Neil Lennon

Keeping him is the biggest risk to the 10 and we the fans deserve better.

 

There's no * way ANY Celtic supporter is walking away when they have the chance to manage 9iar... second the board offered it, the die were cast! If there's actually a terrible management problem - and folk are torn on this, it falls on the board for not going straight out after the season ended and getting another Rodgers type coach in

 

Wasn't Kelvin Wilson about a decade ago? Before Deila and Rodgers set up our sports science group? Find it difficult to believe that the club suddenly decided 'yeah, * it! That * that's been handing us back to back trebles? Let's throw that out!'

 

Everyone knows his time is up, including himself. He's sat in the dugout this year and watched us implode under pressure. There is a poison around the club at the moment, on the cusp on what should be a historic season and we are bottling it. Absolutely no doubt about it, these players need to take a long hard look at themselves and they need to start producing on the pitch but what is even more clear for me is, I don't think the players know what they are supposed to be doing. The game is about tactics. Do we have better players than them across the road? I think we absolutely do. So WHY have we been played off the park by them the last 3 games? Take the games against them out of the equation, have we produced a game this year that, over the course of the 90 minutes has produced the levels we know we can achieve? Maybe Hibs at home? That's about it. Even then, they still had some good chances against us.

Lennon is a legend, no one can take away everything he has given the club as a player, a coach and a manager but the poison I spoke about before has been lingering ever since he got the job in the first place. To come in and steady the ship for 6 months after Rodgers left? Absolutely but he was never the man to take the job on full time. We scraped past Rangers to win the league cup, in fact, Forster won us that cup. Rangers capitulated under the pressure after the new year and that's handed us the chance of the treble. Does Lennon deserve praise for making sure we won our games? Of course but in context, Rangers * it big time.

He's here and it seems he's here to stay. By that point I would say one thing, I want to sit here come the end of the season and be proven wrong. I want someone to rub it in my face that I was wrong and they were right and Lennon has won us another league trophy, the big one. Number 10. I don't want to come back on this in January when the league is effectively over, Lennon has been handed his jotters and we are scraping about looking for a new manager to carry us on to a league that is never going to be won. We are still in the hunt for this trophy, it's far from gone and giving this project to a new manager, the chance to win a league title in your first 7 months in the job is good carrot to dangle in front of them. We lose the league and let's not also forget that there is NO champions league. Again, directly affects any potential managerial appointment. Managers want a crack at the champions league.

If, like many of us are predicting, we continue to struggle and a bigger gap opens up, the Lennon defenders on here have absolutely no right to accuse us of wanting the team to lose to be proven right. We all want to be proven wrong, we can just see the reality happening, losing the 10.

 

Mulgrew and Watt have said the same.

 

You find that hard to believe? Really?

I think Rodgers brought in Jack Naylor who is still there. Who knows what’s going on in that department because the players look unfit.

What goes against Lennon is Naylor had them looking exceptional under Rodgers and it’s gotten a lot worse under Lennon. Fitness was also a huge issue first time round with Lennon. Ultimately the buck stops with the manager.

But seriously, the opposition analysis and shape comments should be the thing that stands out there.

 

I can't wait til we start pumping teams again and were singing 'ONE NEIL LENNON'

Sent from my SM-G903W using Tapatalk

 

The thing is, Lennon doesn't know what instructions to give. He doesn't justify standing on the sidelines. His game management is * pants, non existent. It would be embarrassing for him to bark out redundant orders and clap his hands saying "come on lads" or "well done Broony". The players clearly aren't listening anyway.

 

BOOM!! Exactly

Don't forget Sparta's C team waltzing into our house and embarrassing us either! Or the * poor results (and performances) vs Rangers.

 

Lose or even draw tonight and we are out of Europa and if that happens then Lennon should go immediately on return from Prague.
Currently we need to win all 3 remaining Europa league group games and hope Lille win their other 2 otherwise we will be out.

 

We're out of Europe, zero chance of qualifying.

 

NEIL LENNON always knew that going for ‘The Ten’ would never be straightforward. He probably didn’t foresee a supporter’s group calling for his removal in order that Celtic might achieve it though.

But this is the scenario that Lennon faced yesterday as The Green Brigade called for the sacking of their manager after watching Celtic fall 11 points behind Rangers at the top of the Premiership over the weekend, albeit having played two games less than their great rivals.

