Former Bournemouth coach Eddie Howe would be an ideal replacement for under-fire Neil Lennon at Celtic, pundit Trevor Sinclair has told talkSPORT (6 November, 9.30am).
If the pressure was building on the Hoops boss before the Europa League clash against Sparta Prague, the clamour for his departure became almost deafening on Thursday night.
A 4-1 home defeat means a Celtic side lacking intensity, energy or even a semblance of a game plan have now won just one of their past six games, including a fortunate 3-3 draw with Aberdeen and a miserable home loss to Rangers.
It’s impossible to escape the feeling Celtic have gone backwards since Lennon succeeded Brendan Rodgers in the dugout.
And, to make matters worse, a well-drilled, well-coached Rangers side continue to go from strength to strength under relative rookie Steven Gerrard.
So while Celtic-mad Sinclair would be sad to see Lennon go, he believes there’s one out-of-work manager ready to step in and turn things around at Parkhead.
“Absolutely. I think so,” the former England international said when asked if Howe would be the right choice. “He’s got the enthusiasm. He’s got the energy.
“I thought he did a fantastic job for most of his time at Bournemouth. I think he would be well received by the fans at Celtic and I think the players would respond to him.
“He’s got that energy. You can see that. He’s an enthusiastic coach. If the board do decide (to sack Lennon), I think he would certainly be a good manager to go in there.”
42-year-old Howe has been out of work since Bournemouth were relegated from the Premier League following five seasons in the top flight.
But it shouldn’t be forgotten Brendan Rodgers also arrived at Celtic on a low ebb in 2016. He had been sacked by Liverpool after the Reds fell from second to sixth in the space of 12 months.
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