Lennon V Walter Smith

I'd just like to make this point. As some people seem to be getting caught up in the hype of a deafeat.

Walter Smith took over Rangers in January 2007 and did not win the SPL until May 2009! 2 years and 5 months before he got his (dirty smelly manky wrinkly) hands on the SPL trophy.

This was a guy with about 18 seasons of managerial experienceat International, SPL and English Premiership level AND he spent £30million on players to win the SPL.

Thomson £2m, Cuellar £2.4m, Beasley £700k, Gow £150k, McCulloch £2.25m, Whittaker £2m, Cousin £1.3m, Naismith £1.9m, Alexander £500k, Miller £2m, Velicka £1m, 26.2 Lafferty £3.75m, Bougherra £2.5m, Mendes £3m, Davis £3.5m, Edu £2.6m. Not including frees like Weir, Dailly, Faye, Broadfoot, Ehiogu, Darcheville and Carroll.

Lennon has spent £9million if he's lucky and is 1 year into his first managerial job ever and has done an excellent job.

We could get 92 points this season. Which would have finished above Rangers in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010.

Rangers have done well this season against the rest of the SPL, just a wee bit better than us to pick up 4 points more than us. It happens - in O'Neills first season the huns got 82 points, in Strachans first season they got 73 - this season they already have 84. It wont take away from us having a good season and Lennon laying down a superb foundation to build upon.

Now calm yourselves and relax in knowing that we are the best team in Scotland ... and its not over yet.

 

Good post mate

 

second best counts for * all if you think they will drop points against other hun teams then your head is up your * check your history books

 

Of course it doesnt, I never said it does or that we would win the League.

Regardless of that we have had a good season, we may be the losers but we'll be the losers in the way we were in 2003 and 2005. We'll still be the best team and know we're good and success will come.

 

what is with these threads suddenly assessing Lenny by stats. The only stat that matters is the silverware and how we do in Europe. The rest is just pish noone will remember in a couple of years.

 

Fantastic post

 

That is what worries me. We clearly have a vastly better squad than Rangers but may lose the title. To me Lenny has shown he has a good eye for a player but I think he is tactically dodgy at times.

 

Lennon is a better manager than smith hands down

 

All this talk about the Huns being on there * and there for the taking is bullshit.yes they have a small squad but that was smiths decision.after all he blew 4m on 1 player.let's also not forget the Huns spent 7.5m to improve a league winning team where Lenny was dismantling and rebuilding the worst team we have had in 10 years the guy deserves a bit more credit

 

Yep, I could use stats to counter the OP's argument on several key points and he probably knows it too.

Silverware is everything and always will be

Is he, how?

 

takes no account of net spend. completely pointless.what have been the ins and outs?
our squad is much larger than the huns. the wages et al we pay for having a much larger squad would have to be taken into account.
lenny's incompetence against so called lesser opposition has been tantamount to gross negligence this season. that's what has cost us the league.
our team selection, formation and negligence of opponents strengths and playing surfaces were at the heart of lenny's failure to deliver this season. if he cant see that he should be sacked before the mistakes are repeated again.

 

What would you expect of a man with 1 year of management though?

Its probably 100% correct that Walter Smith would have won the League with us this season but Walter Smith had 20+ years to master his job.

Walter Smith nearly lost the League in 1994 to Aberdeen, despite having McCoist, Durrant, Steven, Stevens, Hateley, McCall, Gough, Durie, Goram and Aberdeen basically had Eion Jess and Jim Leighton

I think Lennons done a great job this season, he has me anyway enjoying the football again with a team and players I like.

 

Net spend only matters to the board/owners.

If your given £30million to buy your own players in a year and a half then that is unbelievable money in the SPL. Also considering from Smiths team McGregor, Papac, Ferguson and Boyd were mainstays in the team and were already there. Compared to Lennon were nobody was a mainstay in the team when he took over the only two Boruc and McGeady were sold.

 

Gunt you are correct here in all respects, second best who were they?????? Bring back wee Mc Cann and sort out that board, built a stadium and a winning team against all the odds and a murray with loads of dosh, this lot couldn't lace his boots

 

see at the end of the day we should never have went down that road of rookie manager

 

You cant base everything on the result of the odd game though. If Rangers had for example drawn with Aberdeen the other week instead of won we'd be top of the League. Would that make us much better than we are? If Samaras scored that penalty against them we'd be 2 points above them.

Its great to win the League but I find it hard to get angry if we dont win it but have done as well as we have.

 

I also agree with this, I cant get my head around the idea of fans wanting Lennon out after this season. For all my criticisms of his management, I'd be extremely dismayed at everything that is Celtic if he left after this season, be it death threats or loosing the league.

The man turned around a very bad situation at the club quicker that most thought possible. I havent forgotten the circumstances that led to his appointment and I wont either. Neil Lennon FTW!

 

If Lennon wins the league you'll change your tune.