All posts by h79snht.top

As the clock ran down against Bournemouth with Forest leading by a single goal, the manner of the home side went from being compact and professional, to slack and on the back foot, but why?

With half an hour remaining, Billy Davies men spurned the glorious opportunities created and allowed Bournemouth time to roam freely.

When Simon Cox handled the ball, he took the decision to play pointlessly with the ball before the free-kick was taken. Yellow card given. A controversial yellow card was given to keeper Karl Darlow after he took a bit of time to collect the ball for a free-kick.

Right decision? Probably not.

However, the effect it had on the Bournemouth team was easily visible. Two yellow cards for apparent time wasting efforts, and the Cherries were lifted. Eddie Howe’s men could sense they could cause danger, and played without fear; something the Reds couldn’t handle.

Forest retreated and opted to play in their own half. Despite Matt Derbyshire’s introduction, those sitting in the Trent End could see nothing more than the number on the back of his shirt, as he disappeared off into the distance, attempting to help out the defence under intense pressure.

Whilst the introduction of a striker sent out all the right signals as he stood off the pitch, the moment he stepped onto it would’ve been a big moment for Eddie Howe, who was then given a license to the knowledge that Forest respected Bournemouth – but a little too much.

Having spent a fair amount of money over the past couple of summers, with the manager getting roughly the squad he requires, is it right for Forest to succumb to pressure so quickly?

Forest certainly don’t have the divine right to win, but surely the strength in the squad should mean Billy Davies can play in the fashion he wants. Adapting to game situations is fine, but inviting the pressure through deliberate deep tactics at home is something that can’t be happening if the club want automatic promotion.

QPR are sitting pretty in the automatic promotion places largely down to their brilliant record of single goal wins, but what have they got that Forest haven’t?

Very good players on very good wages, but that didn’t aid them last season. They’ve been able to form a character to enable them to squeeze out results in a professional manner, staying on the front foot, ensuring the opposition knew who was in control.

Forest need that air of authority in their play if they’re distance to themselves from the pack in the playoffs.

Another integral psychological factor for Billy Davies to consider will be the handling of the players and in particular his strikers, as the public frustration of the supporters is starting to grow, and the discontent at the likes of the £2 million Simon Cox starts to get louder.

The general feeling from the red side of the Trent is that Forest need a new striker, but before the month of January when the probable new hero enters the Graveyard for players of that position, answers for the performances of the current strikers need to be found.

Why is Cox putting in Torres-esque performances? The day he gets within a few yards of a goal will be the day many herald as progress, as he continues to struggle. As his form continues to spiral, starting from about a year ago, so does the patience of many fans.

Constantly applauded for his tireless work, his unconvincing and predictable nature in front of goal has cast a shadow and it’s down to Billy Davies to solve the mystery. Last season he said the strikers were blameless, due to the lack of service. This season couldn’t be more different, as chances are being created all over the place.

The mid-table phrase of “At least we’re creating chances” needs to be chucked out of the window and replaced with an unforgiving glare for anyone who does miss an opportunity.

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The term ’20 goal a season striker’ is overused to extremes in some quarters. What Forest need, is a man in front of goal with some confidence.

That man could come from within. Whoever he turns out to be, Billy Davies needs to ensure Nottingham Forest are one of the leading pack, and with that may come the air of authority and confidence.

@will_forest to get in touch via Twitter

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This time last year I wrote about midfielder Liam Trotter, the so called “star man” about how really this was the biggest season in his career.

He showed the potential but could he fulfill it? 12 months on and we’re still in the same position.

Trotter will miss the first few weeks of the season after having surgery on an old injury that Steve Lomas said he was carrying throughout the second half of the season, at least Trotts now has a decent excuse.

The second half of the season was a disaster – players were leaving and the replacements were nowhere near good enough.

We needed someone to step forward and push the team on. Well Trotter went missing in 2013, but to be fair, so did most of the team…

His performances were not good enough. He’s meant to be an attacking midfielder but he barely moved around in games, it’s why he picked up the “Lazy” tag. He was just a passenger in most games, just at the vital time where we needed him most.

Most transfer windows saw the rumour mill go into overdrive with Trotter with at least two Premier League clubs linked each time, with the likes of Southampton and Fulham apparently set to snap up the midfielder.

But we can now see why a team has never tested the clubs resolve with a bid. He is just far to inconsistent.

