Celtic need stability starting at the top – Pressure is on the board

The dust is starting to settle after a tumultuous week that absolutely nobody saw coming.  Celtic fans across the country, all over the world in fact, are still reeling from the decision by Brendan Rodgers to quit the club for Leicester City.

The speed of it all, the size of the club he left for, the timing, threw everyone into a state of confusion and anger.  It has only been two days, but with so much happening the feelings among many are still very raw.

The fact remains that, despite what some fans may feel about the board, they acted very swiftly to solve a massive problem. Neil Lennon was available and Peter Lawell made the move to appoint him straight after Rodgers had taken his seat at the Walkers Stadium.

The former player and manager took his seat at Tynecastle to huge acclaim from the supporters.  He knows what is expected, he knows the stress of the job and the expectations – he is the perfect replacement.

He is here to steer the club through these choppy waters and to hopefully win the two remaining trophies, to clinch the treble treble.

Despite their success in appointing Lennon for the short-term, they are now under pressure to ensure that Celtic don’t encounter any more turbulent waters after the season is over.  With numerous issues surrounding the playing staff and the size of the squad, there needs to be a manager in place who can keep who they want to keep, and get rid of who they don’t want.

The worse case scenario is for Lennon to leave the club and for the board to be forced into searching for a new manager in the summer.  With the Champions League qualifiers in July, it doesn’t leave much time at all.

What issues you may ask?

1. Centre Halves – With Benkovic going back to join Rodgers at Leicester, Boyata’s contract running down, uncertainty about Jack Hendry’s quality, leaving just Ajer and the injury prone Jozo Simunovic.
2. Loaned in players – Will the club move to sign Burke, Toljan, or Weah?
3. Squad players staying or moving on?- Hayes, Lustig, Gamboa, Bitton, Kouassi?
4. Daniel Arzani – The injured Auzzie will have 1 year left on his 18 month deal but the manager, whoever he is, will not have seen him play at all.
5. Maryan Shved – The Ukranian winger signed for a reported £1.75m and was loaned back to his old club Karpaty Lviv – where will he fit in?

Not to mention the inevitable transfer links with Leicester for the key players that Rodgers trusts – Callum McGregor, Kieran Tierney and Ryan Christie.

So, numerous issues to deal with, and with a full summer close season to plan and qualifiers to get ready for, the club would not be advised to let the managerial situation fester until the summer.

Lennon has been here before and can undoubtedly handle the position, and with the appointments of John Kennedy and Damien Duff to his backroom staff it seems more than likely the man from Lurgan will be here to stay.

Lets hope for the clubs sake he is.