Celtic transfer talk, an understandably wearisome Neil Lennon and Nick Hammond’s crucial role

With Celtic linked with so many players as the transfer rumours pick up it’s easy to see why there is frustration at a lack of communication from the club. In some quarters Neil Lennon’s press conference comment that he had ‘No idea how close Turnbull deal is’ has been interpreted as Lennon perhaps not being hands on enough when it comes to transfer dealings involvement.

In normal circumstances I’d say there a level of merit in that particular argument, however given the transfer that is furthest along is that of Motherwell’s David Turnbull I’d say on this instance I can excuse Lennon being so non-committal. We also have someone at the club probably better positioned to feed back.

After all it’s a little over 12 months since the ‘Well midfielder was pictured in a Celtic shirt prior to completing a Celtic TV interview that never saw the light of day. Turnbull, Motherwell, Celtic and the player’s family and friends will all be on tenterhooks with this one.

Given the heart-breaking collapse of the deal last time around I think a little privacy until this one has got over the line – with a medical signed sealed and delivered – is the professional way to approach things.

What it has raised however is whether Neil Lennon really has much input when it comes to transfer dealings. Not so much the targeting of the players – we know he is very much involved with recruitment meetings – more at what stage the transfers are up to, which ones are rumours alone and which ones have genuine substance.

Lennon seems happy to advise the press (often on repeat) what positions he is looking as priorities for signings but is it really much of a surprise that he isn’t certain just how far along deals are when it comes to specific targets?

With Nick Hammond employed as Head of football operations and a new team of analysts employed by the new man – and with the cheques having to be signed off by Peter Lawwell – just how involved is Neil Lennon really – and should he be expected to be – until there really is something to report on?

Given the busy schedules of all three and others involved in these recruitment meetings how often can these meetings take place? Lennon himself can of course be updated but unless the deal is close to conclusion the common-sense approach would probably be to decline to comment.

In the recent Vasilis Barkas and indeed Albian Ajeti deals Lennon seemed more open to discussions as they neared completion, in comparison to say the rumoured Turnbull, Duffy or Hickey ‘deals’. Even with the Shane Duffy rumours he’s been willing to commit only to a ‘tentative’ approach, possibly indicating that’s a player he wants but not enough to commit to the club actually progressing it.

Lennon at times seems to front and centre of everything. Very few of the other Celtic staff speak at press conferences and most of Celtic’s one-to-one’s seem to be through Celtic TV and other club media platforms. There appears to be a clear division of labour in term of roles at the club yet the media duties seem to fall predominately to Lennon, that is something I’ve taken issue with in the past and it’s something worth looking at moving forward when it comes to transfer dealings also.

When the recent Boilingoli debacle occurred, Lennon was sent in front of the cameras to deal with the understandable media interest. Celtic within a few hours of the draw at Kilmarnock had become more than the usual fallout stories from two dropped points, they were now a news story. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon was dropping the name of the club into speeches to the nation yet our football manager faced the media alone.

Neil Lennon should have been supported by a board member if not indeed the CEO given the issue had gone beyond the parameters of the pitch itself and even the dressing room.

Now given our Head of football operations Nick Hammond joined the club on a permanent contract in October last year and given he had a remit to fix and progress football operations left in a reportedly poor state by hapless predecessor Lee Congerton – and then to all intents and purposes mothballed by Peter Lawwell while compensation for Congerton was agreed – it would be interesting for many supporters I’m sure to understand the role of Hammond, his thoughts on football, data analysis, youth and first team recruitment.

Indeed given his remit appears to also be scouting and recommending players at every level from youth acquisitions to first team level, perhaps questions from media and supporters would be better served from hearing at least on occasion from Nick Hammond rather than assume Neil Lennon knows much more than asking for positions to be filled and giving his own thoughts as to who has caught his eye. We have a structure in place clearly but it doesn’t seem to include communicating that to the fanbase.

I have no doubt Lennon has his own ideas on players, I have no doubt there are open discussions where the Celtic manager and his ‘eye for a player’ can venture an opinion on who he would like. I’m equally certain however that those recommendations now go through the same rigorous checks as any player scouted or recommended to the club and all of that will be overseen by Nick Hammond rather than Neil Lennon.

Even when a player fits the bill and the wages, length of contract, signing on fees, agent costs and transfer fees are then considered, I’m fairly sure that information goes up the way first to Peter Lawwell as the man who would be responsible for making the decisions on affordability, probably with even more scrutiny now given the financial balancing act Covid 19 has bestowed upon football.

Given the positions that require filling likely involve four or five different options given the level of competition Celtic will face in a busy marketplace for the three to four positions required, is it really expected in this day and age – and with a man employed to be on top of it – to assume Lennon knows up to date information on players the assembled press pick out from their sources, rumour, conjecture or even thin air?

Twenty years ago, perhaps that was a possibility, nowadays it’s just not practical. In fact, unless a deal is very much close to completion if I was Lennon, I’d have better things to do with my time, as indeed Lennon indicated as much at yesterday’s press conference in a tired and understandably wearisome manner.

We may all be looking for good news on transfers, much like Neil Lennon but with games coming thick and fast one of which involves the yellow brick road to millions of Champions League pounds you can forgive Lennon for having priorities elsewhere at present.

There is however someone who has much more responsibility when it comes to the day to day player identifying, scouting and then negotiating with agents and clubs. Perhaps if there are questions from the press regarding this area the hacks need to direct their questions to Nick Hammond and perhaps Celtic could even facilitate it on occasion.

Niall J

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