Celtic confirmed Lennon’s departure on Wednesday morning
Tony Cascarino has highlighted the role played by Rangers’ revival in Neil Lennon’s Celtic exit.
The club confirmed on Wednesday morning that Lennon had resigned, with just eight games remaining in their disastrous defence of the title.
In what was supposed to be their 10-in-a-row season, Celtic have capitulated and currently trail Steven Gerrard’s side by 18 points.
That means the title could be officially won at Celtic Park on March 21.
Lennon’s side also served up a series of meek performances in Europe that saw them exit both the Champions League and Europa League.
That form has coincided with an excellent run from Rangers, who are unbeaten in 10 Europa League matches this season and are favourites to progress to the last 16 after coming from behind to beat Royal Antwerp 4-3 in Belgium.
Cascarino, who had a difficult spell of his own as a player at Celtic in the early ’90s, believes the Ibrox resurgence has intensified the pressure on Lennon.
Speaking on talkSPORT, Cascarino said: “I’ve known Neil, I’ve met Neil, I’ve spoken to him.
“His legacy at the football club is why he’s walked away and what he’s achieved, and probably sees it’s not feasible to be the best man in the job to challenge Rangers as the situation stands today.
“Ally (McCoist) would know Neil, and Ally comes from the same cloth that, you know, it’s in your blood, and when you’re getting criticised and it’s in your blood and he’s part of that same football club and then you go through a really horrendous time, it hurts.
“He’s considered long and hard about this, but if you looked it over what’s happened the last three or four years, even going back to when Rangers were relegated a couple of divisions, that they’d gradually bridge that gap and bridge that gap and as more pressure’s come on Celtic and as a club being challenged by Rangers – which is very healthy for Scottish football, in my opinion – Celtic have come under pressure, and they’ve melted.
“And I think there’s too many players who think the future’s better elsewhere at Celtic, and want to get away.
“If you ask Neil afterwards in about three months’ time he’ll probably tell you that there were problems in every direction.”
Cascarino added: “The toughest clubs I played for, I’d put Millwall in there, Chelsea in there and Marseille, but I’d put at the very top of that list, if things were going wrong, Celtic.
“Because it comes from everywhere. It really does, in your daily life.
“And I think it’s a really tough one, because the fans were obviously very, very angry about the challenge from Rangers, and nearly everything that’s come from Rangers, whether it’s been in the Europa League, whether it’s their comeback last week and then seeing the defeat against Ross County, it’s manifested into what it is today.”
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