So the Brendan Rodgers era has come to an end in Glasgow's East End, with news of his appointment at Leicester City breaking earlier this evening. And whilst the inevitability of this day has glistened clearly for most to see, what's just as apparent is the alarming lack of preparation that the Celtic board has put in.
Almost simultaneous to the Foxes announcing that former Liverpool honcho Rodgers was to be welcomed back to the Premier League at their behest, Celtic announced that ex-manager Neil Lennon would step into the breach at Parkhead on an interim basis. The Armagh man won three league titles during his first reign in the Hoops hot seat, leaving the position after four years in charge to move back into the English game with Bolton Wanderers.
Hamstrung by financial difficulties during his time in England's North West it wasn't long before he returned north of the border to more familiar climes with Hibernian.
Lennon's acrimonious departure from Easter Road at the end of last month came on the back of tensions with playing staff, and somehow, despite relative success in Edinburgh, you knew it would all come crashing down at some stage.
The fact of the matter is this. The Brendan Rodgers Celtic is a very different Celtic to the Neil Lennon Celtic of 2014.
Quintessential Lennon ballache type players such as Joe Ledley, Fraser Forster and Anthony Stokes, who fitted perfectly into the hardened brand of football the Bhoys played in the Stevie Gerrard Rangersless era, have long since departed. Hangers on like Lustig, Brown and Izaguirre are surely coming to the end of their Parkhead time, whilst former prospects Forrest and Griffiths have all-too-often failed in consistently showcasing their undoubted talents.
It wasn't that Celtic needed much more under Rodgers, he just brought more.
Able to attract players such as Scott Sinclair, Moussa Dembélé and Patrick Roberts, the Carnlough man has gone about putting his brand of pass and move football on a squad who have dominated domestically - well on course to complete the feted "treble-treble".
But whilst Lennon has used his first interview with Celtic TV tonight to stress it's business as usual until the end of the season, it would take someone of tremendous naivety not to think that should he be afforded any more time at Celtic Park after May, that the "revolution" which he insists will not take place, will, in fact, take place.
💬 "I'm here for the club. The club comes first and I want to bring as much success here as I possibly can."
📺 Neil Lennon speaks to @CelticTV's @gerrymcculloch1 in his first interview since returning as #CelticFC manager.
Welcome home, Neil 🍀 pic.twitter.com/aIPdoGrXmT— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) February 26, 2019
It's difficult to describe how bad that revolution could potentially be without defaming the company.
The hope would be that he can't do much to upset the applecart (we hope) before tipping the cap and riding back off into the distance at the end of the season. Should that be the case, there are plenty of what one would imagine are willing alternatives who would be better placed to take on Celtic's current swashbuckling crop.
Steve Clarke
The Kilmarnock boss has come in for huge praise for his side's performance in the Scottish Premiership over his year and a half in charge in Ayrshire.
Appointed in October 2017, former Chelsea, West Ham and Liverpool assistant Clarke secured a fifth-place finish for Killie last year, having taken the helm at Rugby Park with the team rooted to the bottom of the table.
This season has seen little deviation from that upward trajectory and Clarke's charges found themselves as high as second before slumping badly over this past month.
But the man plays football, with young creative influences to the fore in the likes of Eamonn Brophy and Jordan Jones. It would be a natural step to appoint someone with his coaching pedigree.
David Wagner
The former Huddersfield manager was keen to take a break from the game after coming to an agreement with the Yorkshire side's board to walk away from the job early into the New Year.
In truth, the Terriers have struggled in the Premier League this year and have been absolutely crippled by a lack of goals. But the fact they are where they are in the first place beggars belief. Having defied all odds to reach the promised land through the Championship play-offs in 2017, Wagner performed another miracle last season in keeping his much-unfancied side in English football's top-flight.
Similar to Clarke, a man who has experience of big clubs, having overseen the Borussia Dortmund reserves for four seasons under Jurgen Klopp's watchful eye.
At 47, a job in Glasgow could be a perfect fit for both.
David Moyes
Perhaps not the most inspiring suggestion for many, but should Moyes end up at Celtic Park, you'd have to think it would be a bit of a coup for Dermot Desmond and the Celtic board.
Admittedly the former Hoops centre-half has not enjoyed the best of fortunes since his ill-fated stint in charge of Manchester United, but what Moyes might bring is some European know-how. United topped their Champions League group under Moyes in 2013, before eventually succumbing to Bayern Munich in the quarters, and having worked in Spain at Real Sociedad, he may be able to deliver some relative success in Europe. Something that Rodgers found very difficult.
He certainly must enter calculations.
Alex Neil
Lanarkshire lad Alex Neil may not have featured high on many potential successor's lists inside the boardroom, but he's a man most certainly on the up, who would no doubt jump at the opportunity to manage one of the Glasgow giants.
Currently, with Preston in the Championship, it was a 31-year-old Neil that first took to the dugout as player-manager of Hamilton Accies, leading the club to promotion to the Scottish Premiership in his first full season in charge. Bigger fish were to be fried and after being appointed the manager of Norwich in January 2015, he guided them to promotion to the Premier League that summer after defeating Middlesborough in the play-off final.
Relegation after a single season in the top-flight and an indifferent start to life in the Championship the following year saw Neil axed from the Canaries, but he has impressed in his role at Preston since taking charge at the start of last season. He practices an exciting brand of football, which incidentally features plenty of Irish talent.
Neil has achieved so much for a manager of such tender years, and you have to think to appoint someone of his ilk would be a real investment in the club's future.
