‘Process has to begin’: International coach urges Celtic to act ‘quickly’ in finding Lennon heir

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Shaun Maloney has admitted that Celtic need to accelerate their process in identifying Neil Lennon’s successor at the club.

Speaking to BBC Sportscene via The Daily Record, the Belgium assistant coach claimed that the Hoops should already be planning for next season, and a lack of a new manager in the next few weeks can put these plans into jeopardy.

Lennon resigned in late February after failing to make it 10-straight Scottish Premierships-in-a-row with the Glaswegian club, yet the Scottish giants are yet to name a successor, with former Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe reportedly holding talks with the club according to Sky Sports News.

But Maloney believes the club are taking their time when it comes to appointing a new manager, with the former Celtic coach saying: “It’s difficult to judge from the outside but I think with the new chief executive coming in, and that being brought forward, it feels that they are trying to accelerate the process.

“They have to really, because next season’s planning should already be done. The technical director, the coach, these things are linked. The director has to be linked with whoever the head coach is. I think the process has to begin pretty quickly.”

TBR View: Celtic need time to make sure incoming manager is ideal fit

There is no doubt about it, this season saw the power dynamics in Scotland shift violently and suddenly to the blue half of Glasgow, and if Celtic are to do anything about regaining power, they need to ensure that the heir to Lennon is the perfect fit for the club.

With Rangers being confirmed Scottish champions so early in the season, it gifts Celtic a valuable resource in time to identify targets who suit the model of the club going forward and to appoint the right manager for the job.