Can Lennon’s Clyde finally come good on League 2 promotion dream?
Published:
In the end, Clyde couldn’t quite claw back enough points for a spot in last season’s promotion playoffs. The Bully Wee ended the campaign three points and one place outside the top-four in Ladbrokes League 2.
However, the Cumbernauld club have definitely been on the up since appointing Danny Lennon as boss in November 2017.
We take a look at why it could be all smiles for Clyde by the end of the coming campaign…
Summer duo could play a huge part
Two men have made permanent moves to Broadwood Stadium this summer. One is a familiar face to Clyde fans, and the other a bona-fide Premiership stalwart.
After a successful loan stint with the Bully Wee last term, Mark Lamont has joined on a permanent deal this summer. The 20-year-old midfielder already knows the ropes at Broadwood, and impressed at this level last term with his classy passing.
He’s joined by none other than John Rankin. The 35-year-old has over 300 Premiership appearances under his belt. Reliable, versatile and a creator of chances – with 51 assists from 442 career games – he’s done it all.
Rankin may not have the pace he did a decade ago, but he’s still likely to be a cut above at this level.
While there’s every chance that Lennon will bring in a few more faces before the campaign begins, he’s made two hugely important additions already.
The Lennon effect
The difference in results before and after Lennon’s arrival during last season was a marked one.
Before the 49-year-old took over, the Bully Wee had managed just 10 points in their opening 12 League Two games (or 0.83 per game). With Lennon in charge, they picked up 41 points in the following 24 (an impressive 1.71 per game).
That in itself will give fans of the Cumbernauld club plenty of optimism. But their gaffer’s previous promotion track record could prove just as important.
The Whitburn-born boss dragged Cowdenbeath up from fourth tier to second with successive promotions between 2008 and 2010. The fact he did so on smaller resources than he has at Broadwood right now bodes very well for the coming year.
Having since enjoyed a decent stint at St Mirren and helped Alloa Athletic avoid the drop, the future looks bright for Clyde.
Click here for the latest Ladbrokes SPFL odds.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing
