John Hartson has told talkSPORT he is ‘not surprised’ by Celtic’s announcement of Peter Lawwell’s retirement as the club’s chief executive.
And the Hoops legend says manager Neil Lennon should be the next to go, saying there needs to be a complete rebuild ‘from top to bottom’ at Celtic Park.
Lawwell announced on Friday his plans to retire at the end of the current season after 17 years pulling the strings at the Glasgow giants.
The 61-year-old has held the post since 2003, overseeing 13 Premiership titles and four domestic trebles during his tenure, but leaves the club under a cloud of controversy after Celtic’s ill-fated trip to Dubai during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Bhoys’ winter break led to a major backlash from fans, with the club accused of being ‘out of touch’ with their supporters and the side falling further behind Old Firm rivals Rangers following their return to the country, after manager Neil Lennon and 13 of his players were forced to self isolate and miss the club’s next two matches.
The news of Lawwell’s departure was welcomed by a large portion of Celtic supporters, although Hartson insisted he should leave the club proud of his achievements.
But he admitted the announcement was not a shock.
“Well, I’m not overly surprised,” Hartson told talkSPORT host Jim White.
“Peter’s been getting an awful lot of criticism over the last few years in terms of Celtic not spending big on players.
“With the team this season and Rangers catching up, they’re going to win the league, supporters have singled out Lawwell as the person to blame and I think Peter might have just had enough.
“You think about it, he’s brought 29 trophies back to Celtic Park in 17 years as chief executive, that’s an awful lot of trophies, he’s worked with several different managers and as far as Peter is concerned I think he can be proud of the job he’s done.
“But I do think there’s an element of the Celtic support when the club is not spending big money on signings, Peter tends to take it in the neck. He’s the person people want to blame.
“I’ve seen the messages on Twitter saying ‘good riddance’ and that they’re delighted he’s going. I think most would be quite happy to bring someone else in.
“But a lot of supporters, me included, will be thankful of the job he’s done in terms of the trophy haul and he’s appointed some very good managers along the way and the club has been very successful.
“I wish Peter well.”
And Hartson believes former teammate Lennon should be the next to leave.
The former striker recently admitted he has been left ‘hurt and disappointed’ after Lennon said his opinion ‘means nothing to me’, following comments from Hartson calling for the boss to go.
And that opinion has not changed.
Asked if he thinks Lawwell’s exit should signal the start of a rebuild at Parkhead, Hartson said: “Yeah I do.
“I’ve been Neil Lennon’s biggest supporter for a long time. I actually told Peter to give him the job the first time around, and I’ve got behind him more than any player, ex-player, teammate or member of the press.
“I’ve been the one to the detriment of getting a lot of criticism for backing Neil, but I said myself a few weeks ago when they went 21 points behind Rangers I think the whole thing needs a change.
“A change of manager, a change of staff right from top to bottom, I think the club needs a bit of an overhaul.
“Rangers haven’t just won the league by five or six points, if Celtic are not careful Rangers would have wrapped the league up by the time the split comes.
“So my own personal view, and I share the opinion with the likes of Stan Petrov and few other ex-players who have voiced that they want a change as well, I think that would be a good thing for the club.”