Neil Lennon

Naturally, there is structural issues way above Lennon and I can not for one moment lay blame to him for the scouting, the youth setup, the boardroom antics of the last * knows how many seasons, I don't believe anyone is.
I can't fault Lennon for there being no development league, or for the mess Rodgers and Congerton left us in. In fact, the job done by the club (which will include Lennon) this pass summer window has been very good. Credit to all involved.

But again, none of this is what we are judging Lennon on at this point. We are judging him on his continued poor management of the squad at hand - irrespective of the behind the scenes structure of the club that has brought us to this current squad - and somewhat baffling tactical judgement this season.

I believe you may be correct in the return of some players and a hopeful up turn in performance and results. However, again, the missing players are not the sole reason for the poor form this season. We have had plenty of capable players available to us for many of the games where we have just been extremely poor in. This is what Lennon is judged on, by me and most others. Not the structural issues of the club over however many years or decades you want to attribute to the regression of the club.

The big question we all have now though, is how long do we continue on the current path of management we have, before we decide enough is enough? As you say the next few weeks are going to be a big time for us, but I personally feel Lennon has not done enough to convince me that he can turn this around even with his preferred players available to him.

 

Mate, a lot of these "bizarre" tactical decisions have been forced on him. Take for example playing with no striker. This is not something Lenny does usually. It's not part of his usual approach. However, Griffiths wasn't anywhere near fit, Eddy wasn't available and here is Lenny on Kilamala and Ajeti (from the BBC before the game):

On the decision not to start with a recognised striker, Lennon adds: "Ajeti is not match fit and Klimala isn’t match fit."

Yet he got dogs abuse from some on here for that "tactical decision".

Why do you say he hasn't done enough to turn this round? He won everything domestically and won our EL group last year and has been an integral part of a really good summer window. I honestly think you just have to be patient. as I say, just give it a month. I think you're going to be pleasantly surprised.

I definitely see signs that we are getting our * together again. We all know what a good coach Rodgers is; but I think folk massively underestimate how much damage bringing Congerton in caused. It has literally taken us almost 2 years to get back to where we were in terms of signings (if we even are completely back).

 

Mate you’ve got to drop the match fitness * as an excuse for not playing a striker against Ferencvaros.

This is somecunt with a laptop probably telling Lennon these things, it’s a load of *.

Ajeti scored in both games, before and after that game as a sub. There’s no excuse for him either playing the full 1st half to establish ourselves, or the full 2nd half.

Klimala was in the same situation as any other Celtic player was. He’d been playing and scoring in preseason and scored in the regular season. Again, there’s no excuse for him not playing either half.

Then he’s got Harper on the bench who we’ve not seen since. WHY. That was the real kick in the balls for me.

Not 90 minutes. A half each. No excuse.

 

I hope you don't think I am just debating for the sake of being awkward, as I actually do enjoy understanding the other side opinion on this and in all honesty would love to have the same sort of outlook, because nothing else would make me happier than seeing Lennon be the man to lift the ten.

And I hate saying this, but Lennon was full of * with those comments in regards the CL game - Klimala burst his * all summer and came back a much fitter and stronger player, performed well and got a goal in preseason etc. Leading up to that game against Ferncvraos he was subbed ON the 4 presiding games. Klimala was/should have been match fit. If he isn't, that is on Lennon for his bad squad management not to have Klimala in a better place. Griffths and Ajeti I can accept, but he had 4 games at least to get Klimala up to speed - in fact he still hasn't managed this months later now.

It sounds like nitpicking, but these are not in isolation. Turnbull is now not match fit, even though he started the first 6 league games for Motherwell, bizzare to say the least.

Covid, injuries etc are all outwith Lennons realm of blame, but Klimala not being match fit for that game is all on Lennon. Unless there is something much more weird and wonderful behind the scenes.

I say he hasn't done enough to turn it around purely based on this season, not last. All credit to the lad for coming in to see us over the line for 8 in a row and last season, but none of that matters when we are 17 games deep in to this season and we have done very little in way of showing we are on the up.

