John Hartson had a rant about Neil Lennon and Celtic’s ‘unacceptable’ season earlier this evening on the Go Radio Football Show. You can listen to the former Celtic striker talking about he’s personally ‘not happy’ with Lennon who claimed that Hartson’s opinions are not important to him after Hartson’s previous call For Celtic to remove Lennon from the Celtic job amid a disastrous season.
Hartson also pointed out that both Stan Petrov and Chris Sutton, also former teammates of Lennon’s from Martin O’Neill’s sensational Celtic side from two decades ago, had also come to the same conclusion. And so too had the entire Celtic support with only the PLC Board – who did not want to give into fan pressure, especially from the demonstrators outside the ground apparently – and Lennon himself thinking that it was acceptable for him to carry in regardless.
Here’s what John Hartson was saying earlier this evening before the former Celtic View staffer David Friel broke the news in Scottish Sun that Lennon will leave Celtic tomorrow, with John Kennedy taking the team until the end of the season.
“How can we be so far behind, it’s not good enough, it’s unacceptable”
CELTIC FANS hear @JohnHartson10‘s response to Neil Lennon’s comments & his thoughts on the current situation at the club.
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Chris Sutton, after the news broke was certainly not surprised. “Neil Lennon had to go. I know this season has been a disaster but I hope after the anger settles down about this season that people respect that Neil has been a great servant to Celtic both as a player and manager,” Sutton tweeted.
Neil Lennon had to go. I know this season has been a disaster but i hope after the anger settles down about this season that people respect that Neil has been a great servant to Celtic both as a player and manager.
— Chris Sutton (@chris_sutton73) February 23, 2021
Sadly there is anger and it is all directed at Neil Lennon. Today (Wednesday) is the second anniversary of Brendan Rodgers’ last match as Celtic manager and when he left the rage and anger was all directed at him – the finest football manager we have had since Jock Stein.
Rodgers was called a rat, a snake and often worse by a support who felt betrayed, but his departure was a long time in the making and went back to the previous summer when a power struggle spilled over and the wheels started to come off Celtic. Maybe it would be more accurate to say that the bolts were loosened on the wheels and it took a while before the actually came off – but that happened this season and in time the support will look at Neil Lennon differently and in a more favourable light than at this time.
He had a role to play in this season but so too did others further up the food chain at Celtic. The truth is that Neil Lennon who had struggled at Bolton and left Hibs under a cloud was nowhere near qualified to take over from an elite manager like Brendan Rodgers. But none of the aggro was directed at our boardroom two years ago, it was all about Brendan’s Betrayal. And the Celtic Board laughed all the way to the bank bringing in around £10m in compensation from Leicester
Some supporters talk about Lennon not being tactically aware. Well if that is the case why was he appointed in the first place? And even in his first stint in charge at Celtic – where he don’t forget was able to defeat a great Barcelona side at its absolute peak – he was allowed to bring in hi own team of coaches to assist him. Not the second time around. He was given John Kennedy as his assistant and when Damien Duff (who may well be back shortly) left Gavin Strachan was elected as a replacement not by Neil Lennon.
We will go over the reasons why it all went wrong tomorrow – one at a time – but the last point for now is this. Celtic will appoint a new manager. We will either get an elite coach, who will raise standards and put the club on the right track or we’ll get more of what we’ve had over the past two years as standards have slipped right across the club.
Now we have players who are incapable of lasting 90 minutes – including incidentally both Turnbull and Soro, who have impressed since coming into the side. Think how much better they’d be under Brendan Rodgers type regime.
The most important person at a football club is NOT the CEO it is the Football Manager. Never again can Celtic get that wrong.
Celtic finally set to end reign of manager Neil Lennon after dismal campaign.https://t.co/9QXWaWwbqo via @MailSport
— stephen.mcgowan (@mcgowan_stephen) February 23, 2021
If @mcgowan_stephen reports it NL is away…lets, please be respectful of Neil Lennon. HH
— ۗۗۗۗۗۗۗۗۗۗۗۗۗۗۗۗۗۗۗۗۗۗۗۗۗۗۗۗۗ Ismaila Soro* CSC (@DBestseventy2) February 24, 2021
