Lenny's Future

Win title.. get a deal | The Sun |Home Scotland|Scottish Sport|SPL

CELTIC boss Neil Lennon was told last night: Win the title then we will discuss a new contract.

Chief executive Peter Lawwell revealed the board are delighted with progress under Lenny.
But his one-year deal has only four months to run and he's vowed to bring the flag back to Parkhead for major shareholder Dermot Desmond as payback for his faith.
Lawwell said: "Neil knows where he is, we know where he is. Everybody's united and I would like to stress that more than anything.
"At the moment we're very pleased with how he's performed.
"But we haven't won anything yet and the main objective is the title. We're going for that and we are going for two other trophies, but we're not getting carried away.
"There's a long way to go, but Neil's done fantastically well, I think everybody can see that.
"We're happy with his results, he has reconnected with the team and the support, he's got a great spirit about the place. There's a real unity within the club, from the board, the management and the players and fans.
"Neil's brought that, he's brought a real unity.
"We are in a decent place at the moment and we are going forward.
"We'll see what we can achieve in the next few months.
"The main thing is trophies, that's why we're all here."
Lennon has got Celtic closing in on a first Treble for a decade. Lawwell admitted: "It was a gamble appointing Neil from the outside looking in but from within it was less of a gamble, because we knew him.
"We knew his strengths and we knew his talents.
"People on the outside couldn't get the same feel because they didn't know him well enough.
"From inside we felt he had a lot to offer and so far he's doing very well."
Lawwell, revealing six-month accounts which show a profit before tax of £7.06million and bank debts increased to £9.09m, trumpeted the £9m spent on players.
He also acknowledged the big-money summer sales of Aiden McGeady, Artur Boruc and Stephen McManus prevented the finances from being dramatically worse.
Lawwell said: "The player trading has been very helpful because we've been able also to invest heavily in the side and create a new young team with an average age of under 23.
"So far it looks as though the transfer market dealings are working and we're happy with how things are progressing.
"It's early days for us though and we've won NOTHING yet."
Meanwhile, Iain Brines is the shock pick to ref this weekend's Old Firm clash - his first derby. Lawwell added: "I have no concerns whatsoever.
"I honestly couldn't pick Ian Brines out from any of the rest.
"I just have faith in those guys over there knowing what they are doing."
Celtic are at war with CSKA Sofia over £275,000 they are still due for the transfer of striker Cillian Sheridan.
They have now made a formal protest to FIFA in a bid to get their cash.

Bit in bold is EXACTLY what he done with Celtic I was calling for his head in December and now hugely regret saying it. Hopefully this is the beginning of a new era. Bring it home Lenny
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I think it's wise of the board not to extend Lenny's contract before the end of the season. It should give him the motivation to continue this great run, though seeing how driven he is, I'm not sure if he even needs this extra motivation

 

The board are quite right to sit tight with the new contract. Let's just sit back and see how this season pans out. Rangers could still win the treble for all we know. Would appointing Neil Lennon as manager still seem like such a great idea then?

Don't get me wrong, I'm very happy with how things are going and I think Neil Lennon is growing into the job nicely. I also want him to succeed more than I've wanted any Celtic manager to succeed(along with Tony Mowbray).

It's time to keep a level head and not let our hearts run away with us. Let's just see how things go.......if Neil Lennon delivers he will get his contract.......if he doesn't he won't. Seems fair to me.

 

Great read that and I agree with what Lawell says here, we have won nothing yet

 

Lennon will still get a new contract if we win the league or not, I mean unless it starts going * up in some outlandish way, even if we lose as long as it's tight he'll still be in the job.

At least that's how it should be, we can't sack and appoint a new manager everytime we don't win the title, which sadly is how some of our shortsighted fans would react if we don't win the league.

 

Even if Lennon doesn't win anything I think it would be unfair not to offer a new contract.

For a new manager a new team and one so young you could say we are punching well above ourselfs at this moment.

For me I expected no improvements until at least next year yet here we are significantly improved and very optimistic.

So yeah... While it's easy to agree with this strategy I'm more of the opinion it's unfair to hold him over a barrel.

If he fails to win anything what then? Dump him and start again? Well whatever.

I don't like some of the wording tbh would seem the board want instant success just like the fans and forgetting about being realistic.

That's my thoughts anyway. I hope we do win the title back and I'm sure if we don't it won't be down to lack of trying.

 

Very last sentence... I can't agree with that. It wouldn't be fair.

Do folk forget what happened imediately after Lenny gotthe job? He offloaded key players and brought in lots of unknowns a whole team of them to be exact.. And let's be honest we are playing the best football we have seen since well a long time.

Name me one manager in Britain who could do that in such a high profile high pressure job..

Bottom line is we have made strides and we have a decent glimps of what the future holds aswel.. This is the type of team mowbrey wanted to assemble yet failed so badly.. Lennon has done it in less than a season an none of this five year pish.

 

right they said they are happy with lennon's results and what he has done to the club so why not just offer him a new contract? it's real confusing why he they just don't do that instead of not offering him a new contract if celtic don't win the league that means we would have to start all over again :S keep neil lennon

 

How would it not be fair?

Look, I'm not saying that Neil Lennon shouldn't get the job if we lose the league by, for example, 2 or 3 points. If we can win the league, or at least take it down to the wire, then I think that is enough grounds to give Neil Lennon his new contract.

That is still a long way away, it is only February.

If the Huns beat us on Sunday then put us out the Scottish Cup things will take on a decidedly different complexion.