Do fully agree on Rodgers and Congerton disaster, but again that has little to do with what annoys me in regards Lennons management of this season.


Truly hope in a months time I am surprised and we sit on top the table again - or at least in control with our games in hand - I just dont see that progression yet.

I do however think today is a good day to kick start it all again, enough players should be back to let Lennon pick what he deems a preferred 11 and the occasion should be big enough to get a reaction and a performance that should get things going again.

 

The not match fit excuse doesn't wash when Welsh was deemed match fit despite not kicking a ball for more than a year. Folk really need to stop with that pish, it was an excuse as he got it badly wrong.

 

I don't know, I've seen extremely good managers over the years give match fitness as a reason for not playing players and it was Lenny's stated reason before the match.

It's a plausible reason given before the match, so I thought I might, you know, go ahead and believe our manager.

 

Why wasn’t Klimala match fit?

 

If that was the case how could Welsh possibly be match fit enough to start the hun game? He hadn't kicked a ball in over a year. He tried to be too clever, got it badly wrong and should have held his hands up and admitted he got it wrong.

 

Because the manager doesn’t manage. But you’re not allowed to criticise him for that, it’s just stuff that ‘happens’ to him.

 

We aren’t talking about other managers in other situations. I don’t know who or when you’re talking about so I can’t comment. But I’m giving you actual facts about our situation and your response is “but Lennon said so I’ll believe him”.

There’s absolutely no way that a professional footballer is incapable of playing 45 mins when they are deemed fit enough for being on the bench and given 20 mins. I’m not buying it.

Don’t know why you’re throwing Klimala in there either, he’d played enough football through preseason to merit 45 minutes in the Ferencvaros game. That just can’t be denied.

Laxalt comes in and is thrown in, because he was needed. The same needed to be done in that game, not just “ach I’ll throw Christie up there”.

There’s thousands of football teams that start their season with their strongest possible team and the fitness comes with it. Why the * don’t we. Players don’t get match fit without playing * matches.

 

The doubters will be drowning in their Kestrel tonight haha

 

Still another 45 to go

 

Why?

We're all Celtic fans here, we want Celtic to win.
It baffles me that some people seem to think that there are fans that want Celtic to lose just so they can give the manager grief and hopefully get rid off him.

I want Celtic to win, I want what's best for Celtic if that suddenly turns out to be Lennon then great, if not then as long as Celtic win with another manager then that's also great!

 

Some folk have been blindly supporting in the obvious belief a game will come good (the question has always been can Lennon fix it in time before it gets too bad) and are now waiting for the up turn to be able to jump out with this * and act like a better, more uber, fan than others.

Shame, some wont actually allow a legit debate about the performances previous to today.
Some thankfully are actually open to a debate and conversation.

 

It's the same so-called fans who didn't want him when BR left trying to defend their idiotic reasons. I'm glad the board ignore them as they would land us in trouble again by getting rid of another cracking manager.

The reason I'm confident is because of Neil Lennon. This thread will be hushed after today's performance anyway!

 

It was his P45 the crazies were shouting for last week haha.

 

Let's be honest. Most people are reasonable why they don't want him. It isn't a knee * reaction to a couple of results the past week. It's both on and off the park for the past 12 months or so.

But credit where it's due. First half was good as was Lille. Need it more consistently to say the corner has been turned

 

I'm really not going to get into it but just because some fans rightfully were worried by the performances doesn't make them "So-called fans", also this is just one game, I hope things are now on the up but I won't be getting carried away just yet and I think it's fine for people to post their thoughts on the manager on a Celtic forum!

 

The ones shouting for a new manager I'm aiming this at. They are a disgrace.

 

This match fit * is just an excuse,duffy had not played in 9 months,right into the team,then does * and manager keeps telling us how he has not played in 9 months. Laxalt had not played since july,straight into the team and so far brilliant. Eddy coming back from virus gets put into team ASAP while other 3 fit strikers sit on bench. Lenny is fooling no one with his excuses and choices.