He wasn’t mentioned by name but it’s hard to come to any other conclusion from Jonny Hayes’ interview today that Peter Lawwell is making the football decisions at Celtic Park. Hayes didn’t make his interview through any official Celtic media outlet.
A Chief Executive Officer is clearly a very important part of any organisation but delegation is equally important with the Hayes decision clearly at odds with the views of the football management.
With Neil Lennon undermined it is largely pointless for any player to discuss their contract with the football club manager, a greater power is making the decisions.
Recent events have clearly influenced decision making but it’s surely possible for Celtic to offer Hayes a better deal than a 33-year-old is likely to get elsewhere in a summer of uncertainty.
Back in July Boli Bolingoli told an interview with Celtic TV AFTER signing that he had still to speak to the manager. With Nicky Hammond only employed on a short-term consultancy basis it’s difficult to conclude that the deal for the Rapid Vienna defender was sanctioned by anyone other than Lawwell.
1 minute 50 seconds in.
CELTIC TV: Have you had a chance to speak to the Celtic manager yet?
BOLINGOLI: Not yet but I think that it will happen in the next 10 days, we’re going to see each other and have a good conversation.
More recently Nir Bitton found himself in a similar position to Hayes, out of contract in June 2020. The Israeli was in no doubt over who would decide on whether he was worthy of a new deal, telling the Daily Record:
It’s something you need to ask Peter Lawwell instead of me but I love this club and I want to stay. I am settled here, my kids live here, so we will see.
Bitton got his contract extension before the turn of the year, Hayes wasn’t so fortunate, today he told talkSPORT:
I spoke to (manager) Neil Lennon a couple of days before the Rangers game back in December. He was aware I was out of contract in six months and (said) he’d like me to stay.
As the season went on we had similar conversations. He was quite keen for me to stay and saw me as part of his plans. I had the same conversations with John Kennedy.
When it comes down to the decision being made this week, I don’t know if the financial impact the virus has had on Scottish football has contributed to it or not.
But I wasn’t being phased out, I was still playing regularly, in the team or off the bench, up until this virus struck. It’s always hard to think about leaving a club when you’re heavily involved in the team.
The next test for the team manager will be over a goalkeeper for next season. Lennon has already been involved in signing Fraser Forster four times, clearly he’d like to have the Englishman at Celtic next season, preferably as soon as possible.
When a manager gets control over a budget he stands or falls by his decisions. The Hayes, Bolingoli and Bitton deals clearly demonstrate that there are very clear limitations on Lennon’s influence over player dealings.
