THE date has been marked in the diary.
Neil Lennon last night revealed that a board meeting on April 18 will define the parameters of his close season transfer activity, with the Northern Irishman hoping that owner Dermot Desmond and chief executive Peter Lawwell agree with his assessment that this summer is a time to speculate rather than merely accumulate.
Rangers or no Rangers, Lennon will use the talks – which take place in the midst of votes at the SFL and the SPL on league reconstruction – to press the case for spending on some new players.
As for his own situation, Lennon admits "nothing lasts forever" but he will be happy to stay as long as he feels the club is progressing. If he can clinch a league and cup double, to add to a Champions League last 16 spot, he will be convinced that is indeed the case.
"I have spent the money which has come in and not really gone knocking on Peter's [Lawwell] door for more money but we are in a strong financial position now where we might be able to recruit a little bit more experience and a little bit more quality," Lennon said. "That will be the major remit for me in the summer I think.
"My remit is to win the champion- ship and progress the club. I think we're doing that. We're far from the finished article and there's a bit of squad rebuilding to do in the summer. Hopefully there will be a bit of money to spend as we haven't spent a great deal. We're actually in the black after our transfer dealings over the three years. We've got a board meeting on the 18th so we'll see what the outcome will be in terms of taking the club forward."
Lennon always casts a keen eye on events in the English Premier League and last week was no different. While he reflected that Martin O'Neill's departure from Sunderland shows no manager is safe in modern-day football, at least his replacement, Paolo Di Canio, is a reminder that big Premier League clubs are occasionally prepared to look outwith the usual suspects to take a punt on an improving young manager.
The Northern Irishman has yet to commiserate in person with his countryman and mentor, who was controversially replaced by the former Celtic winger on Wearside last week, but said he was convinced his former gaffer would bounce back.
"When you see a guy like Martin losing his job, you realise no-one is safe, of course you do," said Lennon. "It's the first time in his long man-agerial career – going back to the early 90s – that he's lost a job and he took a lot of pride in that. But the one thing he always said to me was 'when you're a manager, there's one thing guaranteed and that is you'll get sacked'. I don't think he rested on his laurels, he improved Sunderland last season but injuries and a loss of form have hindered him, that can happen to anyone. So I was surprised by it, although nothing should surprise me in football now. Finances dictate everything and chairmen are now looking over their shoulder.
"The way it has been handled is strange – and so is the appointment, although I do wish Paolo the very best and I hope he's successful. It gives hope to everyone if you get promoted from League Two to a Premiership job. I thought it was getting harder to get Premiership jobs – until this one. There will be a lot of good British managers in the Championship thinking 'what have I got to do to get a job'?"
One man with a busy end to the season will be Emilio Izaguirre, who – should Celtic reach the Scottish Cup final – will have to fly home to Honduras shortly afterwards for two friendlies and three World Cup qualif- iers, before taking a 10 to 12-day holiday prior to the club's opening Champ-ions League qualifiers in mid-July. "We are aware of when he finishes the season with Honduras," said Lennon, "We will stagger pre-season for him."
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