Why hand a man a 2,3 or 4 year contract when you don't have to? I think some people are just desperate for Neil Lennon to be given a contract because he's Neil Lennon. As far as I'm concerned he hasn't earned his new contract - yet.

I'll wait and see how things pan out over the next 2-3 months before deciding one way or the other. As much as I love Neil Lennon, I think that's the sensible approach to take.

 

100% my thoughts. The only thing i would add is I would still consider giving him a contract if he lost it at the wire due to very unlucky circumstances.

 

Yep I agree.

Neil Lennon doesn't have to win the league to keep the job imo.

 

Unless we have a collapse I think he deserves to be kept on next season. At the very least it looks like we'll take the title to the final few weeks. If we get rid of him we'll basically be starting over.

Understand why the board are waiting though, if a collapse happens or if he loses the dressing room or something than it'll be a waste.

Lenny won't need motivating but it's a good carrot to dangle in front of him.

 

Celtic need stability regarding the Football side of it and Lennon seems to be well thought of by his side-kicks and his players ,He has done really well in the transfer market bringing in certain stars of the future and he will get Celtic a hefty return on these players when they decide to move on.

The Board have to look to Lennon and support him when he chaps the door looking for money for a player if there is cash available ,they cant afford to go down the road of a Tony Mowbray situation every season ,On his leaving he would have been paid a hefty goodbye present and so will his backroom staff and the knock on effect from that is they had to get another Manager in and supply funds for him ,that we have have added a fair bit to the recent news of Celtic been 9 million in debt ,it all adds up .

Give Lennon a contract at the end of the season and get a Management team team settled and that will rub off on the players aswell ,the downside to this is that some players could go if Lennon went ,he has a rapore built up with this present lot ,really what more could you asked for in a Manager ,the Silverware will appear aswell.

 

I agree but the proviso is that the rest of the season looks more like the last 6 weeks rather than the rest of the season before it. If we relapse and the 6 weeks looks like a short golden period then we would have to think long and hard about it.

 

Im under no illusion that Celtic are this great club and will win everything and beat allcomers in front of them as it stands just now rangers will top the League if they win there game in hand ,and we are saying how good Celtic are just now ,Celtic have a lot of hard work ahead of them to win this title and rangers wont give it up lightly .

I really want the Championship over any other Cups this season but if it does'nt happen i would still be looking to give Lenno a new contract just because of one word ,Stability ,it goes a long way when players see there Manager signing on for another 2-3 years ,i was'nt so sure about Lennon when the job was up for grabs but he has really done well and if you were doing a School report on him you would be ticking all the right boxes to date.

 

I don't want to get drawn into an arguement but Lenny should get a three year deal now. I'd be devasted if the huns win the league this year, however, if they win, it's down to smith NOT the players. And currently, we are five points clear and heading into this Old Firm game 2-1 up, (we won 2, they won 1. Draws don't count but i'd count that comback as a win for celtic ) all be it they have 2 games in hand, but hopefully the hectic schedule plus the fact they are playing DDU and Hearts? means they could slip up just once.

Im feeling fairly confident of some sort of result agaisn't a Smith celtic, how am i gonna feel agains't McCoist's rangers!!!

yes, jumping to conclusion is foolish, however if the McCoist on Question of sport is the same one on the huns bench, then i wouldn't * my pants if his team came to paradise.

the most important thing for the success of any football club is Stability, (or a * load of money, but stability mostly) so having Lenny for a couple of years would AT least allow some big players to settle. Also, lennys not playing some ragdash attempt at football, they are playing some good stuff, and it can only improve!

the main message, Stability should be our focus now.

**Edit: Sorry Kenny, i went for my dinner half way through typing when there had only been a couple messages on the thread**

 

I'm quite happy with the situation just now. Maybe this is some form of tactic leading Lenny into believing that he hasn't quite done enough yet may spur him onto keep proving himself more and more, although that is his nature anyway.
Imo he'll get a new contract title or not and dserved aswell. We need stablity and Lennon is the man to take us forward. We've got some very promising young players, our squad average age is only about 24. If he can keep this team together with a few more signings in the summer I truley believe we can go places undr Lenny.

 

Telepathy mate

 

Sutton: Deal him in now! | The Sun |Home Scotland|Scottish Sport|SPL

CELTIC legend Chris Sutton last night urged the Parkhead board to deal in Neil Lennon NOW.

Hoops chief executive Peter Lawwell told SunSport this week that the rookie boss had to win the title before talks would start on extending his 12-month contract.

With Celts currently five points clear of champions Rangers, in the Co-operative Insurance Cup Final and the last eight of the Scottish Cup, Sutton insists he simply cannot understand the delay.

The former striker said: "Neil deserves trophies, he deserves a new contract - in fact I would deal him in now because I think he has earned it. Look at what Celtic were a year ago and compare that with the team he's got on the park now.

"They're so much better, no one can deny that, and Neil has to take the credit for that.

"The board has to be congratulated for having the guts to give Neil the job and since then I feel he's gone from strength to strength.

"Neil's got one of the biggest jobs in football and he must be knackered most of the time.

"I don't think people appreciate the pressure he's under and the job he's done in a relatively short spell.

"In my mind he's more than proved himself already, although of course no one wants to win trophies more than he does.

"Neil's got a good enough squad as it is, but he's still looking to bring one or two more in and strengthen certain areas.

"This year is about winning the league - but, in my mind, Celtic can win the Treble."