Paul Lambert and Neil Lennon shared a midfield for many successful years at Celtic.
But it’s fair to say that they have differing views on the goings-on at Celtic, with Lennon previously defending the board and Dermot Desmond.
Lambert hasn’t gone down that road, and instead, he has told the champions of Scotland that ‘they won’t get away’ with the mess of the previous campaign when the new season kicks off against Dundee on August 3.
Despite Celtic winning the domestic double under Martin O’Neill, including Daizen Maeda going goal crazy for the post-split fixtures, the current state of the club doesn’t impress Lambert.
Speaking to the BBC, the legendary midfielder urged the powers that be at Celtic Park to invest in ‘ready-made’ players, as he called out Maeda for only turning up for a handful of matches last term.
What do you make of Martin O’Neill’s constant defence of the Celtic board? 🤔🍀
Share us your thoughts, Celtic fans 👇🍀
Paul Lambert suggests Celtic aren’t good enough to win the Premiership title
“If you don’t spend, you stand still,” said Lambert. “That’s always the key. You have to improve.
“I have seen Celtic; they are nowhere near good enough at this moment in time. Nowhere near it. I think everybody recognises it and knows it.
“You get Maeda who turned up for about six games last season. That’s not enough over a season. It’s not enough.
“You need people to do it consistently over the course of the season, because they want a move; they get six or seven games out of them at the end of the season. It doesn’t work. You have to get guys who do it over a long period of time.
“Not with the squad they have got, no (Celtic can’t compete in the Premiership next season). The problem they have there at the minute is the squad was very, very limited last season. They won’t get away with that again.
“The manager knows it, and whatever players come in and help them. That’s why I said they need ready-made players.
“The infrastructure has to be so important for them to do that. But they need ready-made players who know how to win football matches, because you won’t get away with it. Not this time.”
Harsh truth from Lambert…
It has been well-documented since last summer that Maeda wanted to leave Celtic.
The all-action forward publicly expressed his disappointment at not getting a move, before struggling for several, several months under Brendan Rodgers and Wilfried Nancy.
Yes, Maeda is still a Celtic legend, but his heart isn’t in it because he is craving a move to the Premier League and playing in the so-called best league in the world.
As Lambert touched upon, the Hoops need players who can put in performances over a longer period, and the man from Japan can no longer provide that.
But when it comes to the new season, which is only a few weeks away, the former Champions League winner seemingly has his reservations about what will unfold despite his former manager being in the dugout.
Given how Celtic fans decided not to turn up for the first pre-season game on home soil this summer, and the statements from the supporters’ group, you would guess that large sections of the fanbase agree with Lambert.
Receive a digest of our best Celtic content each week direct to your mailbox
