Neil Lennon

He turned it round from Mowbray, I'm sure he would fine.

 

I am not looking to compare Jock and Neil Lennon. I am making the point regarding someone leaving us and wanting to return. The reasons for not wanting Lenny should be based on his ability to manage us and not that he left us.

Why he would want to return there can be many reasons. It is not a hassle free job based on how he was treat previously so it must require a higher level of satisfaction for him than any other manager. Maybe he made a mistake in leaving. To err is after all human. . Maybe he feels that with the huns back he will get more backing. Who knows

If he badly wants to go back to Celtic to put up with all the * it Will entail then he probably wants it more than any of the other candidates. Certainly more than Roy Keane who turned his nose up at it last time

 

Completely untrue and ill informed. keane was invited to a meeting with Lawell and Desmond who tried to dictate terms to Keane with regard to wages and budgets. They went to offer rhim the job without any negotiation. Any respectable manager in their right mind would have told Lawell and Desmond to GTF. which is why we ended up with an up and coming manager who was more easily swayed due to the size and appeal of the job.
Bearing in mind, he claims he was around 8th in the list.

 

This encounter with Keane, didnt happen to be the first time we have been embaressed as a club by Lawell and the chiefs.
See their bids for then Peterborough player Lee Tomlin, which angered Borough owner Darragh MacAnthony who lainched a particularly scathing attack on us.

 

So its OK for Keane not to accept the terms but Lenny should just do as he is told. Do you really believe that Lenny would have had a better deal than Keane was offered?

 

I am sounding like a broken record now but the squad still has the guts of Lennons team in it. Lustig, Mulgrew, Brown, Bitton, Izzaguirre, Commons, Stokes, Griffiths, Ambrose, Johansen and Rogic were all there when Lennon was manager. With the likes of Roberts, Sviatchenko, Simunovic, Gordon and possibly Armstrong if played in a central position added since im sure Lennon would do well. There is a player in Boyata somewhere to but Lennon made players of Samaras and Ambrose so nothings impossible.

 

Lennon had us playing some of the best stuff i've ever seen at times, If only we'd loosened the purse strings he'd still have been here with a vastly superior team to whats currently on offer.

 

Like I said, Keane believed he was at least 8th in the list of those offered the job, so what does that tell you? He is a very principled man and thats why things never progressed beyond talks. If theres one thing that can be said about Roy Keane its that he does not accept any bullshit. Moyes will be sought after by a few clubs and I believe he will walk away from talks.

Im not saying anything about Lennon, you are. Im defending Keane.
I agree with Lennon and the priciples why he left, which is why I want something done about Lawell and our system which is clearly broken.

 

Keane was Dermot's first choice. Which is why he met with him.

 

I agree with this. There are good individuals there to work with. We just need organisation, motivation and maybe a new face or two.

 

Being a choice and being offered anything remotely acceptable are two completely different things. If Rodgers is our first choice now, and we don't offer him his own backroom staff or the power to control transfers, is he "turning his nose up at Celtic"? Not at all.

 

Untrue, according to his autobiography.

 

What does he say that suggests he wasn't first choice? I've read it but it's not fresh in my mind.

From what I remember all he really says is that Desmond said the job was his but that it didn't rock his boat due to restrictions being placed on him, more or less.

 

I made my initial post on this subject directed at those having a go at Lenny for leaving. It's why its in the Lenny thread. Keane turning his nose up at the job is no different to Lenny not accepting the terms.

Keane believed he was 8th on the list but who were the other 7? Also he still made the effort to go and speak to whoever so it should not matter

 

Lennon was a part of putting us there

 

Now I wasn't wanting Keane, and I was glad we didn't end up with him. However, did Keane not refuse the job because of the same reason Lennon left the post? So do you think it's ok for Lennon to walk away from it, but are having a dig at Keane for not wanting it? A bit contradictory is it not?

 

I dont have the book to hand atm but here is an excerpt from STV sport:

http://stv.tv/sport/football/295242-roy-keane-i-was-about-tenth-choice-for-celtic-managers-position/

Im pretty sure this was fairly well known at the time? I could be wrong..

 

Yeah I understand.
However your use of "turned his nose up" suggests he seen himself as superior to, or above us. This was not thie case. He was more than willing to listen to an offer but declined when PL and DD offered no lee way.

I have no idea who the other 7 were, but at the time Keane was not the favourite for the job and as I remember it there were a good few ahea dof him in the betting.

Again I agree with Lenny and I feel that its worrying for us as supporters with regard to the way we are being run. Ledley left, Hooper left, lennon left, Mjalby left. The warning signs were there to be seen. In being overly tight and shrewd, we have actually cost ourselves millions of pounds, momentum and missed opportunity, etc etc etc..

 

His autobiography has him meeting in London with Desmond, did it not?

 

No. I make this point because a lot is made of Lenny leaving mostly with negative connotations toward him while Keanes are portrayed as negative from the boards point of view in every case. The contradiction you point out is what I want to highlight.

Same reply to other poster re Keane.