Rodgers joins Leicester, claiming he’d taken Celtic as far as he could
Lennon returns to Parkhead until end of the season on day of drama
Brendan Rodgers has admitted he felt he had taken Celtic as far as he could after stunning the club’s supporters with his decision to quit the Scottish champions and become manager of Leicester City.
On a truly dramatic day for Celtic, Rodgers was immediately replaced by the club’s former captain and boss Neil Lennon, who will initially be at the helm until the end of the season.
Lennon’s first game of his second spell in charge will be against Hearts at Tynecastle tonight as Celtic look to protect the eight-point lead Rodgers has left them with as they pursue an eighth consecutive league title.
The timing of Rodgers’ departure, replacing Claude Puel at Leicester City just two days after the Frenchman was sacked, has taken many by surprise as Celtic remain on course to win the domestic treble for a third successive season.
But Rodgers confirmed what many observers have suspected for some time, that the unparalleled domestic dominance he oversaw at Celtic since his appointment in June 2016 was not enough to satisfy his professional ambitions.
“There was a number of reasons why I joined Leicester,” he said. “I was certainly in no hurry to leave Celtic. Celtic is a huge club worldwide, a renowned club, and I loved working with the players there.
“We were on a journey of great success over these last years but when the opportunity came to talk to Leicester and I was able to analyse it, it allowed me to think that I’d probably achieved and taken Celtic maybe as far as I could at this moment.”
Rodgers has signed a contract at Leicester until 2022 and will be joined at the English Premier League club by three of his Celtic backroom staff – assistant manager Chris Davies, first team coach Kolo Toure and head of performance Glen Driscoll.
Lennon, making his return to management just a month after his exit from Hibs, will be assisted at Celtic by John Kennedy, promoted to assistant manager, while recently appointed reserve team coach Damien Duff joins the first team set-up. “I am absolutely delighted to be named manager of Celtic again,” said Lennon. “This is a club which has been such a huge part of my life already and it is an honour to be asked to return.
“I have given everything to Celtic as a player and manager already in my career and I am ready to do the same again. I will be doing all I can to continue the great work that has gone on in recent years. I am returning to one of the biggest and best clubs in world football and I can’t wait to get started.”
Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell expressed disappointment at Rodgers’ decision to leave, Leicester City having triggered a release clause in his contract at a cost of around £6 million, but insists Lennon is the right man to ensure the club’s quest for further silverware this season is not derailed.
“Brendan is a football manager of the highest quality and we are very disappointed to see him leave the club,” said Lawwell. “This is an opportunity he wished to pursue and that is something we have to respect.
“He gave the club so much and has created so many wonderful memories for the club and our supporters. His achievements are historic. When we appointed Brendan
“I have given everything to celtic as a player and manager already in my career and i am ready to do the same again”
NEIL LENNON
It’s been fewer than 30 days since Neil Lennon and Hibs went their separate ways, and a little over ten since the newly unemployed Northern Irishman voiced his fancy for a tilt at a management job in Europe.
Things move pretty quickly in Scottish football and last night the 47-year-old was confirmed as manager of Celtic until the end of the season, marking a return to the club he represented as a player, coach and boss for more than a decade between 2000 and 2014.
Lennon had been due to fly out to the Middle East on punditry business but cancelled his plans when news of a potential vacancy emerged at Parkhead as Brendan Rodgers held advanced talks with Leicester City. It means the former Hibs boss will now take charge of Celtic for their trip to Tynecastle on Ladbrokes Premiership duty tonight, and will be in the dugout just for the William Hill Scottish Cup quarter-final against Hibs at Easter Road on Saturday.
At the weekend Lennon said it wouldn’t be a “huge surprise” if Hibs beat Celtic. Facing his last club so early into his second spell in charge of the Parkhead side is one thing; potentially losing to his former employers and former players on their own turf, and ending the chances of a third consecutive treble, is another story entirely. In many ways, however, Lennon returning to Celtic – even for a short period – makes perfect sense for both individual and club.
He knows the set-up at Parkhead, he’s worked under it before, he is only too aware of what’s expected of him, and he has a relationship with the Celtic hierarchy. He’s also managed them in Europe, including masterminding a 2-1 victory over Barcelona. His record in Europe as Celtic manager is decent: 15 wins from 36 matches. Granted, the majority came in qualifiers against teams like Cliftonville and HJK Helsinki, but there were also wins against Ajax and Braga as well as Barca.
It could be argued his performances in Europe were all the more impressive with fewer resources than those enjoyed by Rodgers.
Assuming he does return to Celtic Park, Lennon will inherit a squad sitting eight points clear at the top of the league, with one domestic trophy in the bag and another – the Scottish Cup – a distinct possibility. The club’s exit from the Europa League means the former midfielder can focus on the league and cup with no other distractions. It’s something of a free hit for Lennon – Rodgers has already done most of the hard work this term, and it may very well boost his chances of a new permanent post if he does well – either at Celtic or elsewhere.
Also to Lennon’s advantage is the presence of characters such as Scott Brown, James Forrest, Callum Mcgregor and Kieran Tierney; players who “get” Celtic, and can make the 47-year-old’s life easier. Much is made of Steven Naismith pulling the strings for Hearts – but Brown is very good at doing the same for Celtic, which could also give Lennon an easier ride.
He knows the lie of the land, too, having coached Hibs through the last season and a half in the Premiership. He knows the other teams, and where their strengths and weaknesses lie. The risk for Lennon is that things don’t go according to plan.
The former Bolton boss may also have his work cut out in winning over some sections of the Celtic support. Regardless of the facts surrounding his departure from Easter Road, it’s not unthinkable that a percentage of the Celtic fans will assume he was allowed to go, with Hibs languishing in eighth place despite having been second during the early stages of the campaign. Details of his Hibs exit aside, Lennon will have the unenviable task of following a man who delivered an historic double treble and was closing in on a third.
Rodgers was praised by Peter Lawwell for winning the first treble with “Ronny Deila’s team”. It’s unlikely Lennon will be afforded the same treatment if he leads Celtic to a third treble with the former Liverpool manager’s squad.
He also runs the risk of getting less leeway. Due to his success in his first spell at Parkhead – and also because of the standards set by Rodgers – fans won’t accept anything less than the best.
Completing a third treble won’t do Lennon’s future employment prospects any harm at all, but he’ll have to hit the ground running in his second spell at Celtic – for the club and for himself.