Opinion: Celtic need to strengthen Neil Lennon’s coaching staff

CELTIC beat Lille last night in the Europa League to give the club a shot in the arm after a horrible few weeks. 10IAR is still on the cards but Celtic will need to be at their very best if they are to achieve that and with January approaching, one view is to add another coach to Neil Lennon’s backroom staff.

When Brendan Rodgers left in February 2019, the Irishman took several coaches with him – Glen Driscoll, Chris Davies and Kolo Toure. The void that was left in the dugout was filled by Neil Lennon as interim manager, John Kennedy who was promoted to Assistant from First Team Coach and then Damien Duff was brought into the first team fold.

Fast forward to August this year after the management trio succeeded in securing the Treble Treble and 9IAR, Duff decided the distance was too much and he had to go back to Ireland, where his family were. Peterborough’s Assistant Gavin Strachan joined the team as first team coach but still Celtic look like they are lacking ideas. John Kennedy and Lennon will try and wrestle the club towards 10IAR but could benefit from another pair of hands coming in and helping the first team.

Rodgers was a perfectionist, he surrounded himself with good coaches that he trusted to implement what he wanted to do with a team. Lennon is the same but he was unable to bring his trusted advisor Garry Parker back to the club when he was appointed, instead given Kennedy and Duff.

Celtic have been poor in recent weeks, enduring a run of two wins in twelve games. Conceding some embarrassing goals but the win over Lille showcase that there is still hope but the coaching staff and players need as much help as they can get.

Something needs to be done to arrest the decline in standards on the park and some feel the manager is to blame. Another view is that the current managerial staff are overworked and would benefit from another coach coming in to help the team as they try and overthrow Rangers at the top of the league.

John Kennedy and Strachan have received much criticism in the poor run that Celtic endured with many asking what it is that they do at the club. For context, Rangers have two more first team coaches than Celtic – one that deals with analysis and one that deals with set pieces. The burden on the three Celtic coaches is enormous and they need to try and get another face in so help ease the load.

Someone is needed to join in the backroom staff and give the team a lift and a new coach could do that – one with credentials. Even if it is someone like Stephen McManus to come in and help from set pieces, there are a lot of coaches that would jump at the chance to work with a club like Celtic and the players that they have.

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Someone of Duff’s calibre is needed, a winner with desire to play positive attacking football. Maybe even a message to the Irishman to see if he fancies a secondment back across the Irish Sea to Glasgow. Stephen Kenny’s start as Ireland manager hasn’t been great so

There are a lot of coaches out of work in football, especially those with impressive enough CVs. Celtic need to try and help Lennon instead of leaving him under the weight of the supporters’ dismay.

10IAR is not dead in the water yet but we need to help give the manager the best possible chance of achieving it and recruiting another coach could have the potential to pay off come May.

About Author

Born just as Celtic were stopping the Ten, Lubo98 follows Celtic home and away and helps run his local Celtic Supporters Club. He goes to all the games and is a Law Graduate. Has a particular fondness for Tom Rogic among the current Celts and both Lubo and Henrik form his earliest Celtic memories.

2 Comments

  1. Kennedy needs to be punted as soon as possible.

    Kennedy was in the dugout with Ronnie and the defence was a sieve. Couldn’t defend set pieces.

    When Rodgers came in Kennedy was put on Bibs and Cones duty. Celtic had the best defence in the league.

    Rodgers leaves

    Lennon gets the gig – Kennedy is back again. Defence is leaking like a sieve again.

    Kennedy is a big part of the problem currently at Celtic, his like the shadow of Nosferatu creeping up the walls.

    He’s gotta go, times up.

  2. what rubbish are you talking about we need rid of Lennon and his 2 cohorts they remind me of Joe Larry & Moe?

    we need a real professional who knows what they are doing.