Next Manager Markets: Why can't Celtic hit find work in the Championship?

Fulham and Cardiff would surely be lucky to attract Neil Lennon

Though Neil Lennon put himself forward for the Cardiff and Fulham jobs, neither seem to have taken notice...

In summer 2013, it was all change in the Premier League, with vacancies emerging at Man United, Chelsea, Everton and Stoke. Prior to Roberto Martinez's appointment, Neil Lennon - admired for his Champions League progress at Celtic - was the favourite to replace David Moyes at Goodison Park.

A year later, Lennon walked away from serial Scottish Premiership success, with the consensus being that he wanted to work in England. Since then, positions at West Brom, Tottenham, Southampton and West Brom have been filled without much mention of the former Leicester midfielder.

As the 43-year-old grew accustomed to Champions League football at Parkhead, the Championship appeared unlikely to appeal, but he confirmed otherwise when asked about Cardiff and Fulham last week: "They are two excellent clubs. Would I be interested in managing either? Of course I would."

You would assume that such a high-profile candidate revealing themselves would spur the recently-relegated duo into action. Sure, three Scottish Premiership titles don't carry the weight they once did owing to Rangers' demise, yet at a time of ill health for Scottish football, he earned 12 wins and two draws in 24 Champions League fixtures across the past two seasons, beating Barcelona and Ajax.

However, his statement seems to have been largely ignored by both, with Lennon a 7.06/1 third favourite in the Fulham market and 11.010/1 in the Cardiff equivalent.

Neither frontrunner possesses the top-level pedigree of Lennon. Chris Hughton, who was axed by Norwich in April with Premier League relegation looming, is a 5.04/1 leader to succeed Felix Magath at Fulham, while 1.9310/11 Cardiff jolly Russell Slade has never managed at a higher level than the third tier, though admittedly he has been a huge hit there.

Whoever the Cottagers and Bluebirds turn to needs to deliver results urgently. Fulham are bottom of the Championship with a mere point from eight games and Cardiff are already six points shy of the play-off pace after collecting nine from their first eight.