Lennon, having delivered every trophy available since stepping back into the Celtic dugout, was hurt by the timing and the sentiment. He doesn’t deny that the season has not gone the way that either he nor the fans would have wanted thus far, but he does refute the suggestion that it has been as bad as has been portrayed. Or that it is in any way irretrievable under his stewardship.


The backing of club majority shareholder Dermot Desmond and chief executive Peter Lawwell is helping him to maintain a sense of perspective, and he has urged those supporters who have called for his dismissal to do something similar.


“I don’t feel under any pressure at all,” Lennon said. “I don’t feel that I should be under any pressure either.

“We have lost one game in the league this season. We have lost one game in this calendar year domestically. So I think over the piece we have been pretty good.

“We are in another final. Unfortunately it’s had to overlap into this season and we didn’t get the chance to enjoy the fruits of last season.

“Once that’s out of the way we go for another one and try to achieve another treble if we can. It never changes.

“I don’t know if [the fans] can’t see it or whether they don’t want to see it. I see it. And that’s where you keep that sense of perspective.

“I speak to Peter every day and I speak to Dermot once or twice a week. Obviously we are all in the same fight.

“We know we are a little bit inconsistent. But we have great belief that we will go on a run and play the sort of football we know we are capable of


“Look, the fans want what I want. I want the same thing as them. I can understand there is a sense of frustration - there is a lot of frustration surrounding this season with the fact they can’t be at the games to see the team.

“They’re all entitled to their opinion. But as far as I’m concerned we’ve made a better start to the season than in previous seasons. We’re chasing our tail a little bit, but there is a long way to go.

“I have great faith in what I’m doing, what my backroom team are doing, and certainly what the players will do going forward.”

That Lennon came out of the corner he has been painted into fighting was no surprise, but his assertion that he is enjoying the current situation at Celtic certainly raised an eyebrow. But it is in such embattled moments that Lennon perhaps feels he is at his best.


And indeed, he questioned whether the fact some of the club’s supporters have not known such moments of adversity might not just be behind the current hysteria surrounding both Celtic’s position and his own.

“Look, I’ve been in worse situations, far worse situations in my managerial career and also my own football career,” he said.

“Maybe some fans or players haven’t been through a real test like this before.

“But it’s my job, certainly from the players’ point of view, to cajole them through it and I do believe they will hit a run of form and momentum to get going.

“But there are always challenges as a manager that you always have to face. It can’t always be rose gardens.

“You have to come through a little bit of adversity at times. Listen, there has to be a sense of perspective here. We have won nine, drawn three and lost one. In the three draws we’ve given away silly penalties that have cost us six points. If we eradicate that we’ll be there or thereabouts.

“And we’ve got games in hand - which we’re not guaranteeing we’re going to win - but we could win them and the gap then isn’t as big as it probably looks on paper.

“The reality is we’ve been a little bit inconsistent but that’s no different from any other season.

“Our rivals are going very well at the minute and we have to stay around, stay strong, and push through it. There is plenty of football to go.

“I think it’s just a sign of the times. You’re either a one-week wonder or a one-week disaster. With all the media platforms and the so-called expert opinions...I really don’t engage with it. I step away and look at the facts.

“We have to be calm and have a sense of perspective and share that with the players as well.

“I’m here as the face of the team and I enjoy that privilege immensely. It’s a privilege managing this club and this group of players.

“I think we’ve done pretty well since I came back in and even in the first spell we had great success as well. We are looking for more of the same in future.

“I’ve been strong my whole career. I’ve been here 20 years and the club means everything to me.

“It will continue to mean everything to me after that.”















NEIL LENNON says he has absolutely no intention of quitting as Celtic manager, and insists he has the fire in his belly to come through this period of adversity and reel in Rangers at the top of the Premiership table.

Supporters’ group The Green Brigade held a protest outside Celtic Park yesterday where they unveiled a banner calling for Lennon to leave the club in order to save their bid for a tenth title in a row.

But Lennon, while admitting he was disappointed with the banner, has refused to throw in the towel, and says he is actually enjoying the challenge of steering Celtic through this rocky period.


When asked if he had thought of quitting, Lennon said: “Absolutely not.

“There are times when you have to hold your hands up but at the minute I have no intention of quitting.

