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Time to go Neil- former team-mates spell out the reality for Lennon

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John Hartson has spoken up for a number of former team-mates warning Neil Lennon that its time to step down as Celtic manager.

Lennon’s past record at Celtic as a player and manager has provided a shield of sorts from a disastrous season but the well of goodwill is virtually exhausted.

Back in November there was a justifiable case for Lennon stepping down as manager with the gap in the SPFL widening while Sparta Prague delivered successive 4-1 defeats in the Europa League.

Defeat from Ross County in the Betfred Cup brought fans to the gates outside the stadium in protest but inside the club Lennon and the board doubled down insisting that they would get things right.

A fourth successive Scottish Cup was delivered but two points from three matches in 2021 have killed off any prospect of winning a 10th title with Hartson urging his former team-mate to step away before things get even worse.

RTE reports the Welshman saying:

I send Neil best wishes and good luck when he needs it but to lose the league in such a big, big season in the way they have, has been so disappointing.

Not just me, look at Chris Sutton, Stan Petrov, Alan Thompson and Henrik Larsson (former team mates), we all love Neil and want him to succeed and we  were all delighted when he brought home the quadruple treble but I do genuinely think,  with the situation in the league, a change is needed from the bottom to the top, I really do. The whole thing needs to be changed and it needs to happen pretty soon.

Maybe the players need a different voice. Neil might want a new challenge, a fresh start.  Sometimes it doesn’t work, Neil is intelligent enough, he has to see this. It has taken me this long to say I would like to see a change, new staff, a freshness, something different. Neil has done amazing. His trophy haul has been fantastic both as a player and a manager.

I just think the club need to say that they are going to change the manager, whether he goes at the end of the season or now, it is tough call for me to say it but I think it needs to be done. The time has come.

Lennon is due back at Lennoxtown today after self isolating with 13 players becoming available for Wednesday’s match at Livingston.

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