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'Lenny has got his man' - Exclusive: McAvennie raves as Celtic agree terms with English club
Neil Lennon has acted quickly to replace Damien Duff as he needed an ally to bounce ideas off and be a go-between in the Celtic dressing room, according to Frank McAvennie.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the Hoops legend claimed the manager’s number two John Kennedy is “not Lenny’s man” and the appointment of Gavin Strachan is essential.
Football Insider revealed yesterday afternoon that the Glasgow giants had reached an agreement to pay a compensation fee to Peterborough United for the 41-year-old.
We are delighted to announce the appointment of Gavin Strachan as the Club's new First Team Coach, with immediate effect.
Welcome to #CelticFC, Gavin! 🍀⚪https://t.co/P8TrxInDv6
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) June 22, 2020
Last night, Celtic announced the arrival of Strachan, who has been hired as first-team coach to work alongside Kennedy and Lennon.
“John Kennedy has played a big part,” McAvennie told Football Insider. “He has been there since his injury and he knows the fabrics of the club but Lenny needed to get his own guy in now Duff is away.
“John is a great coach but he is not Lenny’s man. Lenny has no one to talk to the way
he would talk to his own guy.
“Sometimes you need to release something to somebody you brought in. Coming from Ireland with ginger hair, he might have to release some tension and John might not be able to take it because he does not know Lenny as well.
“You need somebody in that dressing room that can talk to the players and relay to the manager what kind of attitude is in the dressing room.
“I am not talking about shopping people in, but gauge the atmosphere. John is a great coach but that is not in his makeup. Jimmy Nicholl did it all the time at Rangers. He was
bouncing off people. And you can only imagine what went on in that dressing room!”
Celtic announced earlier this month that Duff was quitting the club to take up a position with the Ireland national team.
At Peterborough, Strachan was Darren Ferguson’s number two, the same role he held during their three-year spell together at Doncaster Rovers.
In other Celtic news, it can be revealed the club have landed a £3.3m windfall and another £15m is on the way.
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