Former Celtic manager Neil Lennon has said that Rangers manager Michael Beale must win the Scottish League Cup to save his job at the club.

Lennon stated that there is ‘no question’ as to whether Beale must win the competition or not, as calls for him to be sacked grow louder and louder.

Lennon knows what it is like to come under heavy criticism as a manager – his last tenure in charge of Celtic infamously ended in disaster for the Hoops.

What did Neil Lennon say regarding Rangers in the Scottish League Cup?

Speaking on PLZ Soccer’s The Football Show, Lennon said: “Are we picking a team without Rangers being in it? You don’t think Rangers will win it? I do. I think they’ll be too strong for the rest.

“They’ve got Sparta Prague and Limassol as well as Betis so they’ve got off to a great start. I expect them to beat Limassol home and away so that would give them nine points. I think they will get out of the group. I think that was a really good start for them beating the top team in the group.

“He does, yeah. No question. Where do you go from there? With no Celtic everybody’s looking at Rangers saying ‘you should win this’. Listen, it’s never a guarantee but it would be a real saving grace for Michael to go [and] win a trophy and build from there. Whether he gets that opportunity or not who knows.”

Does Michael Beale need to win the Scottish League Cup to save his job?

It’s no secret – Beale’s position at Rangers is currently hanging in the balance after a mixed transfer window and a slow start to the 2023/24 Scottish Premiership season.

Fans and pundits alike have been questioning Beale’s position at the club – nevertheless, three back-to-back wins have temporarily quelled their cries.

However, narrow wins over lesser opposition cannot keep the former QPR boss safe forever. He will need to make a statement sooner, rather than later – winning the League Cup would be a good way to do this.

Celtic are no longer in the competition, making the Gers the overwhelming favourites to win it – as such, it will be a major disappointment if the Light Blues cannot bring the trophy home.