Neil Lennon – “A Celtic man, one of the finest, and when the time comes, he should leave with all our thanks, respect and with his dignity intact”

“Neil knows he can’t go on losing games indefinitely but he will also not be thrown to the wolves just because of the demands of a bunch of fans with an enormous sense of entitlement.”

Despite this two fingered message of defiance from the Celtic Board via their chums at Daily Record it still seems a matter of when and not if Celtic part company with Neil Lennon.

Having survived a Champions League and Europa League exit before the Christmas cards had been written, never mind posted, and when that would have been enough for some Celtic managers to be relieved of their duties, in particular back-to-back 4-1 reverses to the Europa League groups lowest seeds Sparta Prague, Neil Lennon remaining in post was simply a step too far for the remainder of the dissenting voices.

To then have lasted to this point, after a defeat at home to Ross County saw us lose one of the domestic trophies, we’ve held for four consecutive years, and do that at home and to an average, yet certainly industrious and well organised Ross County side, felt like Inverness Caledonian Thistle all over again. And we know how that worked out for John Barnes.

For those using phrases like ‘sense of entitlement and ‘spoilt children’ It is worth remembering had it been a stand-alone result, Lennon would have been able to shake it off. Had it been a game where the opposition keeper played a blinder, rather than one so bereft of ideas and application, then it may well have been, that much like cup defeats to Bratislava, Lincoln Red Imps, Clyde or Falkirk that the Celtic fans may have accepted sometimes your luck isn’t in and backed their man to recover.

But much like Barnes’ Cup defeat to Inverness, it was the culmination of a run of poor form and the players, who are not exempt for criticism, simply looking like they were no longer trying a leg. That isn’t simply unfortunate for Neil Lennon, it’s entirely unrecoverable.

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It is nigh on impossible for a Celtic manager to survive four consecutive home defeats. That it hasn’t happened since the 1950’s, through glory periods and times more testing than these, shows you this is not entitlement in any shape or form, it is a concern that Neil Lennon’s story has reached a conclusion and the finishing line came far quicker and more dramatically than any of us could imagine.

You cannot sack a team, though many of us probably wish we could, but you can get your season back on track by replacing the man ultimately responsible for their performances and sadly the sentiment has to be removed.

The only surprise to this point is that the decision wasn’t taken after the Sparta Prague game. We know the board met and that Lawwell and Desmond both conversed with the manager via Zoom – Lenny told us all as much at the press conference after that meeting.

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Yet perhaps what has followed that Ross County defeat tell us just why a decision wasn’t reached. A board decision would have of course to be unanimous, it would only take one dissenter to have stopped the manager being moved on.

There will be some who wouldn’t have believed their luck as a car-park demonstration attended in the low hundreds and with those who misbehaved – and those who overstepped the mark deserve our disdain – numbered in the tens, could then be conveniently used as cloak to hide behind and deflect from the fact, that at least one part of the Celtic board may have erred on the side of inaction, as Celtic’s on-field form plummeted further still from the Sparta Prague debacle.

On Sunday we paid the price for ego getting in the way of sensible decision making and that ego was more than willing source allies in the press, and sadly beyond, to inflate the story and deflect attention, while demonising what felt like the whole support given the level the coverage went to, to suit their own ends said it all.

I know those who stood outside when Barnes time came to an end saw far greater numbers demonstrate and behaviour at least on a par. Yet politicians and Police commanders probably didn’t feel the need to follow up on that.

The fact Celtic took the field under Neil Lennon’ stewardship on Sunday is on those – or upon whom – decided to issue a vote of confidence in the Celtic manager on Friday morning straight after a second chastening defeat to yet another bang average European opponent, rather than do what was blatantly necessary at the time.

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Had they acted when they should have, a bounce factor of a likely new manager, watching from the comfort of their home, could have been enough to focus the minds of the players. As such Celtic may well have given up one of their hard-earned trophies when it could have been avoided by a less self-centred approach from those who decide if the axe falls or not.

When that change comes and of course the Stock Exchange have been advised, as you’d perhaps wrongly assumed was the required delay yesterday, a new man will be appointed and Celtic can get on with trying to salvage a title campaign that can be turned around with fresh ideas and a new voice.

Lennon with his Treble

It should also be remembered that when Neil leaves by way of resignation, or heads for a period of gardening leave, that over the last 20 years Neil Lennon has served Celtic wonderfully. If he has overstayed his welcome in some eyes, then that wasn’t for him to ultimately decide upon, when he cares so deeply and wished to keep on keeping on.

Ask yourself this, would you have walked away? If you believed you could turn it around and as a supporter as woven in the fabric of the club as Neil Lennon is, would you have voluntarily handed over to someone else if you genuinely believed you could deliver?

It is now likely that decision will, somewhat belatedly be taken out of Neil Lennon’s hands. As and when that happens, he can go with his head held high. Others above the manager may also follow suit in the weeks and months ahead, some of those would do well to bow theirs.

On the back of his previous long and distinguished service to the Celtic cause, he stepped up, steadied the ship and delivered a Treble Treble, when it appeared the wheels were coming off. He also delivered a further two trophies last season and reached the final of another this season. That recovery from the Glasgow Derby defeat cannot be understated either, as he gambled on a new formation and blew the premature celebrations of our rivals away in no more than 12 weeks.

This time it’s just too much to ask. Neil Lennon may believe he can turn it around but the weight of evidence points to another plan of action being required. He is however a Celtic man, one of the finest, and when the time comes, he should leave with all our thanks, respect and with his dignity intact. It’s the least he deserves.

Niall J

About Author

As a Bellshill Bhoy I was taken to my first Celtic game in the summer of 1987. It was Billy McNeill’s return to Celtic Park as manager and Celtic lost 5-1 to Arsenal . I thought I was a jinx, I think my Grandfather might have thought the same. It was the finest gift anyone ever gave me when he walked me through Parkhead's gates.

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