Neil Lennons Stubbornness

100% how I see it.

Samaras should never be played up top by himself. We had two strikers sitting on the bench for over eighty minutes and only one of them got on after we went two down.

Lenny needs to stop trying to fit players into the team and play them in their proper positions, if he wanted Mulgrew to play, play him at centre-back not left mid, if you want Sammy to play, play him on the left not up top.

Stokes deserves a chance in Europe, but for some unknown reason, Lenny left him out again.

 

He had a Tony Mowbray-esque clueless look on his face tonight.

Absolutely woeful selection tonight.

 

Spot on. This sums up exactly why we lost tonight imo.

 

I know mate, they've got no experience together at all. They're defending was rotten, full game they just tugged at the oppositions jerseys and looked horribly out their depth.

I said I think he's a brilliant man manager - good with the players on a personal level - but agree he's not tactically aware enough to be a brilliant manager.

 

If I was Anthony Stokes, I would be gone. * shocking treatment yet again. Persisting with that other useless * up front when he wasn`t even bothering his *

 

Absolutely.

Lennon has basically stuck two fingers up to Stokes time and time again.

 

I think unfortunately, he will be gone soon.

There's little reason for him to sign a new deal if he's never going to play in Europe.

 

Aye, this has been going on for years. Every time we played Rangers (when they existed) he'd get dropped too, regardless of form.

 

Hooper and Stokes partnership was fantastic in the SPL, but they never ever got a chance in Europe....It looks to be a problem on personal level and that does not look good on Lenny

 

A couple of years back we had just tanked Aberdeen 9-0 at home, with Hooper and Stokes (STOOPER) having produced a footballing masterclass.

Stokes was dropped from the next game, and Stooper never once regularly appeared ever again.

 

I wonder what Lenny has against Stokes ?

 

I don't like him and I never did

 

Lennon just does not like him.

I know this for a fact - from the last time I was in one of their's company.

 

If Stokes has any sense then he should walk as he is a far better player than Lenny ever was .Lenny should be mature enough to let personalities and egos go by ,

 

His unwillingness to make changes is shocking. If you get it wrong suck it up make some changes and try again. I was gutted watching that tonight the worst thing is you watch the game in fear because of that defence. And tippy tappy football side to side and then back doesnt suit us something has to change.

 

It kind of reminds me of strachan when we needed a goal and he would not make a sub it was so annoying i feel the same with lennon the now

 

Good post.

It's disgraceful the way Lennon treats Stokes. He's easily the best striker we have right now and judging by tonight, he's third choice.

 

It would've been interesting to see how Stooper performed in Europe. I don't think they would've had any trouble. Their chemistry was that good...

Oh well. Balde and Stokes could still make a strong partnership, if Lennon is bold enough.

 

Stokes is not the overall answer in Europe upfront but he'd have done a job tonight and added something different, just shows you how little faith Lennon has in him

 

I don't think it's stubbornness, he just got the team selection totally wrong.

2 inexperienced centre halves playing together for the first time in a game of this magnitude was just utter folly. We all know by now that Sammy is better deployed wide left and why he feels the need to shove Mulgrew into midfield in these games I never understand. Hi set-pieces are excellent but he never offers much else in that role.

Stokes needs to be given a chance to play up front in Europe, why we felt the need to flood the midfield and be ultra-cautious against a lesser side is beyond me. I hope he doesn't catch the Strachan bug of changing formations and getting out the crayons in Europe when we really don't have to.

I think he didn't change it too much as he thought 1-0 would be a decent result, but now we are staring down the barrell.

He got it so wrong tonight.