Celtic look set to chase current Ipswich Town boss Paul Lambert, if they decide to axe current boss Neil Lennon over the next few weeks, according to a report on the 90min.com website.
Celtic are 13 points adrift of arch rivals Rangers, in their quest to record a 10th successive Scottish Premiership title, and so might have to act soon to stay in the championship race, if results do not improve.
Lambert was the darling of Parkhead as a player, after making close to 300 appearances for the green-and-white half of Glasgow.
He rattled up 273 games between 1997 and 2005, helping Celtic to win four Scottish Premier League titles and two Scottish Cups, among other awards. He also captained the side that reached the 2003 UEFA Cup Final in Seville, eventually losing 3-2 to Porto.
And that’s why the 51-year-old, a big hit with Celtic fans, is the top candidate to succeed Lennon, if the latter departs later this season.
Lambert was appointed Town boss in October, 2018, but failed in his bid to keep the Suffolk club in the Championship. After suffering relegation to the third tier, they finished a disappointing 11th in League One last term.
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Celtic lost further ground in the title race over the weekend, after being held to a 1-1 draw by St Johnstone. They have now won just two of their last 12 matches which, by their high standards, represents an horrendous run of results.
For the moment, at least, Lennon appears to be safe in his role, but that will soon change if Celtic don’t start making inroads into Rangers’ 13-point lead - at least they do have two games in hand.
Lambert is the name on many people’s lips as the favourite to replace Lennon, when the Northern Irishman does finally leave.
A knee-jerk reaction is unlikely, but it might not be long before Lambert becomes a target.
After Saturday’s disappointing draw with St Johnstone, Lennon admitted: “I understand the frustrations of the supporters. We are not in a great run at the minute.
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“We are in agreement, we must do better and we have to do that with results and performances.”
Lambert, meanwhile, was also in a low-key mood, despite Town’s return to winning ways with a 2-1 victory at Plymouth Argyle to move up to third in the League One table.
Lambert remarked: “This result will not change the negativity. It won’t change it.
“We lost two games (to Hull and Charlton) and I think everyone thought we were sitting bottom of the table.”
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