Neil Lennon – on paper, one of Celtic’s most successful members.
Five Scottish Premier League titles, four Scottish Cup medals and three League Cup medals as a player was matched in the hot seat at Celtic Park, albeit with two less League Cup medals as the boss.
In that sense, Lennon is a club legend – many believe he still is, which he should be at least considered for in all fairness. His antics last season as manager, in which Celtic endured their worst season for 25 years and their first trophyless campaign since 2009/10, slightly marred that, although there is still a domineering respect for Lennon.
That is slowly dwindling though, with the Lurgan-born ex-midfielder continuing to slate the club in the press whenever he makes television appearances – something journalist Stuart Hodge agrees with.
Having been replaced with Postecoglou, the Aussie has started life well at Paradise – although Lennon takes every second he can to slate the new man.
“Neil Lennon is basically trying to exonerate himself any time he goes on a channel,” Hodge said to GiveMeSport.
“I’ve never seen someone tarnish a legacy so quickly, so brutally, with such disregard for the institution.”
Hodge is spot on in everything he says about Lennon. This is a man who is so quick to slate Ange Postecoglou for all of his downfalls in the opening knockings of his Celtic career, although it is his fault that Ange has had to pick up all of the rubble and rebuild his dynasty from scratch. The hypocrisy involved is surreal.
“Joe Hart made a couple of great saves, and the missed some great chances. It’s just kind of kamikaze at the minute,” Lennon said after Celtic’s 4-0 loss at home to Bayer Leverkusen.
“It just seems to be we will attack you, you will attack us, and we will see who comes out on top. Tonight there was a ruthless in Leverkusen, and a quality of player that Lennon couldn’t match.
“Are the players good enough to adapt to the way Ange wants to play? On the evidence of tonight you have to say no.
“They are losing too many games at the minute. I would be really reluctant to criticise the manager. There is a rebuilding job here.”
It is most likely pettiness which has forced Lenny’s hand at criticising Postecoglou – although it is giving Lennon no sympathy and only making things worse.
Lenny is en route to becoming a Provan/Nicholas-type figure here. He should bugger off and keep his head down for a few years and then maybe he won’t end up as a persona non grata at CP. I’d hate to see that happen.
Let these guys say what they want to say, I would WANT them saying good things just because theyre ex players! I want honesty. I’d MUCH MUCH rather have an honest opinon than a sycophant like derek johnstone.
Neil is a man whom we should respect. His record as a player and a manager speaks for itself. All right, he screwed up badly last season – but that was a bizarrely abnormal season, and he had to deal with quite a few ill-willy spoilt brat players. But even then, in the depths of that awful season, he still won us the Scottish Cup! I think however if he is to be a journalist/pundit, they should give him games that don’t involve Celtic.
Agreed David.
He didn’t ’ win us the Scottish Cup’ the players did in spite of him.
Even then we rode our luck to win it.
We all know there were certain extenuating circumstances last season.
However Neil’s attempts to absolve himself from culpability is just revisionism ‘101’.
He needs to blame the players, the Club, the Scottish Government in order to keep him relevant for the media gigs and the hope that he gets another crack at management.
He was an extremely luck man to follow on from Martin O’Neil with a settled side that continued to win trophies. Yet the truth was that they succeeded due to their own professionalism and ambition. They succeeded despite his involvement. He had an easy ride as an iconic Celtic Player in management with a side Martin built. However by te time he left he had the side in disarray. Then Bolton bombed. Hibs mutual agreement while the press were all over his performance and Hibs players near mutiny. How lucky Celtic were when this all erupted just as the Golden One did his midnight flitting to the heights of Leicester, the only Club he had wanted to manage.
Neil steps in and saves the Celtic Season and another Treble locked away in the Boardroom.
Neil admitted later that he did little to guarantee the Treble. Again he inherited a successful side with ambitious players who drove the Club over the winning line. Fast forward and post his ‘Shower room Coronation’, a truly disgraceful scenario for a Club of Celtic’s stature. Neil should have been thanked for his contribution and given a tidy payoff while the CEO could then turn his attention to the job applications he had in his drawer.
That is before throwing them in the bin as he gleefully told all and sundry. What kind of message did that send out to all the available Managers and Coaches who might have considered joining Celtic. Not just then but in future. Aye ‘ Wurld Class in everything we do’ as Peter repeatedly crowed.
Neil then went on to destroy the side. Too many chucked it due to his total unprofessionalism. We all know the stories so I won’t repeat them.
He brought all this on his own head. Until he ‘owns it’ he won’t move on. He’ll just continue to snipe from the sidelines like a jilted lover or a snivelling wean ‘ it wiznae me maw, a big boy dun it an ran away’. He has singlehandedly destroyed his luckily won legacy. Great Player but a woeful manager who was found out away from Celtic.
The ginger whinger is no legend, his failure to accept any blame for last season is astonishing. He inherited one of the best jobs in British football and he some how managed to destroy what was left to him. The pace of play was slow and not the Celtic way. His outbursts are meant to get another job, he failed at Bolton, he got the sack at Hibs and destroyed Celtic. The biggest shocker is if he gets another job