Gareth Crooks told BBC Sport that ‘Celtic fans were so traumatised’ by Rangers winning the title that Neil Lennon went from ‘hero’ to ‘zero’.
To say it has been an eventful season in the Scottish Premiership would be an understatement, but it started with Celtic chasing the ten and Rangers ending it as champions.
Lennon left Parkhead recently, with Celtic now pushing for a new man to take charge, as Rangers will be hoping to cause more damage on their rivals on Sunday.
But former Tottenham striker, Crooks shared his thoughts on the difficulties of managing Celtic and the impact Rangers winning the title had on their neighbours.
“When are two Scottish Premiership titles, two Scottish Cups and a Scottish League Cup not good enough? When you are the manager of Celtic is the answer,” said Crooks.
“Watching Neil Lennon walk away from Parkhead having failed to win the title for the 10th consecutive season made me realise just how demanding the world of football can be at times.
“The Northern Irishman returned to the club, having played, captained and successfully managed the team, to stabilise things after Brendan Rodgers walked out on them, yet he still suffered an ignominious departure.
“Celtic fans were so traumatised Rangers had won the title, they could not cope with the humiliation and Lennon went from hero to zero in a flash.”
Rangers are now charging like a train with Steven Gerrard at the helm and Celtic are well aware that they have to bring in the right individual to lead the fightback.
Whether it’s Steve Clarke or the recently-departed Sheffield United boss, Chris Wilder, the person in question has to understand what they are getting into and the big decisions they have to make when they arrive.
If Celtic get this next move wrong then it could have a lasting effect, which could prove to be very troublesome for those in the Parkhead boardroom.
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