“I don’t even need to think about that. All this noise is affecting other people but it’s not affecting me. There’s no evidence to suggest that I can’t lead these players to the title.


“You wouldn’t be human if [the banner] didn’t disappoint you. But I’m strong, I’m so motivated now, and have the fire in the belly.

“I’m actually enjoying going through this adverse period, if you want to call it that. It makes you feel stronger.

“My backroom staff are the same, they’re good and vibrant, and the players are hopefully taking on board what we’re asking of them.

“They know they have a lot more to come.”

Lennon says that there is no evidence to suggest that he has lost the Celtic dressing room, or that any of his players aren’t giving him absolutely everything on the pitch.

“In recent games we were twice behind at Aberdeen and scored three second-half goals at Pittodrie, which we haven’t done for a while,” he said.

“We won 4-1 at Motherwell, we won a Scottish Cup semi-final and we were 2-0 down at the weekend but responded by showing great fortitude and belief to get a point.

“There were no signs there that the players have given up on anything, no sign at all.”

 

What can you say man..

Apart from buckle in.

 

Guy thinks everyone is still behind him * me. I'm off to eat a cream egg to feel better.

 

Ok. So he’s addressed the banner and now he’s very aware of the fan base opinion and request.

There’s no denying the problem and that the fans are directing it at him.

Next up is Prague

Creme Eggs look simple but there’s too many choices on how it goes down.

I prefer a Curly Wurly, looks mega complex but destroy it in a few bites and it becomes quite a simple affair, next think you know it’s gone.

 

Good post.

I hate it when giving away a penalty or conceding a sloppy goal from a defensive error is used as a defence of our results so far. Defensive fragility has been an absolute hallmark of this seasons play, and its not just the occasional lapse in concentration that you have to accept now and again.

The European results have been nothing short of pathetic. I’m not sure there’s much more to be said. Smacked about at home by sides with significantly smaller budgets.

Honestly, when I look at how we’ve played this season, we’re actually fairly fortunate to possibly only be 5 points behind, provided we win our games in hand. There’s been absolutely no evidence to suggest that we’re improving either.

I get a horrible sense of inevitability about this season. We’ll sack Lennon, but it will be far, far too late my that stage to mount a title challenge imo.

 

When asked if he had thought of quitting, Lennon said: “Absolutely not.

“There are times when you have to hold your hands up but at the minute I have no intention of quitting.

“I don’t even need to think about that. All this noise is affecting other people but it’s not affecting me. There’s no evidence to suggest that I can’t lead these players to the title.

“The reality is we’ve been a little bit inconsistent but that’s no different from any other season.

No Evidence! In the last eight games we have managed 2 wins (and one of them is a game carried over from last year) Since losing to the Huns at home we have beat Motherwell and Aberdeen..

Not once has Lenny held his hands up and said he got the selection or the formation wrong. And the last one.. we’ve been a little bit inconsistent but that’s no different from any other season.

Well i beg to differ.. can any of the statisticians on here tell me when we last had such a terrible run of form. TWO WINS IN EIGHT !!! a period of almost TWO MONTHS.. most managers are lucky if they survive a bad month in modern football.

I would be willing to back him if he actually came out and told the truth instead of treating fans like mugs with his condescending sound-bites. Saying he has only lost 1 game but that was more down to good fortune and a bit of luck rather than tactics or timely substitutions.

I really do want him to turn it around but the improvements have to be rapid and lasting. He is too proud to bring in a quality defensive coach but that is something that we have needed for many years.

 

Lennon reminds me of the captain of the Titanic telling his crew everything will be ok and it will turn out fine but knows to himself we are * .

 

So he doesn’t feel like he should be under any pressure. And he thinks “we’re a little inconsistent”.

See when people get upset about some fans being quite hostile and “disrespectful” to Lennon, well in this case it’s warranted. He’s treating the fans like mugs, being an arrogant * and talking like we should be kissing the ground he walks on.

Look at the state of his comments from those articles.

 

He’s the manager he should be getting respect off of the players, not the other way round. And at the moment the players clearly don’t respect Lenny or his management methods.

No * knows the ins and outs your correct but it’s clear as day the players are not responding and have chucked it under him. You can’t just trust players to go out and win a game of football without giving them any tactical instructions. This isn’t 1985 anymore.