Chris Sutton believes that there is case for Peter Lawwell sacking Neil Lennon based on this season’s performances- but not on his track record.
The weekend results left Celtic trailing by 11 points in second place in the SPFL table as a result of a miserable run of two wins in eight matches. In their last four SPFL matches Celtic have lost eight goals.
Last season Celtic beat Lazio home and away in the Europa League but ahead of trips to Prague and Milan the hoops are sitting in bottom place in their group with one point from three matches.
It is a depressing picture for Celtic fans to contemplate but based on his experience of the job Sutton believes that his old team-mate can turn things around.
In 2011 Lennon turned around an 15 point deficit to go top of the SPL before New Year, last season a run of 28 points from 10 matches extended the gap at the top from two points to 13 before Lockdown.
Discussing the issues on the Record Celtic Podcast, Sutton said:
We all know the game and Neil Lennon has huge problems. The big question now is does Neil Lennon deserve the sack, will they sack him? Based on his track record with Celtic I think that Celtic shouldn’t sack him.
Based on this season and this season alone, and some of the things I’ve found quite alarming, i.e. what he said about a culture change. Ultimately when you use language like that, we’ve spoken about it before on the pod, you’re criticing yourself. Where did that come from? And immediately the pressure intensifies because people will think ‘Well what has gone on at the club this season?’
Then again at the weekend after Hibs you are questioning the players hunger, I’m not so sure that was the right thing to do. You question the players hunger but they still came back from two goals down to get back into the game.
Based on the things that he has said this season and then form, you know then maybe Peter Lawwell should sack him, based on his track record I don’t think he should but what would be helpful in all this is for Peter Lawwell to come out and actually tell us where he is, that would clarify everything.
Now, we aren’t party to what goes on at the training field and what goes on in the background. None of us know. We don’t know what goes on behind the scenes. At this moment in time Peter Lawwell may see, it looks like he has seen enough in the way that Neil is working behind the scenes, and the coaching staff are working on the training ground to have that hope and the trust that they are going to claw things back this season. That is the only thing that I can assume.
Peter Lawwell must be alarmed because of what Neil said. I think that Neil has caused himself a huge problem. I think where we are at this stage is if Celtic were going to sack him they’d have did it in the international break.
Sutton is expected to be part of the BT Sport team covering Thursday’s Europa League tie between Sparta Prague and Celtic.