Former Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe has emerged as one of the hot favourites for the Celtic job if Neil Lennon leaves the club, according to the Scottish Sun.
The team slipped to an embarrassing 4-1 defeat at home to Sparta Prague on Thursday, which leaves them on the brink of elimination from the Europa League.
With the side also nine points behind arch-rivals Rangers in the league, the pressure is mounting on Lennon. Celtic’s latest loss was a new low, with fans questioning whether the Northern Irishman should be replaced.
Howe is reportedly hot favourite with the bookies to take over the hot seat.
The 42-year-old famously led Bournemouth from League 2 into the Premier League. He kept the South Coast club in the top flight for five seasons, before suffering relegation earlier this year.
Defensive worries
If Celtic are looking for stability at the back after being torn apart by Sparta, perhaps Howe isn’t the man for the job?
Bournemouth’s defensive record under Howe has been of particular concern in recent campaigns. Only Norwich and Aston Villa conceded more goals than Bournemouth in 2019/20.
Here’s how some Celtic fans reacted to the speculation on Twitter:
Howe – stock falls
Howe was largely praised during his time in the Premier League. Bournemouth’s journey attracted plenty of admirers, with Howe linked with a move to a bigger club at various stages.
Yet this failed to materialise, and his stock appears to have fallen in the past 12 months.
Many are interested to see where Howe goes next after spending more than a decade at Bournemouth across two spells.
Lennon running out of time
Meanwhile, Lennon seems to be on borrowed time. Sunday’s trip to Motherwell may be his last chance to prove the doubters wrong as Celtic look to close the gap at the top of the table.
With the international break following, it’s a must-win match for the Hoops’ boss. Anything less could see the clubs board forced to act during the two-week break.
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