Neil Lennon

That's the thing, mate: I don't think it is way off the mark. I think people's posts speak for themselves TBH. I really think that.

I just mean that you said you didn't think he is the man for the job, so I infer that you think we could get someone better, even if you don't have anyone specific in mind.

I guess my main gripe is that mostly it's been good times under Lenny, but as soon as anything goes wrong, some posters immediately bring back the same stance about him not being good enough from when he was given the job. It's getting tiresome now, mate.

Why would anyone reach straight for that every time when we still haven't had a fit striker all season except Eddy for part of it (who was in the worst form of his career due to being told about moves) and have had half our defence missing all season (different halves at different times) plus key midfielders like Forrest and Christie missing or not fit for key games.

Why, with all that, would people reach straight for the old disrespectful explanations?

As I say, I don't have a problem with people saying they don't think he's the man for the job as, indeed, you have; but I'm sick of hearing that he's a liar, a coward, a poor coach, knows nothing about tactics, too stubborn to play strikers (who he said weren't fit), a disgrace, can just * off...

I don't have to name names, the posts are there for all to see.

 

He currently has the best squad in the country, and he had the best squad in the country for the majority of his first spell. It should be mostly good times.

However, when you look at this overall time in charge - yes we’ve some real highs (Barca, Lazio, league titles etc) - but we’ve had some absolutely brutal lows.

Cluj, Ferencvaros, Utrecht, Sion, Copenhagen, his first season when we bottled the league, his record in the cup competitions in his first spell, the last few performances against the huns, the CL group stage performance in 2013/14 etc.

So, like I said, the mostly good times is a bare minimum as a Celtic manager, given we should be winning the vast, vast majority of our domestic matches. However, despite a few highs, there’s been plenty of abject performances and results against teams who are a step above the likes of Aberdeen, but teams we should still be beating.

This going back and pointing at his win percentage is nonsense as well. The standard of the league over the last decade has been * miserable. You only have to look at the annual embarrassments of the likes of Aberdeen and Hibs in Europe. The current Rangers side is the only good competition we’ve had since 2011.

 

Leaving Rodgers, MON and Barnes aside (as no one is claiming he is as good as the former two and the latter isn't a manager) what has he failed to do that other Celtic managers of the last 25 years have succeeded in doing?

You can absolutely argue that we can and should attract another manager of the calibre of Rodgers or MON (I would disagree, but there's an argument to be had there); but people need to knock this * about him being a poor manager on the head as it doesn't stack up.

 

I genuinely haven’t seen anyone here that I think would like to see the club fail just so they could say ‘I told you so’ when it comes to Lennon. Way wide of the mark for me.

I have seen a few comments alluding to the idea that they hope we get beat in order to instigate change, and achieve longer term success. It’s a bit daft, but I can see the reasoning behind it - we would all happily accept a situation where we lost our next league game, changed manager and went on to win the 10, wouldn’t we? Celtic winning the 10 is infinitely more important to me than Lennon lifting the 10 (although it would be the icing on the cake).

The whole thing has made me really not want former players as managers tbh, or at least club icons like Lennon. Football management is such a cut-throat business - to paraphrase Batman - you basically die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain. There’s very rarely any really happy endings.

 

* knows where to start with this.

Individual errors from players have cost us, particularly Duffy, and that would suggest it's possibly not the best Celtic squad assembled in recent years. No doubt injuries have played their part but you cannae blame Lennon for that.

You are right we have won one point from 6 in second tier European competition. But against the team top of the league in France and AC * Milan. You seem to totally disregard the quality of the opposition. Some of the football we have played has been really good in both games, particularly last night, but let's have a go at Lennon.

You are again correct we are six points behind the Huns but conveniently forgot to mention the game in hand.

You say he needs to get players playing well for 90 minutes and not just 45 minutes. Do you no think the players have to take responsibility for that?

Folk need to calm down and give Lennon a break. We're only coming to the end of October and we're just starting to get some players back.

 

I didn't say that. I said that there are people who, if they had to choose between success and being right, would choose being right. A subtly different thing.

I don't think anyone is sitting there wanting us to fail so they can be right. There are ways they can be both and I imagine that's what they actually want.

 

Not seeing the distinction at all there tbh.

Someone choosing being proven right over club success is absolutely no different to someone wanting the club to fail in order to be proven right. Failure by its very nature is the absence of success.

