Lennon writes off Hearts title bid, tips McInnes’ Rangers to push Celtic

Neil Lennon believes Hearts have no realistic chance of repeating last season’s remarkable title challenge, instead backing Derek McInnes’ Rangers to mount the strongest threat to champions Celtic this coming campaign.

The Tynecastle side came agonisingly close to a first Scottish Premiership crown in decades, leading the table for much of the season before late goals from Daizen Maeda and Callum Osmand on the final day at Celtic Park handed the title back to Celtic.

Since that heartbreak, Hearts have lost both their manager and captain to Ibrox, with McInnes taking charge of Rangers and skipper Lawrence Shankland following him to Govan. Lennon believes those departures, along with a long-term injury to Craig Halkett, will prevent Hearts from sustaining their challenge.

Lennon: “Too early” for Hearts

Speaking on BBC Sportsound, the Celtic legend suggested last season’s near-miss may have arrived before Hearts were truly ready to sustain a genuine title push. He pointed to Celtic’s own inconsistencies, including eight league defeats, as evidence the door had been left ajar.

“What can we look forward to this campaign? Maybe a bit more stability, if you want to call it that, of the sort of tried and tested,” Lennon said. “Celtic got over the line in the end but eight defeats in the league speaks for itself. Then obviously the consistency of Hearts, they just failed. I just thought it was maybe too early for Hearts.”

“Do I expect more from them this season? No I don’t, because of the changes. They’ve lost their manager, they’ve lost their striker, Craig Halkett’s out for a long time,” he added. “The spine of their team is gone. Tony Bloom recruits brilliantly and is a genius but can they have the same effect? They’ve got Europe this year as well.”

Rangers tipped to close the gap

Lennon expects Rangers to be the club best placed to trouble Celtic this term, pointing to McInnes’ appointment and the club’s recruitment strategy as reasons for optimism at Ibrox.

“I’m not sure they’ll get as close. I’m expecting Rangers to get closer. They are buying British and Scottish and have Derek in there now,” he said. “Rangers is his club so he’ll want to make that count. It’s looking like it’s going to be a dramatic season again but I don’t think it’ll come anywhere near what last season brought.”

Read more: Rangers thrash Raith Rovers 5-1 as McInnes era begins with a bang

Praise for O’Neill after Celtic’s Double

Lennon also had warm words for his mentor Martin O’Neill, who guided Celtic to a domestic Double last season and has now committed to a further year in charge at Parkhead. Lennon’s own Dunfermline side lost to Celtic in May’s Scottish Cup final.

“He did brilliantly last year, no surprise to me. I think he earned the right to be manager of Celtic, regardless of his age or where he is,” Lennon said. “The consistency he brought to the team was so badly needed and a composure about the team as well. To be fair, they finished the season really well. And then he’s backed up by Shaun (Maloney), Fozzy (Mark Fotheringham) and big Stephen (McManus). So what they’ve got is settled which it wasn’t last year.”

Celtic remain the only top-flight club yet to make a signing this summer, but Lennon is confident that will change soon. “I’m sure they’ll bring in the right players when the timing’s right and obviously the World Cup’s still going on, there’s a lot going on at the minute,” he said. “I’m sure he’ll want to make his own stamp on things which he didn’t get the chance to do last year.”