Earlier in the season when we were around the top of the table he was quality, unbeatable at times, but as soon as the going got tough and we had a battle on our hands, he didn’t want to know. Team scouts could come and watch Trotter for ten games, and see three world-class performances, but also see seven lethargic ones…

On his day, Trotter can be a world beater, a physical attacking force. But these days haven’t come to the Den in recent times. The most frustrating thing is that fans know he has the ability, so why not show it?

The injury to Trotter may also be seen by the club as a missed opportunity, this will be seen to be the last transfer window in which we can get a decent transfer fee for him. Despite the poor form in the second half of last season he is still considered one to watch in the Championship.

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With Trotter only having one year left on his deal and contract talks yet to commence – it leaves the club in a delicate situation. Try and sell him quick and try and get a decent fee, or risk it by offering the new contract, him rejecting it and then leaving for cheap or on a free?

Because to be honest, one way or another, I cannot see Trotter not staying at the club past the end of the new season…

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Arsenal midfielder Mikel Arteta has stated that his side must defend better as a team if they are to challenge for honours this season.

The Gunners were beaten 2-1 by London rivals Chelsea on Saturday at the Emirates Stadium, and the Spaniard feels his men could deal with set pieces better.

“We have conceded three goals from three set-pieces in the last two games that cost us points and it is not got enough,” The Daily Mail quote Arteta as saying.

“I don’t think it is something to do with the defence, it is to do with an individual set-up in the game, which is a free-kick or a corner or whatever, and we haven’t defended the ball well enough and we conceded three goals in those two games.

“You cannot blame one player, you have to clear the lines so quickly and you cannot allow runners like that in the box, and it was the same sort of ball for both goals.

“It hurts when you lose points at home against teams like that and you feel you haven’t deserved to lose.

“It is frustrating, but I think it was our own fault because we didn’t defend those set-pieces.

“We have played some of the best teams in the league and we haven’t been battered at all. In fact it has been the opposite, we have been better than them through the 90 minutes. I think that is a very positive thing.

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“We will bounce back on Wednesday in the Champions League against Olympiakos,” he concluded.

By Gareth McKnight

Chelsea are winning the race to sign Ivorian international Yaya Toure in the summer, the Metro reports.

Toure has been reported to be unhappy at Manchester City, with suggestions that he is ready to buy out his contract if he isn’t offered a new deal this weekend.

The midfielder is currently on £220,000-a-week and would need to pay £22million to pay out his contract. Chelsea are ready to pay that amount in a signing-on fee, but face stiff competition from Real Madrid and PSG.

According to the Metro, Toure’s agent Dimitri Seluk said: “If he signs a new contract in the next three of four days then OK. If not, we will not wait any longer and will start negotiations with different clubs.”

Seluk continued to add: “This is not about the money. It is for many reasons. He is one of the best players at Manchester City but does not feel the respect of the staff. Only Roberto Mancini respects Yaya.”

Chelsea will see Toure as the perfect replacement for Frank Lampard, who is also having contract difficulties, and looks set to be a free agent in the summer. Real Madrid have also expressed their interest, where Jose Mourinho is said to be a big fan of the former Barcelona midfielder.

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However, with Mourinho not expected to be at Madrid next season, it is Chelsea who are looking the most likely to sign the 29-year-old. Toure could feature in the Ivory Coast’s World Cup qualifier against Gambia this weekend.

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You always want to get back to your best. A time when you were at the top of your field, feeling invincible, is a time that we all strive to reclaim. This is no more prevalent than at Arsenal, where a trophyless cloud has gathered above the Emirates, waiting for better times to return.

It has been almost a decade since the Gunners achieved a feat that many thought impossible in the modern game; going through an entire season unbeaten. With a squad to rival any team in the world and a manager adored by countless fans at the now extinct Highbury, all was well for the North London club. However, a fast forward into 2013, shows a team unrecognisable from the aforementioned ‘invincibles’. Different stadium, different squad, different issues. While the man at the helm remains the same, Arsene Wenger’s job status has transformed from ‘untouchable’ to ‘insecure’. You have to sympathise with Arsenal fans given the current climate at the Emirates; condemned for not supporting the great Wenger but never seeing the expected results on the pitch; it is an unenviable situation to be in. What Wenger and fans alike must not do, is rely on their past successes to justify their status as a big club. The old guard are long gone, playing in far off lands or providing derisory commentary for various football networks. The fresh faces at the Emirates must create a history of their own to validate the stature of the club, or risk sinking Arsenal into comparative anonymity.