The bolded also feels very contradictory.

 

I dunno, I consider myself probably actually be one of the more vocal on here to think that Lennon should have left weeks ago, let alone after this weekend potential disaster.

But by * do I never want to see us get beat, ever.
I want us to win the ten and I can't think of a better man to do it than Lennon.

I want to be proven wrong, I'm begging Lennon to prove me wrong.

But in a realist here, it's been all season this has been * and it's really just a matter of time. It'll happen within the next couple of weeks, or at the end of the season.
Not in January or march or anything.

But honestly, I want to be proven wrong in that I think he is the wrong man to take us forward, that I think the job is too big for him and he's already done enough damage (and shown too little) to change this.

Sent from my MAR-LX1A using Tapatalk

 

If I had to choose, I'd rather have a date with Rhianna than with Katy Perry; but I can assure you, I'm not sitting here fervently hoping Katy Perry continues to ignore all my emails and calls.

 

Totally agree.


But for many that doesnt matter,they want him gone regardless now. Even when he has changed it,by dropping Brown and getting Ntcham,by changing the formation to dropping the keeper, it aint good enough for them. Looking back at last nights game thread there was almost the feeling of everyone getting back on the Lenny bus until the stupid mistakes by the defence caused the draw......then suddenly Lennon got it tight, yet again. Yes he could have changed it up with the subs but hindsight is a wonderful thing. It wasnt him that gave away the penalty last weekend it was the fans favourite Ntcham,it wasnt his fault that basic defending has went out the window,you cant polish a * in Duffy.

I want him to succeed here and yes he has made a few mistakes here and there,but as you say the team has been decimated over the last 2 months and been chasing points since Boli incident. The MSM has done its job also on us and him,then throw in the * decisions from the refs already just 2 months in has been a disgrace even for their standard.

The Huns have momentum,thats it,and if anyone seen them last night they were blowing out their * 50 mins in,they have Benfica back to back and also throw in Kille on Sunday,they aint as mesmerising as some people think they are.....they are very close to running out of steam already and its up to us to capitilise on this.

We win on Sunday and i honestly believe we will turn the corner we have been waiting on,but he has to drop Duffy,get the subs right from now on and start showing some emotion,as the rest of the team now.Players are coming back,big game players,we will get this right soon.

 

Obviously I've no idea what goes on behind the scenes but I can't help but feel losing Damien Duff was huge. Lennon is a good man manager and, at times, a good motivator, but I feel like Duffer was doing a lot of the tactics and player instruction side of things. Players have looked a bit more lost since he was replaced. Could just be a coincidence or me making something out of nothing though.

 

This has to be worst our defence has looked in decades and that's even considering times we've had to endure some real * being in our back line. In the last 20 years

We are shipping goals like they don't matter at all.

What's worse, without signing Duffy who would we have been able to call on when Bitton, Elhamad, Jullien were all unavailable?

It's frightening to think we could have been even worse off without Duffy despite how * he's been personally.

To some extent my reaction to all this has been somewhat kneejerk when you really take into consideration the state of our squad, but even then there is a part of me that argues, "well... Its been this way for years now and still nothing is done to cover shortfalls in playing staff, just so happens it feels like that approach is now coming home roost when we are trying to win the 10"

Our injury record throughout the squad has been * criminal for years now and with the added issue of this virus causing players to miss games it's making this season unbearable.

Celtic could have done so much more to ensure 10iar is not put at risk, from looking at different managers to signing adequate players (albeit on paper this window was one of finest) and yet here we are and arguably none of those have really worked.

Celtic are only here because Celtic put itself here, no one else, if we lose the 10 it's because we let it happen because the board would rather milk the cow when it's stressed then spend to look after it properly.

 

Because Duffy has been guff means we dont have a great squad????? We have a squad jam packed with with quality all over the pitch... look at our attacking options, we havnt had this quality in a long time..

Played well aginst AC milan? He started 3-5-2 after it's absolute abject failure against the huns.. remember that game? And we played well for about 20 minutes...whoppy de * do da..

Last night we played well first half... we have 11 very talented players, bound to play well now and again but again he waited until we conceded two goals to make changes.. he hasnt a clue what to do when a game isnt going to plan...

You say the players should take responsibility for conceding the 2 goals but demand we give Lennon credit for going 2 up...? Its clear the team needed freshined up before we conceded the first... who's responsibility is that? Players or Managers?

