Jackie McNamara revealed that Celtic would find it difficult to compete in the Championship and that Hoops fans were very aware of this.
The former Celtic defender shared that it was difficult for the club to compete with teams in England’s second-tier let alone Premier League sides.
McNamara made the remarks when being asked about Brendan Rodgers leaving to manage Leicester City and pointed out the situation had been the same for a while.
“I think Celtic fans are aware of that [not competing with the Premier League]. It’s difficult with Celtic to compete with clubs from the English Championship. Never mind the Premier League,” McNamara told Sky Sports.
“It’s been like that for a while. Martin [O’Neill] came from Leicester in 2000. And now they have taken a manager back this time with the lure of the Premier League.”
OPINION
McNamara has shared how he thinks Celtic would fare in the English leagues, and has been rather harsh in doing so. The Hoops may not have wowed in European competitions in the last two seasons, but they should be able to compete with club’s in the bottom half of the Premier League at least. While McNamara may just be making the remarks from a financial sense, it still odd to hear a former player indirectly suggest players would rather join a Championship side than Celtic. The Hoops are a massive club with a long legacy and should be an attractive prospect for top-quality players. While the mood at Celtic may not be particularly chipper after Rodgers up and left, these sort of remarks aren’t going to cheer anyone up. Hopefully Neil Lennon’s second spell as manager, even if is a short reign, is able to go well as it seems otherwise some fans will be bitter over Rodgers leaving them for an English side for the foreseeable future.