There is no question that the achievements of Arsenal and Arsene Wenger in the early years of this millennia will never be forgotten. Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Patrick Vieira among countless others will be considered Premier League legends indefinitely. However, should the current crop of Gunners continue to remain trophyless for the next few seasons, these legendary players will not be the lasting memory of the club in the future.  The ‘almost’ men will be the legacy of the North London club, a tag that no Arsenal fan will want lingering around. It is absolutely essential that the club wins a trophy in the next 2 or 3 years. The danger is visible; lower league finishes, no longer considered a European elite, failing to attract the necessary talent. Liverpool are following a similar path since the heady heights of Champions League victory in 2005. Both teams are no longer considered as much of a threat to the Premier League. While financial developments at both Chelsea and Man City have certainly not helped the cause, the simple fact is that the Gunners can no longer classify themselves as they used to. While it may be easy to say that dismissing Arsene Wenger would bring a breath of fresh air to a club in desperate need of silverware, who is to say that the situation will prevail with any other manager. It is the mentality that needs to change. Forget the past, it is an ever distant memory. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Jack Wilshere and Theo Walcott are the steadfast future of the club and they need to show what they are capable of and announce Arsenal as a ‘big club’ once again through their own achievements.

As a football fan, it is not a pleasant experience to watch a team, who you have seen at such highs, experience such comparative lows. With or without Wenger, the club must push forward and erase their predecessor’s glory if they are to remain as one of the most respected, feared and, most importantly, successful football clubs in the world.

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They may not be the most high profile club in the Bundesliga but having been down in the doldrums a year ago, Freiburg have made great progress

What a year it’s been for Freiburg coach Christian Streich. Twelve months ago, he was Marcus Sorg’s assistant as the club slipped to the foot of the Bundesliga by Christmas. So the Black Forest side did something they hadn’t done for 20 years – they sacked the coach. So into the breach stepped Christian Streich at the very end of December.

He knew the club well having coached the youth team for 16 years but less than a few weeks into the job he’d lost the team’s talisman, Papiss Demba Cissé, to Newcastle. And even though they won their opening game under the new coach, a five match winless run culminated in a 4-1 thrashing at the hands of local rivals Stuttgart, leaving Freiburg bottom of the Bundesliga, again.

To date, it’s the nadir of Christian Streich’s time in charge, because after the Stuttgart match, things rapidly improved for the Black Forest outfit. Freiburg went on a ten match unbeaten run, before finishing the season in 12th place. After a few summer tweaks, they’ve continued their impressive form from the last campaign. And this Sunday marked the high point in the Streich reign.

Exactly seven months to the day after Stuttgart had demoralised them, Freiburg had the chance for revenge against their provincial rivals. Stuttgart is the capital city in Baden-Württemberg and Christian Streich was keen to play up his side’s role as underdogs prior to the game. “VfB were German champions and we are the little neighbours who try to annoy the great capital city,” he said in an interview with Badische Zeitung.

On Sunday, Freiburg annoyed Stuttgart in some style. Streich wouldn’t have needed to do much motivating beforehand either, with Stuttgart’s sporting director Fredi Bobic saying that Freiburg was not a proper derby for the Swabians.

But the “little neighbours” swept aside their more illustrious opponents, who seemed to tire having been in Bucharest for Europa League action on Thursday. Acknowledging that the visitors would be tired after the midweek travels, Streich’s move to give his players two days off before the game worked a treat too.

Despite a frantic opening, the home side were ahead midway through the first half as Jan Rosenthal beat Sven Ulreich with a low effort from just outside the box. Chances followed for both teams either side of half time but Freiburg were the ones in control. Half way through the second half, it showed too as Pavel Krmas doubled the home side’s lead.

Stuttgart failed to deal with a free kick, allowing the Czech to round Ulreich and shoot past the defenders on the line.  With the visitors fading, summer signing Max Kruse grabbed a third ensuring Freiburg moved into the top six on Sunday.

Since that Stuttgart game in February, Streich’s side are unbeaten in 19 of their last 24 Bundesliga games, showing the progress the team have made under his guidance. That’s the thing about Freiburg too – it really is about the team.  That togetherness and organisation is a testament to the magnificent work of Christian Streich, as he approaches his first anniversary as Freiburg coach.