Its clear some folk on here want to give Lennon credit when we have any good spell during the game and its all the players fault if we dont.. that correct?

Fact is we haven't won any big game this season...

Hungarian mob lost... huns lost... Aberdeen drew... Milan lost.... Lille drew(decent result)

You asked "where do I start with this?" Try starting with why our squad is incapable of a 90 minute performance.... ?

 

Yip, been thinking exactly the same. I gather he was the consummate professional as well. That’s not to say Strachan isn’t but it’s definitely a contender for our dip in form (and potentially fitness levels as well?). Could also just be coincidence. F knows but hopefully we’re starting to turn a corner.

 

You know what I find tiresome? Finding the energy to support my team when they let me down time after time. That’s what this season has been so far. But every single time I’m supporting them and that includes Lennon.

That’s despite me not believing he earned the job. I never wanted him back, he wasn’t even on the shortlist.

I don’t believe he’s a good coach or a tactician. He’s a man manager and that can only take you so far. A lot of players love playing for him because he makes you feel like you’re on top of the world. It’s great to have in a team, but it’s times like this under pressure when good coaches turn things around. But he hasn’t. He still can, but it’s going to take a hefty effort from all the players and the staff to help him do it. He’s always been stubborn. You don’t stick with the same team after a game like Ferencvaros. You just don’t do it. He did. We won 3-0. It paid off but it is stubbornness. He’s got a stubbornness of sticking with out of form players and he done it his first stint too. You are saying we have been missing all sorts of players too but they’ve all been there at times and we’ve been * then too.

The last thing I think is he’s a coward. I also don’t think he lies maliciously, but he does protect his players from the media and I believe a lot of the “fitness” stuff is a form of that. I have no problem with it. He can’t lie to the media and tell us the truth unfortunately.

You don’t have to reply to this, you’re getting it from all angles. Just wanted to write out my thoughts. We all want the best for this club, that’s all it comes down to. That’s with or without Lennon, but nobody wants him to fail.

 

I know I have been very critical of Lennon and if he turns it around I'll be first to say fair *... I hope he does but I dont see any evidence he is capable of it...

Also questions need to asked why players like Griffiths, Soro, Turnball, Klimala, Rogic are deemed not fit enough or good enough to play 3 months into a season... these are professional athletes

 

I like Neil, I admire his fortitude and strength shown in a country whose majority population and establishment hate him and everything he is and who he represents.

After 50 years on this planet, thank goodness many of them on foreign shores away from the incessant bigotry of Scotland, I want 10. I want to ram it down the throats of this bigoted shithole as it will be a dagger to the hearts of every twisted establishment * that still prevail in the “best wee country in the world”.

A quadruple treble for the potential QuadraFenians will be swept under the carpet and ignored by the same *. Just wait till the day that the spawn of the spawn of Satan FC actually win something. There will be a national holiday and blue white and red bunting in the streets!

AT ALL COSTS I want these * crushed.

Whether we agree or not, Neil is in charge. He’s a * stubborn * though and he needs to get a grip of himself first and foremost. The Lewis Morgan experiment last year and the no strikers episode this year was and were a disgrace. Trying to fit big * square pegs into round holes is just not on.

He represents us as he needs to give himself a shake. So do the players!

Everyone praising Ely last night when I would have kicked his * for shocking decision making on three occasions that could have put the game out of sight. It’s about levels. Two great goals, but absolute glaring * nonsense later on!

Neil sees to have a blind spot with Ntcham. I’d send that coward to train with rugby players for a week then see if he could put an actual tackle in.

I’m having a rant, but Lenny is the boss and he’s not above criticism, equally the players really need to step it up.

 

He's forced to play Duffy cause he's no one else he can play due to injuries. Doesn't suggest its the best squad in years.

Agree it's been poor so far this season but FFS it's October and players are coming back.

You ever watch Celtic teams away in Europe under Rodgers and MON. Embarrassing at times. Don't remember anyone wanting them sacked.

We have 11 talented players who can't perform for 90 minutes? Surely players must take responsibility.

Anyway mate, Lennon is here to stay this season, get behind him.

 

I have no problem getting behind him mate and I know hes not going anywhere this season.. But he needs to start sorting this out before it's too late... his decision making needs to improve and quick and he needs to trust his squad... if not we are * this season...