Neil Lennon is absolutely right. Martin O’Neill has earned the right to decide his own Celtic future without pressure from anybody, including Dermot Desmond.
Speaking after facing O’Neill as a manager in Dunfermline’s Scottish Cup defeat to Celtic, Lennon’s admiration for his former boss could not have been clearer.
It also reflected exactly how much O’Neill still means to Celtic supporters after everything he has delivered for the club.
Give us your gut feeling after the cup final… will Martin O’Neill be Celtic manager next season?
Neil Lennon is saying what every Celtic fan already feels
Lennon was hurting after the Scottish Cup defeat but it didn’t stop him sending another classy message to the Celtic boss and his former mentor.
Speaking on the Scottish Football Podcast, Lennon said: “It was great [facing O’Neill as a manager]. Once the game started, you’re totally focusing on your own team. What a job he’s done, but that doesn’t surprise me.
“Like I said, he’s the best of the best. If he leaves, then what a hero he will be. If he stays, then I think he should have the right to make that decision.”
The emotional weight behind those comments matters because Lennon understands exactly what O’Neill represents at Celtic. Few managers transformed standards at the club the way he did during his first spell, and his recent return has only strengthened that legacy.
After everything he has already achieved, O’Neill has protected his standing regardless of what comes next. That is why Lennon’s point about autonomy feels so important.
There should be no emotional pressure placed on O’Neill to continue if he feels the demands of the role are becoming too much. Equally, if he wants to stay, few people in football have earned that trust more.
Dermot Desmond should respect O’Neill’s position
O’Neill has already confirmed talks with Dermot Desmond are expected, which naturally keeps uncertainty around the situation alive.
But Lennon’s comments should resonate strongly with the Celtic powerbroker. Desmond knows better than anybody what O’Neill has done for Celtic across two separate eras.
That relationship stretches back more than two decades and has now delivered another hugely successful chapter. Trying to force a decision too quickly would feel unnecessary after what O’Neill has already achieved.
Lennon’s emotional message captured the mood perfectly. If O’Neill stays, Celtic supporters will back him. If he leaves, he departs once again as one of the greatest managers the club has ever had.
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