Elsewhere in the Bundesliga

Let’s start with the side Freiburg play in midweek – Bayern Munich. They cruised past Hannover with Javier Martinez netting an overhead kick and Mario Gomez scoring just 26 seconds into his return from injury. Yes, they were playing a Hannover side that’d only had a day’s rest having played in the Europa League in Thursday but Bayern continue to turn on the style in the Bundesliga. Champions Borussia Dortmund are now the side directly behind them. That’s after Jürgen Klopp’s men came from behind to win at his former club, Mainz. One of the main talking points though was how much more restrained Klopp was on the touchline. He’s had a very public fall out with the head of German referees in the last week. However, BILD put Klopp’s more dignified appearance down to the presence of a policewoman, Bibiana Steinhaus – she was the 4th official on Saturday. Dortmund rose to second as Schalke and Eintracht Frankfurt drew on Saturday. There was some off field controversy too with the majority of Schalke fans booing and whistling against some of their own supporters who lit flares in one corner of the Veltins Arena. They weren’t the only fans to have flare troubles as Hamburg supporters accidentally set their own flag on fire before their game with Fortuna Düsseldorf, delaying the game by a few minutes. It got worse for HSV too as Fortuna went on to secure their first home win of the season. Elsewhere, Bayer Leverkusen closed on the top four. Despite a below-par performance against Hoffenheim, they held on for an away victory. Die Hoffe though are teetering above the automatic relegation places. The teams below them, Greuther Fürth and Augsburg, drew with Nuremberg and Gladbach respectively. Finally, Wolfsburg’s new sporting director Klaus Allofs was unable to see his side overcome his former charges as the Wolves played out a draw with Werder Bremen. For more on the Bundesliga on Twitter, follow @archiert1

Matchday 13 Results:

Fortuna Düsseldorf 2-0 Hamburg

Bayern Munich 5-0 Hannover

Fürth 0-0 Nuremberg

Mainz 1-2 Borussia Dortmund

Schalke 1-1 Eintracht Frankfurt

Wolfsburg 1-1 Werder Bremen

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Freiburg 3-0 Stuttgart

Augsburg  1-1 Gladbach

Hoffenheim 1-2 Bayer Leverkusen

Table:

Rank

Club

Matches

W*

D*

L*

G*

GD*

Pts.*

1

FC Bayern Munich

13

11

1

1

38:5

+33

34

CL*

2

Borussia Dortmund

13

7

4

2

28:14

+14

25

CL*

3

FC Schalke 04

13

7

3

3

23:15

+8

24

CL*

4

Eintracht Frankfurt

13

7

3

3

26:19

+7

24

CL* Qual.

5

Bayer 04 Leverkusen

13

7

3

3

23:18

+5

24

EL* Qual.

6

SC Freiburg

13

5

4

4

19:14

+5

19

EL* Qual.

7

SV Werder Bremen

13

5

3

5

21:19

+2

18

8

Hannover 96

13

5

2

6

25:25

0

17

9

1. FSV Mainz 05

13

5

2

6

16:16

0

17

10

Hamburger SV

13

5

2

6

12:16

-4

17

11

Borussia Mönchengladbach

13

4

5

4

19:24

-5

17

12

VfB Stuttgart

13

4

4

5

14:23

-9

16

13

VfL Wolfsburg

13

4

3

6

13:20

-7

15

14

Fortuna Düsseldorf

13

3

5

5

13:18

-5

14

15

1. FC Nuremberg

13

3

4

6

10:18

-8

13

16

1899 Hoffenheim

13

3

3

7

19:28

-9

12

Play-offs

17

Greuther Fürth

13

1

5

7

10:23

-13

8

Relegation

18

FC Augsburg

13

1

4

8

9:23

-14

7

Relegation

Table from official Bundesliga Website

Italian giants Juventus are keen on Arsenal’s Theo Walcott and could make a January swoop, according to reports from talkSPORT.

The Turin-based outfit are believed to have watching the speedy wide-man for some time and could offer him a Premier League escape route.

Liverpool and Manchester City are also interested, but Juve boss Antonio Conte has identified the 23-year-old as his main target ahead of the winter transfer window.

They are hoping to take advantage of the fact the England international’s current contract will expire at the end of the season.

He is said to be keen to stay in North London, so long as his employers put him on a salary which is equal to that of many other first-team squad members at the Emirates Stadium.

Walcott has already refused one offer from the club and is thought to be holding out for a salary of £100,000-per-week, some way offer of the figure the club are willing to pay.

The winger has struggled to hold down a position in Arsene Wenger’s starting XI this season mainly appearing from the substitutes bench.

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Despite his young age, Walcott has made over 150 appearances in the red and white shirt since his arrival in 2006.

He is still seen as an important figure in the squad, but may be tempted to move on in order to reignite his career.

have been dealt a blow as key midfielder Gaston Ramirez has been sidelined for six weeks.

