and that of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Manchester United. Like Lennon, the Norwegian took over as a caretaker boss. Good form meant he was offered the job permanently just weeks later. United’s form has since tailed off with many now questioning whether Solskjaer was ever the right man for the job.
Celtic have done well to avoid that same situation with Lennon. Making the decision at the end of the season is best for all parties. It allows Lennon and the payers to get on with the job of winning another treble, while the board can make a measured and calculated decision when the time is right.
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