Neil Lennon

The only way is up. We're at rock bottom and Lenny better sort this out soon or he's about to destroy his status with us fans. If he losses the ten, he definitely won't be able to show his face around Glasgow for a long time and rightly so!

 

You say this and it reads like you actually believe we are still playing to a great standard and it is merely the huns are getting better now.
Take the glasses off, we are rank rotten and have been for 3 months.
He had a good change to a 352 when he actually played 2 strikers for a few months last season, but ultimately we never got to test that where it mattered - the hun game - and got away with everything because the huns imploded.
We can not keep waiting for that to happen, to save our season.

He's been back in the job 19 months now, and honestly, apart from 3 months of that last season, it's been turgid throughout.

 

Will never understand it.

Anyone counting on them imploding in spectacular fashion is being incredibly naive. They might collapse, as might we. They will drop points, as will we.

We shouldn’t be counting on them * it.

 

I wish he would just walk like last time. Love Neil but just * off

 

Hard to disagree with Michael Stewart here


Fair view from him

There are really big questions for Neil Lennon after Saturday's abject Old Firm defeat. And the Celtic manager has got to come up with the answers.

Losing, and in such a meek way, will be alarming for Celtic and the manager has to do something to get his team firing. Whether that means sticking or twisting with the 3-5-2, he has to find a solution.

An historic 10-in-a-row is on the line, but somehow it has all gone flat at Celtic.

'Lennon has no answer to Gerrard's set-up'
Like the previous two Old Firm games, Rangers dominated in and out of possession. Steven Gerrard's side were able to implement their game-plan and control Celtic's play.

But this isn't new. In the last three derbies, Celtic have never been able to find any rhythm and it is predominately down to the way their rivals set up.

Their shape and formation is a well-oiled machine, and they all know what they are doing, and Celtic simply have no answers for it. They really don't.

I don't see how Lennon feels the 3-5-2 formation is the answer to going against this Rangers side - the result on Saturday was predictable.

'Everyone could see the shape wasn't working'
Rangers have got a real cluster of players in the middle of the pitch, with their two inverted wingers and two attacking full-backs. And with Steven Davis anchoring the midfield, they have a really good balance.

If you are going to try and cause them problems, you need to get at their full-backs. You need width and to be high up the pitch.

Going with a 3-5-2, you are adding another central defender. But for what? I find it astonishing that Lennon waited until the 84th minute to change the shape.

Why? What did he expect to happen with six minutes to go? Was that that him admitting that it wasn't working? Because everyone recognised the shape wasn't working after 10 minutes.

I don't see how Celtic's attacking, creative players fit into that system. Effectively, two creative players have been swapped for a wing-back and a centre-back.

Celtic didn't need to do that. They tried to change something, but in the process they have lost the identity of what they are trying to achieve.

They are lacking a bit of dynamism in the team as a whole. They're lacking drive, energy and pace. They've gone to a 3-5-2 formation which relies so heavily on wing-backs. Jeremie Frimpong gives you that, but other than that where is the running power in that team?

Lennon stated previously about how great and how brilliant his team have been playing, but the reality is, they are not.

'The challenge for Rangers now is consistency'
Credit must go to Rangers. They forced Celtic to play in the middle of the park, keeping them in a defensive area, shutting off all their attacking lines while narrowing the pitch. And Celtic played right into their hands.

Gerrard's side are in a very good place, they are in a rhythm and a shape. They have worked on this for a number of years and you can see they look comfortable. The challenge now is to make sure they keep that consistency.

Saturday's win leaves them four points clear. And, with Celtic playing in the Scottish Cup at the start of next month, Rangers have a good opportunity to get points on the board, open a bigger gap and create a mentality where they are comfortable at the summit.

That will ramp up the pressure on Celtic, as there is a possibility that when the second Old Firm game comes around Rangers could be substantially ahead with the opportunity to extend even further.

They will believe that they can do that. It is a very good position for them to be in, whereas Celtic have all the questions to answer.

Michael Stewart was speaking to BBC Sport Scotland's Nick McPheat

 

Funny, I see the opposite, I can't see any press. Wish he would play a high press.

 

We weren’t light. The missing players don’t change an entire performance. We don’t even know what shape Jullien is in, it could of been worse. Edouard wouldn’t have had much of touch. Christie may have made a difference with his work rate over Ntcham.

The leak doesn’t change anything either despite it being *. A team doesn’t suddenly change everything they’ve planned for based on Welsh starting. Every * knew it was gonna be 3-5-2.

 

I’ll be devastated if we lose ten in a row but this is utter nonsense.

 

Missing players absolutely can change an entire performance.

 

I’m one of those who didn’t really want Lenny back. The whole circumstance of his appointment was easy to read.. Lawwell, Desmond snd Bankier all having a ‘board-huddle’ before a post match shower room appointment.

.... but like everyone else ... had to back him because that’s who we got.

... it’s not working though. Something is seriously wrong between coach(es) snd players , and that’s what translates into the pitch.

The worst bit for me is that I can’t see the situation changing. Lenny is responsible whether it’s coaching/management skills or player relations or both.

This is the first time I’ve seriously thought that he has to go.... and if it’s going to happen it needs to be ASAP. Not after last years cup semi still to be played ... not half wAy through Europa fixtures ... but now.

If you look at the bottom line raw data and facts... it’s not working and something’s seriously wrong... he’s been backed with multi millions £££ plus loan players we could never afford to buy.... yet coming up short.

We can’t change players until January, and tbh .. I don’t think we need to.... but we can change manager any time - assuming there’s one good enough available - as much as I’m normally against such action during the season... I think it has to be done...

... better, would be Lennon resigning or going on agreed terms.

Unfortunately... I think nothing will happen.. we will scrape points iin the EL and probably win the 19/20 Scottish cup... and the board will tell us at the AGM how lucky we are and how pleased they are with Neil Lennon...

... the fans and the league table will say different.

 

I can’t see them “collapsing” again but I don’t think we will either. We can’t actually play much worse than we have all season where we’ve still only lost one game domestically. Can see it going down to the wire.

 

Organised, harmonious and settled. The literal opposite of us.

 

We should contact Brendan Rodgers.

 

Genuinely, hope the guy's demons aren't back. He's been quite open in the past about these things and his manner on the bench doesn't instill confidence. This whole * situation outside football is affecting a lot of people in different ways right now. The speech after the Ferencvaros game was alarming

 

He doesnt play 3-5-2 he * plays 3-6-1..