The Uruguay international moved to the Premier League new boys from Bologna in the summer in a deal thought to be worth around £12 million, a club record for the St Marys side.

The South American has impressed the Southampton faithful so far with industrious displays for his new club, however he has suffered a dead leg and will be on the sidelines until December.

“I think six weeks is probably about right, but we’ll see how he progresses through the rehab stages,” Saints manager Nigel Adkins confirmed to The Daily Mail.

“If the time is from the medical department, it is from the date of original injury. He is showing good signs of recovery at this moment of time, but he won’t be fit for the weekend,” he commented.

Ramirez missed the 2-2 draw with Fulham before the international break, and will now go through a series of rehabilitation to try and return to fitness as soon as possible.

The newly-promoted side have found the going tough in the top flight to date, with only one win from their first seven games leaving them down in 17th place in the table.

Southampton have also conceded the most goals in the division, with opponents hitting the back of their net on 20 occasions in the last seven games.

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The Saints will look to get three points this Saturday however, as they take on West Ham at Upton Park.

Set the scene, Millwall winning 2-1 at Sheffield Wednesday last weekend.

A game that not many thought we’d get anything from. So Millwall would survive the onslaught and come back to South East London with 3 points right?

Wrong.

This is Millwall we’re talking about. By the time Miguel Llera scored in injury time the pessimist side to Millwall fans could sense it coming. Invertible but heartbreaking none the less.

KJ kept the team the same from the deserved win at Peterborough in midweek and the Lions started off well in the game, but Wednesday danger man Jermaine Johnson was always a potent threat and he proved it 20 minutes in.

Diabolical defending by Karleigh Osborne allowed Johnson space to run and hit a thunderbolt from 25 yards, one nil too the steel city boys. This is where previous Millwall teams would collapse, but Kenny Jackett’s team has only lost three away games in 2012. This showed before half time as first James Henry lofted the ball over the Wednesday ‘keeper to make it 1-1 and just before half time Liam Trotter copied that skill, lifting the ball over the onrushing stopper to make it 2-1.

The Lions fast paced passing play was proving effective. At this point Jackett had a choice, be attacking and go for the third to kill the game off or try and defend for 45 mins.

Unfortunately Jacket chose to defend. With the likes of Johnson and Micheal Antonio on the field the lead wasn’t gonna last long. The Lions resulted to long ball tactics which were to put it frank, pointless. This just invited Wednesday to attack even more and they got their equaliser with 20 minutes to go. An almighty goal-mouth scramble and terrible defending from Millwall led to defender Llera to bundle in at the back post.

Going into injury time surely most Lions fans, despite taking the lead, would be happy with a point from Hillsborough. By the end they didn’t even get that.

Another goal-mouth scramble led to Llera bundling home and securing the points for the Owls. The Ex Charlton man scoring twice. I’m sure the transporters down the road got a kick out of that. Poor defending cost the game for the Lions.

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I believe that those goal-mouth scrambles would have been cleared with Paul Robinson at the heart of it. Even Danny Shittu’s presence on the field alone could have helped but he was left on the bench. Yes, players such as Karleigh Osborne had a terrible game, but he’s new to this level, whether he’ll prove good enough we shall see.

But players such as Scott Malone and Josh Wright seem to be improving as this short start to the season goes on. Next Saturday is Middlesborough at home and I can see the Lions coming away with three points. Plus another chance to see the partnership of Henderson and Keogh develop on their 25+ goals partnership last season, let’s hope they do it again.

COYL.

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Over the last two transfer windows, Celtic boss Neil Lennon has helplessly witnessed his side’s key players swap Parkhead for the Premier League. In the summer, he lost Victor Wanyama and Gary Hooper to Southampton and Norwich City respectively, while during January, Crystal Palace took advantage of Joe Ledley’s contract situation to lure the midfielder to South London for a rather insignificant fee, believed to be around £800,000.

But this summer, it could be the Northern Irishman’s turn to leave his Scottish Premiership days behind him in favour of its English equivalent. The Canaries, amongst others, have come calling at various points throughout the current campaign, and following three seasons of repetitive success with the Bhoys, one has to ask whether Lennon has achieved all he can with the Glasgow side.

When the 42-year-old took the Celtic gig back in 2010, it was undoubtedly an exciting challenge, the kind of post that balanced out great ambition with room for error, being the first job of the former midfielder’s post-playing career. The eternal Glasgow-based battle for silverware was in full swing, the Old Firm derbies televised globally every season, and of course, the divine reward was experience in the Champions League, a must for any managerial CV, creating some unforgettable European nights in the process.

