Opinion – Neil Lennon is a lame duck manager as it stands

Being from Dundee, I don’t know how the west coast media circus spins. I assume that there are certain Celtic-facing journalists that have a direct line to members of the board and then use that information to put out the feelers in a wee headline before collating the feedback.

I really don’t know, good sports journalism stopped being an actual thing in Scotland a long time ago and it seems that most writers pluck their bylines from an unsuspecting blog or fans site and then run it as ‘a source close to the club’.

This is not about headlines in newspapers though, this is about the best way forward for Celtic and the decisions that have to be made that will ensure we remain competitive throughout this season.

Although I have backed the board and don’t necessarily want to see or hear from them on a regular basis – this is one of those times when their silence is deafening and their anonymity is almost a dereliction of their duties.

We’ve watched how Donald Trump has retreated to his bunker after the American election and refused to participate in his presidential duties. This appears to be exactly what the senior executives of our club have also been doing in the wake of our poor form.

Hiding from the problem doesn’t make it go away.

I personally think that Lenny should be given the opportunity to decide himself how he wants to proceed, but he needs to be honest with himself, and us, in his decision making process. He expects honesty and commitment from the players and the board – the very least he can do is to extend that same loyalty and commitment to the fans.

If there are other reasons for our performances that we are not aware of – then Lenny has to present his case.

If there are working relationships that are impacting upon our results – then Lenny has to present his case.

If he is struggling with the burden and the responsibility and needs some real assistance – then Lenny has to present his case.

Thus far – Lenny’s immediate responses after matches directly conflicts from what we’ve just witnessed on the pitch. We may not all be quantum physicists, but neither are we b/s swallowing fools like that other mob who would swallow swallow anything that’s presented to them.

Lenny has also thrown a few rocks at players without providing full context and that is not a comforting image of what goes on behind the scenes.

As it currently stands, Lenny himself appears to be in a similar predicament to the aforementioned American president. Neil Lennon is a lame duck manager as it stands. It looks like he knows he’s on the outs and it seems at times as if he’s half past giving a Craigy Whyte.

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His demeanour in the dugout doesn’t fill me with confidence. He looks detached from the events unfolding before him and doesn’t seem to have the necessary responses to change the situation when it slips out of our control. The problem we have as fans regarding his capabilities is in how we measure his first stint in the job and then compare it to his track record since he first called time at Parkhead. It’s now looking ever more likely the case that Lenny might have been more reliant on Johan Mjallby, Alan Thompson and Garry Parker than we initially thought. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but he needs to be forthright with the fans if this is the case.

I believe in Neil Lennon, but I also need to be able to believe him too.

As for the board. Stop hiding behind headlines and come out and do the jobs that you are all handsomely rewarded for. They’re all front and centre on prize-giving days – then have a tendency to hide in dark corners when the brown stuff hits the fan……..it’s the fans that hit that stuff  that they are that they should be worried about though.

Spherical Planet

Spherical Planet is a well-known member on Celtic Noise.

About Author

The Celtic Star founder and editor, who has edited numerous Celtic books over the past decade or so including several from Lisbon Lions, Willie Wallace, Tommy Gemmell and Jim Craig. Earliest Celtic memories include a win over East Fife at Celtic Park and the 4-1 League Cup loss to Partick Thistle as a 6 year old. Best game? Easy 4-2, 1979 when Ten Men Won the League. Email editor@thecelticstar.co.uk

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