Neil Lennon on brink at Celtic with John Kennedy set to replace him
Lennon #Lennon
Neil Lennon’s second tenure as the Celtic manager is to end imminently, with Sunday’s 1-0 defeat at Ross County likely to prove his last match in charge. Celtic lie 18 points behind champions-elect Rangers in the Scottish Premiership.
There was widespread expectation Lennon would leave at the end of this season. However, the defeat in Dingwall – County started the match bottom of the league – has triggered action from the Celtic board. John Kennedy, Lennon’s assistant, is likely to take charge for the remainder of this campaign.
Related: Celtic defeat to Ross County pushes Rangers one step closer to title
Lennon has been subject to vociferous criticism from a section of the Celtic support for months. He returned to the club in early 2019, following the departure of Brendan Rodgers to Leicester. Lennon, a decorated player with the club, also managed Celtic between 2010 and 2014.
When seeking what would have been a record-breaking 10th title in succession, Celtic have failed to win 11 of their 30 league games. There was an exit from the Champions League at the qualifying stage at the hands of Ferencvaros, with County also responsible for elimination from the League Cup.
Celtic’s recruitment has been widely criticised, as was a January training trip to Dubai that led to a raft of negative publicity and forced the isolation of 13 players – plus Lennon – for a draw with Hibernian.