CALLUM McGREGOR yesterday urged the powers that be at Celtic to sort out the manager’s appointment sooner rather than later as he eyes the potential difficulties that a summer of uncertainty could cause for the club.
And the midfielder, who is emerging as the main challenger to the Rangers bad-boy Alfredo Morelos as potential Scottish Player of the Year, reckons that Neil Lennon can follow the lead of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer by turning the interim status into a permanent one by winning enough matches.
“If you see the success with Solskjaer at Man Utd – people will ultimately judge you on success,” Callum said to the media.
“Obviously the club have to get the appointment right. Whatever way they want to go about that and get it done but everyone around the club wants to know as soon as possible so you have the continuity going into next season. Whatever the board decides, as soon as the players find out it calms everyone down.
“It gives the club a focus. The new season comes pretty quickly. You only have three to four weeks off and then it’s straight back into the big games again. The sooner it is done the better for everyone.”
And putting forward the case for Neil Lennon, McGregor refers you to the success he enjoyed in his first spell as manager and reckons that he’s done a decent job since being thrown back in at the deep end after Rodgers and his gang left for Leicester City. Here’s his sales pitch for Neil Lennon to get the job.
“His track record at Celtic as a manager has been outstanding. There’s not been many better in Europe and in league football as well. He has to have a case to get it.
“The transition since he has come in again has been excellent. He has the players hungry for success. It can easily peter away. But he has been great. He is a born winner as well and he’s bringing that out in the team. The stats and the performances, the results have been excellent.
“He has been proven here over his time before. He knows the fabric of the club and he knows everyone inside out. Not many people could have slotted in that well. It’s been a seamless transition for us.”
It was Ronny Deila who introduced McGregor to the Celtic first team at the beginning of the 2014-15 season and since then he’s established himself as one of the top players in the country for club and country and has never lost a league title.
“If we get over the line it will be five out of five. Coming through the academy here you have to be a winner. To succeed here you’ve got to win youth cups and everything like that. And if you get to the first team you have to succeed.”
