John Hartson has revealed that he is worried Celtic are becoming “negative” under Neil Lennon.
The Hoops squandered another opportunity to wrap up the title this weekend, as Rangers won and they recorded a second successive league draw, this time away at Hibernian.
And former Bhoys hitman Hartson has admitted that he is concerned that uncertainty over the futures of several key figures is breeding a culture of negativity at the club.
Writing in a column for the Evening Times, he said: “The prevailing thought has been that if Neil clinches yet another treble, which would be a magnificent achievement by the way, then the job would be his.
“And I think that is right. But I just worry the perception of this Celtic team under his guidance is turning a little bit negative.
“A major reason for that is that there is no clarity about the future of the man in the dugout, and that goes for a great deal of the playing squad too.”
OPINION
You have to agree with Hartson on this one. Even though the Hoops are well and truly still on course for a triple treble, you can’t help feeling as if the mood has soured a little at Parkhead since Lennon took the wheel. Obviously, that isn’t entirely his fault. Aside from anything else, he had a mammoth task ahead of him when it came to rousing a squad that will have been left deflated by Brendan Rodgers’ departure. To do that, and to then keep on picking up results, was a decent enough achievement, but it’s almost as if Celtic have hit a bit of a sticky wicket in recent weeks. The usual fluency and verve of the side has dissipated a little, and Sunday’s stalemate with Hibs was wholly lacking in inspiration. Lennon will know that he is under intense scrutiny, but at the moment, even if he were to win the treble, you have to wonder if he will actually be given the job next season