But Rangers’ financial implosion and subsequent exit from the Scottish Football League drastically changed the landscape of the top flight. Unsurprisingly, in the absence of their only genuine title rivals, Celtic have walked away with the Scottish crown for the past two seasons, three including the last SPL campaign Rangers were involved in.

The current term has been most telling of the SPL’s limited competitiveness; the Hoops have claimed 89 points out of a possible 102 with a goal difference of +66, enduring just one league defeat all season, whilst second-place Aberdeen lay some way off with 64 points – hardly what you’d describe as a genuine threat to Celtic’s dominance. Along the way, goalkeeper Fraser Forster set a record of eleven consecutive clean sheets.

When the Parkhead side claimed the title again this year, the third consecutive one of Lennon’s dugout tenure, the triumph was met with a pitch invasion, but in truth, the celebrations could have started as early as August. Celtic’s title fate was already wrapped up before a ball was struck this season.

The Bhoys boss has taken the lion’s share of the credit for his ability to meet expectations in the league despite the absence of competitive motivation and rightly so, yet the feeling that any manager of adequate credentials could record the same feats under the circumstances –  three titles, two Scottish Cups and two SFWA Manager of the Year awards – must be overwhelming.

In the interests of fairness, it’s worth pointing out that without the smooth ride domestically, Lennon probably wouldn’t have had the freedom to mastermind Celtic’s noteworthy triumphs in the Champions League, with by far the most significant being his side’s 2-1 victory over Barcelona at the Nou Camp in November 2012.

The allure of top European football has undoubtedly kept Lennon keen on the Celtic post. It’s a competition only four Premier League managers are privy to per season, and amid the continual glut of the SPL, it’s become the Craigavon man’s only real barometer of success, where he can boast drastic overachievement in terms of finance, resources and the quality of player available to him.

But having plummeted out of the CL’s group stages this season, with the squad intrinsically weaker than the year previous, it appears that even Celtic’s European aims are beginning to saturate. Frankly, they can’t compete with the continental elite, and even if the Bhoys were to drop into the Europa League next season, the chances of silverware remain particularly unlikely, considering its most recent winners have included Porto, Atletico Madrid and Chelsea – two of which are now facing each other in this season’s Champions League semi-final.

Due to Lennon’s ability to source bargain-bought starlets and develop them into sought-after talents in the space of a few seasons, in addition to Celtic’s regular attendance in the Champions League proper, a study revealed earlier this year that the Scottish champions were amongst the top 40 earners in world football, generating £75.8million in revenues from the 2012-13 campaign.

That in itself is a sensational testament to what Lennon has achieved with finite resources at Parkhead, but impressive financial overheads aren’t what the history books will eventually judge you upon. Likewise, the retired midfielder will be well aware that the January study into football finances also revealed that the Bhoys will never venture into the world’s top 20 earners without a significant increase in revenues from SPL TV rights, suggesting Celtic’s current trend of feeding the Premier League whilst defying the odds in Europe is unlikely to change for the better any time soon.

Perhaps I’ve been rather dismissive of Celtic in this article, but what is there left for Lennon to achieve at Parkhead? Another domestic double? Another upset in Europe? Another Manager of the Year award? Barring a treble and European silverware, or the rather tedious task of ensuring an undefeated league campaign, something Celtic are more than capable of doing, the Northern Irishman has already done it all. Meanwhile, his transfer budget continues to slim, as does the calibre of player available to him, whilst the added incentive of the Old Firm derby and the much-needed competition it would provide in the Scottish Premiership is still at least two years away.

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Not that trophies would be on tap in the Premier League. In fact, many have speculated that Lennon would have to undergo a stint in the Championship first in order to prove his top flight credentials – a glaring insinuation of the lack of adequate challenge at Celtic Park.

But the Bhoys boss has reached his maxim with the Hoops and it can only go downhill from here. I’m not anticipating Celtic’s spectacular fall from grace, but to paraphrase Charlton Athletic’s Alan Curbishley, it’s better to be clapped out of the front door before you’re booted out the back.

This summer gives Lennon and the club the opportunity to part company on a high, the Hoops enjoying another title and the Northern Irishman leaving for a higher calling on good terms, having achieved all he can with the Scottish Champions. Whether his five trophies in three seasons is enough to secure a Premier League appointment however, remains to be seen.

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