After violence rocks Scottish football, should Celtic’s Neil Lennon stay or go?

After such a turbulent season Celtic manager Neil Lennon will likely sit down in the summer and ask himself whether managing the side he loves so dearly is worth all the headaches that come with it.

This season has saw Lennon being sent to the stands on a number of occasions, which in turn has seen him become a somewhat controversial figure in Scottish football. This term has seen Lennon spend as much time in the stands as he has in the dugout, which has caused the Scottish press to question if the fiery tempered Northern Irishman is the correct man to take Celtic forward. If you ask any Celtic fans they would sign Lennon on a lifetime deal as they regard their manager as one of their own.

So we turn our attentions to the troubles that have pursued Lennon this season. For starters, he was attacked at Tynecastle by a Hearts fan which in turn almost caused a riot in the stands. This incident saw a fan run about ten yards towards the Celtic dugout unchallenged and attack the Celtic boss. This could be the final straw for the manager who may have to take action for himself and his family.

The Celtic manager has also been sent letter bombs in the post; a reality which has showered shame on the Scottish league. He has also been caught in controversial moments with Scottish referees one of which led to the resignation of referee Dougie Macdonald. Then there was the infamous bust-up with Rangers boss in waiting Ally McCoist.

Furthermore, Lennon also had public spats with El Hadj Djouf after his clash with the Celtic first aid man and Kyle Lafferty over his comments on Twitter where Lafferty taunted Lennon after the 3-1 victory by Rangers at Celtic park where Lafferty Tweeted “Lennon what’s the score?”

This season doesn’t show the Scottish game in a good light. We have all sat there and seen referees being attacked in South America with players and fans coming to blows and thought nothing of it but when it happens in Scottish football, it’s more than little worrying. This should never be condoned and those foolish enough to involve themselves in these kind of antics should be severely punished.

Neil Lennon on one hand will not wish to be driven from the club he loves but on the other hand how much more can he take? When the coach is receiving letter bombs in the post and is being attacked during matches, it’s clear that something has to be done.

If the Celtic manager does decide to stay on next season the decision would delight Celtic supporters who would welcome his choice with great optimism. The supporters have backed their manager this season through thick and thin and the rapport they share with their manager cannot be matched at any other club.

But it’s worth having a look at Neil’s options if does decide to leave Celtic. Does he go to manage a Championship side or bottom tier Premier League side? I am sure these are thoughts that must be going through his mind as he ponders his future and asks himself the question: where else will he get the buzz that he gets from Celtic?

As we go into the final weekend of the Scottish season the title is still all to play for. With Rangers still in the driving seat this Sunday sees a return of Helicopter Sunday. This would see a repeat of the 2004/05 season where a helicopter was on hand to deliver the trophy to whoever was declared Champions. Last time it was Rangers, who won 1-0 at Easter Road after Celtic lost 2-1 at Motherwell to 2 late goals from Scott Macdonald.

A helicopter will be on hand with the SPL trophy ready to travel to Celtic Park or Rugby Park pending on the outcome of the SPLs fixtures. A defeat at Rugby Park against Kilmarnock and a Celtic win over Motherwell at Celtic park could still see Lennon’s men become champions of Scotland. The outcome on Sunday and the Scottish Cup final against Motherwell could still see Lennon do the League and Cup double; what better circumstances than that would there be for him to sit down in the summer and decide what is best for himself and his family?

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