Celtic’s next permanent manager

Well, the next game is at Hampden Park: Rodgers never struggled there; Lennon did. That's the litmus test for Lennon.

 

There was never any middle ground with Rodgers in europe, we either played amazing stuff or we were absolutely * he couldn't maintain any consistency or win ugly and the home form which we need to be successful in europe was poor. He was also still talking about the team learning their lessons 3 years in when he wasn't learning from his and kept making the same mistakes.

 

He would set us up defensively for Europe at least

3 big 6 ft 5 diddys at the back and a work horse up front

 

The stem of all the problems he had. Intransigent and arrogant. I remember the inexperienced Lennon showing much more flexibility and will to at least learn about tactics than BR ever did.
We always thought of Mulgrew as a LB or CB, but in Europe, Lenny actually thought to tinker, and used him as a LM! Not to mention the choice of formation: a 4-4-2. Lenny used a diamond, normally. It's not all about the 4-2-3-1.

 

Martinez is tactically flexible and sets up based on opponents, so perhaps he could work some magic in Europe. Though progression in the Champions League beyond the group stages is unrealistic at this stage no matter who we've got in charge. I just want 10IAR and some entertaining football week in week out.

 

The same could be said against Lennon though, Barca season excluded.

Utrecht and Sion were horrendous results. I’d rather be scudded by PSG and Barcelona than those 2 teams.

 

Do you think it’s realistic to get a manager in that’s not a downgrade on Rodgers?

 

Yes.

If you look at Lennon’s results so far, and compare them against Rodgers results in the equivalent fixtures, Lennon has done better.

 

Because for whatever reason, he’s getting a hard time here when I don’t believe Rodgers would’ve for the same set of results.

The reality is he’s picked up a team at a difficult time, and got marginally better results than the previous manager achieved in the same set of fixtures.

So if I’m basing rating Lennon on his results achieved so far and you think that’s bizarre, that begs the equation, what on earth are you basing not wanting him on? People here are writing him off based on a set of results where he’s actually done quite well by any realistic measure.

 

I give him a pass for Utrecht based on the team he inherited and how little time he had to make that into a side that could do anything in Europe. Dion was definitely poor though.

 

Lennon had one great season in Europe - 2012/13. In his other 3 seasons, we were pish. Rodgers' 3 European campaigns were better than Lenny's other 3.

Shagged off Utrecht 4-0 in the Netherlands. Sion did us 3-1 on aggregate and we luckily went through on a technicality. Pumped off Barca 6-1 and lost 3-0 at home against AC Milan (a * Milan team, might I add).

Got to the last 16 once, which was a very good achievement. Failed to get into Europe entirely in one season, got into the EL group stages but never got out the group in another. Then got to the CL group stage in his last season and finished bottom of the group.

So really, praising Lenny to the heavens for his European record while at the same time slagging of Rodgers...it's just a bit silly. Rodgers didn't learn from his mistakes and * me off big time in Europe, but he didn't do much worse than Lenny, if at all.

And you must admit, the season we got to the last 16 - Barca, Spartak and Benfica. Not an easy group, but definitely more favourable than getting Man City and Barca, or PSG and Bayern.

 

100% record of winning domestic trophies. You don't get much more effective than that. The despicable way Rodgers left doesn't suddenly change his record.

If Lenny could win 7 domestic trophies in a row and put us in pole position for an eighth we'd all be very happy.

 

That's great, but it doesn't tell the full story.

Along the same sort of lines, since the winter break we had a perfect record under Rodgers - since Lenny's came in we've drawn two home games. We also had a perfect home record all season until Lenny joined.

Comparing results from the last few weeks to a few months ago doesn't really work. As a team, we've been much better in 2019.

 

Again, for the avoidance of doubt, I’m not saying Lennon should automatically be the next permanent Celtic manager.

I’m saying that slating his record in this tenure as Celtic manager, is way off. Thus far, taken on a purely objective basis, he’s done better than Rodgers had done this season in the same fixtures.

 

Do try and keep up.

 

I still think a big-time manager, a 'name' is needed to get the best out of this squad. They have a tendency to drift, performance wise, and i think they need someone they're a little in awe of to keep them pushing on.

 

It tells me that people slating his record so far, are being more than just a little unfair.

He’s taken over a side at a difficult period, where the previous manager essentially abandoned ship without so much as a thanks and goodbye.

He’s taken over a side that has been blowing hot and cold all season - in fact for over 18 months now.

He’s taken over a side that has been built by someone else, to play in a very specific style, developed by someone else.

He’s done all this, and results wise, actually been better than his predecessor this far.

Now that may not mean he should be the next permanent manager, but it should indicate that he should perhaps be cut some slack.

 

I don’t see much sense in comparing different fixtures. All in can tell you is Lennon has done better than Rodgers when looking at the same set of fixtures.

People can interpret that however they like, or spin it as they wish, but it’s a fact.

 

Keep up with what?

 

Your only point is “in the same fixtures Lenny has a better record”. Blah, blah, blah. Comparing games from now with games from 6 months ago is just pointless. We’re in a different mood, different players are available, maybe the opposition was better on one day.

What I do know, is that since the winter break we had won every game, conceded only one goal (that scummy one against Motherwell) and handed out a few pumpings.

Since Lenny took over, we’ve scraped three late wins (Dundee, 10 man Hearts and 10 man Huns). Had two 0-0 draws at home against Livi and Aberdeen. His other two games were a dire 2-0 at St Mirren, where we completely fell off in the second half. And 2-0 at Easter Road. Easily our best performance under Lenny. Albeit that was the worst Hibs performance against us in a long time.