John Hartson DOESN’T expect to see Neil Lennon back managing Celtic.
Lennon’s troubled spell in charge of Bolton came to a halt in midweek with instant speculation that he would be on his way back to Glasgow.
In four seasons in charge of Celtic Lennon experienced more than most managers endure in a lifetime with Hartson expecting his former team-mate to resist the idea of another stint at Celtic.
Seeing his side denied trophies by honest mistakes and shameless tax cheats rarely features in management manuals, overcoming the odds to lift three championships and take 10 points from a Champions League group that included Barcelona is hard to better.
Hartson spent five seasons alongside Lennon as a player and doesn’t expect to see his old-team mate return to the chaos and hatred he departed in 2013.
Looking back at the Irisman’s time in charge of Celtic Hartson said in his Scottish Sun column: “Lenny’s had enough of that already to last a lifetime. He’s been through all that. He knows how nasty it can get.
“He’s had the threatening packages in the mail. He’s been approached and interrupted in countless bars and restaurants. I genuinely don’t think he needs that hassle in his life any more. Neil has grown up, he is older and wiser.”
Looking at the practical side of things Hartson added: “Lenny needs football. He misses it when he is not in it.
“It didn’t take him long to return to Celtic in a coaching role after he left as a player and it didn’t take long for him to head to Bolton after he ended his time at Parkhead as boss.
“Ok, things didn’t work out there the way he would have hoped but I genuinely don’t think his reputation down there will have taken a huge hit.
“Lenny earned tremendous respect in England for what he did as Celtic manager. One ill-fated spell at a struggling Championship club isn’t going to change that.
“He’ll be frustrated he wasn’t able to do a better job there but the fact is most of the time he was there he had to work with one hand tied behind his back.
“Then there was all the talk of takeovers. The club was in mountains of debt. He had no money to sign players. He had to wheel and deal and work with free transfers.
“He called in a few favours to bring in former team-mates like Eidur Gudjohnsen and Emile Heskey but he was having to work miracles in the end and eventually it takes its toll. Each time I looked for their result they seemed to lose to a late goal.
“When the new owners eventually came in it was always likely they would want their own man. So I think it was going to be a very difficult job for whoever went in there and I’m sure he’ll have learned a heck of a lot from the adversity he had to deal with.
“I imagine he’ll take stock now and have a look at what he did right and what he did wrong but I wouldn’t think it will be long before he is itching to get going again.
“Lenny’s not like myself or Chris Sutton who took some time out when our careers were over.
We were lucky enough to spend time with our families and travel Europe with work.
“Lenny’s main priority is management and he’ll want to get back in as soon as he can.
“There will be plenty of people out there who would like to see that happen at Celtic Park but the thing is my old club already have a manager in place and I think all the speculation surrounding Ronny Deila right now is unfair on the man himself.
“That might surprise people given I have been critical of him on numerous occasions. I’m certainly not alone on that score. Other pundits have had their say and so have the fans but I am also of the view that while he is still in a job other people should respect that.”
