I am now starting to think that maybe we got lucky with Neil
I don't think we got lucky. The stars aligned on this one. Lenny is a good manager and now that he has the right tools and is imprinting his style on the club, he's showing how good he is. There's a difference between hiring someone who will use the Celtic job as a stepping stone to a bigger gig -- no matter how good he is on the sideline and the training ground -- and hiring someone who "gets" the Celtic mindset. Having someone who has played here is a definite plus because they understand the club.
Davie Hay has said that John Kennedy should take over when that happens as it will someday. I say that Celtic should never again go for a rookie manager. We will always need a manager with English Premier league or top European experience.
OK, fine, I'll be the minority viewpoint here, even if I'm a minority of one: I completely disagree with this assessment of Kennedy. This is a coach on the staff who, for years, eats, drinks, sleeps and lives the Celtic system. Regardless of whether Lawwell is a cheap bastard (oh, he is all right), hiring Kennedy to succeed Lennon isn't necessarily "the cheap option." Kennedy comes ready made with the required knowledge and skill, so I think he deserves a shot.
Also, it's been mentioned before -- here and in the media -- that English Premier and European managers aren't exactly lining up to come to Celtic. I don't think there's ever been a time when Jurgen Klopp stood at Melwood watching his players train and thought to himself, "God, I wish Celtic would call me so I could manage there." In fact, it's reprehensible that Celtic has been a "pit stop" for some on their way to higher-paying gigs: Exhibit A, of course, is our former manager who went from Liverpool to here to Leicester City. This "revolving door" at the top does not serve the club well.
I don't buy the idea that we need someone with an EPL or Euro pedigree. We need someone who is committed to manage Celtic for more than a paycheck and a step up the proverbial ladder. At the moment, we have that in Neil Lennon and personally I hope he manages here until we reach 20 in a row, as Artur said.
Also, and this is not giving Lawwell any props, not wasting money on a "big-name" manager gives the club money to spend on quality players. Those are the guys who ultimately get the results on the field, not the manager on the sidelines.
Henrik would take us to another UEFA Cup final - inspirational
Great players often don't pan out as good managers. And as much as I love Henrik Larsson, I think he is like Ted Williams. Ted Williams of the Boston Red Sox was arguably the greatest hitter in American baseball history, but as a baseball manager, he was awful and his managing ineptitude tarnished his legacy. It would be generous to say that Henrik has had moderate success in Sweden as a manager, and as much as his leading Celtic to the UEFA Cup would be a storybook finish with the club hoisting the cup aloft, it would be just that -- a fairytale.
I would absolutely, positively love to be wrong about this, and I'd love to see Henrik thrive as the Celtic gaffer if that were the case.
For those who are still awake, thanks for reaching this point in the post.