Scottish Premier League News October 2013: Celtic Plan For Lennon Departure
Lisa Dillon
Celtic
Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell has revealed that the club have already thought about potential candidates to replace Neil Lennon in the event that the manager should be tempted by a move elsewhere.
Lennon signed a new contract with the club during the summer but said that the changes were technical and that he remained on the one-year rolling deal that has been in place since he accepted the job.
Lennon was connected with Everton when David Moyes left for Manchester United but declared that he was happy to remain at Parkhead to accept the challenge of steering the side through the Champions League qualifiers and into the group stage for the second year in succession, having beaten Barcelona in the same tournament last November. "Being realistic, that is one of the by-products of success," said Lawwell.
"Your people are courted and the most high-profile guy - the most prominent guy in that success – has been Neil. He's done a fantastic job and if he continues to progress – he's still a young manager – I'm sure he will be courted at some point.
"I don't think fearful is the right word but we need to be realistic and accept that – and I actually take a lot of pleasure in that, for him and for us – and plan for the succession.
"Generally, no matter who you are talking about, commercial director or marketing director or finance director, as chief executive you have to be looking within the organisation for people to take over. So there is nothing specific.
"We're not looking for a manager. We're hoping that Neil will be here for years and years and years but it's just in a general sense you have to think about it. You can't bury your head in the sand. Hopefully he's here for the rest of his career."
Lennon is credited by the Celtic board with defusing the impact of Rangers' disappearance from Scotland's top league – and the absence of the four Old Firm league derbies, with a consequent drop in the domestic income flow – by ensuring that the team would play what is currently a total of 21 Champions League fixtures in the space of 15 months.
"At the time we said we had our own strategy, not dependent on any other club, which I think we've delivered on so far, in that period of time, but that strategy was built around the hope of European participation and also trading of players," said Lawwell.
"We've been able to deliver on that and it'll continue as we go forward. So as far as Celtic are concerned, we're doing well.
"We've got real stability, a good foundation to take us forward, a great young management team and a good team on the park and we're playing in the Champions League but, looking to the longer term, the game in Scotland still has its challenges and I think Celtic has a responsibility to make sure that they play a part in facing those challenges for everybody else.
"And you can't underestimate the difficulty of those six qualifying games so early in the season, particularly this season when we lost key players and we were trying to replace them. Playing on a plastic pitch in Kazakhstan – who knew what was going to happen?"
Meanwhile, Anthony Stokes has signed a three-year extension with the Parkhead club after protracted contract talks that lasted the better part of six months. The Irish striker has found himself back in the fold at international level since the departure of Giovanni Trapattoni and is ready to kick on in his career.
"I'm absolutely delighted and I'm just looking forward to the next few seasons," said the 25-year-old.
Stokes missed a large chunk of last season with an ankle injury but has been a regular starter during this campaign, scoring five goals in 16 appearances.
"I've been happy enough with the way it's gone for me this season," he said. "I'd have liked a few more goals by now, but that'll come.
"I knew this was going to be a big season for me because I knew I had to come back after missing the majority of last season and I needed to come back strong and thankfully I've started the season reasonably well.
"I'm delighted to be back involved in the Irish squad," added Stokes, who has reached a club goal-scoring milestone this term.
"You see the quality of the squad, so I'm going to have to keep up my club form to try to stay involved in that.
"As a striker, you want to be getting over 20 goals a season and that's always the aim, but I don't focus on it too much."
Rangers
Ibrox manager Ally McCoist "hopeful" his Rangers side would be a test for any Premiership side if they go on to progress in the William Hill Scottish Cup.
Rangers take on Falkirk in the next round but McCoist is confident that should they meet a team from the top flight that they would be able to compete. Dundee United put them out of the tournament last term but McCoist, who made wholesale changes to his playing squad this summer, believes the Ibrox side have the backbone to make a stand.
"It would be another test," he said. "If we get a Premiership side we will just have to deal with it when it comes.
"We've got a group of players who have had top SPL experience so I would be very hopeful we could give a good account of ourselves against a top team.
"I would take a home tie, which would be great. I think that's all you can ask for. I wouldn't start singling out teams who we would want or want to avoid.
"I don't think we are in a position to do that but if somebody could offer me a home draw I would take that."
Meanwhile, Rangers have pencilled in, Wednesday, December 18 has been fixed as the date for the long-awaited AGM. But fans want to know why there is such a delay, given that the original meeting was supposed to take place at the end of October.
The Jim McColl-Paul Murray group had to go to the Court of Session to force a postponement to include the nomination of four new directors – Paul Murray, Malcolm Murray, Alex Wilson and Scott Murdoch.
However, fans are angered that it has taken so long to fix a new date, with Rangers Supporters' Assembly president Andy Kerr saying: "We've been saying for weeks that the meeting needs to be held as quickly as possible, but now it's going to drag on again.
"It's certainly not helpful and the frustrating aspect is the club was preparing for an October 24 meeting, so why is it taking so long for the rearranged meeting to take place?
"If a useful explanation was given, fans and shareholders might understand. But it now seems like prevarication.
"All this will do is create more angst and uncertainty between now and the meeting."
Aberdeen
Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes believes that Sir Alex Ferguson's praise has only added to the current feelgood factor at the north of Scotland club.
The former Manchester United and Aberdeen manager spoke highly of McInnes and his rebuilding job at the club when he was back in Aberdeen to promote his new book.
McInnes has been doing his damndest to dampen down any talk about his side finishing second in the SPFL this season but he did admit to being thrilled at hearing what Ferguson had to say about the job he has been doing.
"It was really nice to hear Sir Alex talking about Aberdeen in such a positive way," he said.
"Normally when he's asked about Aberdeen it's about past glories but it was pleasing to see him talking positively about the future. You can see he has a real affinity with this football club.
"I don't think you'll hear him ever speaking about Aberdeen in a negative way but it was good to hear him saying he liked how things are going just now.
"He knows more than anyone how quickly things can change, though. It's still November and we need to keep working hard.
"The only times I dealt with Sir Alex in the past was when I was on the phone trying to ask him for players on loan. I never asked him for any advice, it was more me at the begging.
"When you spoke to him, though, he was always concerned about how you were doing and when you came off the phone you always felt better for having spoken to him."
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