Neil Lennon has urged Celtic to put their money where their mouth is and back manager Martin O'Neill heavily in the summer transfer market. The former Celtic boss insists the club must provide the necessary funds to rebuild a squad that needs major surgery after a turbulent season.
Lennon's Call to Action
Speaking exclusively to PLZ, Lennon stressed the importance of giving O'Neill the tools to succeed. "There'll be a budget, whether it's the Champions League or the Europa League, and they've got to maximise the budget for Martin," he said. "So I'm sure there'll be talks going on, and Martin will hopefully get what he wants."
The Dunfermline boss acknowledged that managers always want more, but emphasised the need for Celtic to provide the best possible chance of Champions League qualification. "As Celtic managers, we always want more. That can't be always the case. But they've got to give him the best possible chance, which I'm sure they will, of qualifying for the Champions League, and then the whole season opens up."
Recruitment Overhaul Needed
Lennon highlighted the poor recruitment last season, particularly the flop January signings like Michel-Ange Balikwisha and Junior Adamu, who were ruthlessly bombed out by O'Neill. "The recruitment's got to be a lot better than it was last season. I'm sure it will be because there's been changes from last season to this," he added.
The club faces a major rebuild, with key players like Reo Hatate and Daizen Maeda potentially moving on. Lennon believes O'Neill, who returned to the helm after Brendan Rodgers' exit and the disastrous Wilfried Nancy experiment, will demand the appropriate tools to work with.
Stability Under O'Neill
Lennon, who was signed by O'Neill for Celtic 26 years ago, reckons the Irishman will bring much-needed stability after salvaging a Double last season. "The club's more stable now with Martin at the helm. There's a level of respect for him outside the building and inside the building as well. Hopefully he'll get to be far more assertive now and in control of things," Lennon said.
He added: "I'm delighted for him. He's earned the right to be the Celtic manager. I think it should have been his decision, and his alone, but now he's in the hot seat again."
Pressure and Expectations
With O'Neill no longer an interim manager, the pressure shifts. Lennon noted: "Expectations change now. He's no longer the interim, he's no longer filling in for anyone. So the pressure shifts, but he'll be well aware of that."
He concluded: "He did a magnificent job last year. What they won't want to do is have the same sort of season they had last year where they were so inconsistent and lost far too many games. I think they're in for a big summer recruitment-wise and they've got the right man at the helm."
