Patryk Klimala’s Neil Lennon Frustrations Revealed

Patryk Klimala has been looking back on his time at Celtic and while the player we affectionately called Polish Paddy never complained at the time, he’s now at the stage where he’s getting a few things off his chest about the  way Neil Lennon treated him during his time in Glasgow.

Of course, in Lennon’s defence, it remains unclear what say, if any he had in bringing in a striker whose main attributes seemed suited to playing counter attacking football, using his pace to exploit the space left by high pressing opponents. Klimala, truth be told would have been an excellent striker playing against Celtic rather than for the club.

Photo by Stuart Wallace

Speaking to the Football Scotland website, which for clarity is Reach owned so is a member of the same group that publishes Daily Record, Klimala is critical of Neil Lennon, in particular for opting to play a number 10 as a striker (Ryan Christie) rather than give the Polish striker his chance.

“Neil Lennon and I spoke a few times about why I didn’t play, what I had to improve on, how I had to make myself up,” Klimala  told Football Scotland. “I think I did it but sometimes this happens. Edouard was having a good season, was scoring goals and was doing it every game.

“I was phissed off, to be honest, because I didn’t play but that’s football, sometimes it works and other times it doesn’t. What did Lennon ask me to improve specifically? We spoke about my playing with my back to goal, to care more about the ball when I had it, those were the two things he told me.

“He knew I was quick and could score goals but maybe it wasn’t the style the manager liked, I don’t know.

“I am completely happy right now but when I left Glasgow I was sad. When I went to Celtic I thought I’d be a big striker in Scotland but I wasn’t. I didn’t play enough to prove myself to fans, coaching staff and everyone around me.

Photo: Jane Barlow

“I want to score goals to help the team but now I’m happy and I know my move was good. You can see it on the field with how I’m playing now, I feel so comfortable with this and I’m enjoying playing for Red Bulls.”

There was plenty of frustration on Klimala’s part as last season went from bad to worse. It should be noted that he was given a start, through necessity more than anything else, against theRangers in the first Glasgow Derby of last season and hardly covered himself in glory. He looked well short of what Celtic needed in a striker at that stage and that probably had an impact on Lennon’s thinking, which was never particularly easy to understand last season.

“I was angry because I didn’t understand it. I think everyone in my case would be angry because you have a striker available and you play a number 10 as a striker? Maybe the manager didn’t trust me enough, I don’t know. It wasn’t one game, it was a couple of games like that. When I was at Celtic I would think about it but it’s completely done and I still have no idea why.

“I never spoke about it with Neil Lennon. I never complained about why I’m not playing. I never spoke to anyone about why I wasn’t playing and they didn’t speak to me either because they knew that I don’t like complaining. “I just did my job and maybe that wasn’t good enough, I don’t know,” Klimala observed.

Photo: Ian McNichol

On the lockdown and the covid season that followed the restrictions meant that a handful of players would be grouped together in dressing rooms and on coaches, something that Celtic struggled to cope with in terms of team unity and togetherness.

“I was friends with a lot of the guys at the club but probably closest with Leigh Griffiths, Greg Taylor, Kris Ajer and Ismaila Soro,” Klimala said. “There were a lot of players I really like, but especially those guys because with Covid we had a locker room with five guys and we were in one together every day.

“The pandemic to play through especially for me because I came to Glasgow without pre-season. I came straight into the season and I wasn’t good to play. I had to get myself fit really quickly and I think that was a reason I wasn’t good enough at the beginning.

Alessio Romagnoli of AC Milan exchanges jerseys with Patryk Klimala of Celtic. Photo Jonathan Moscrop/Sportimage

“After quarantine when we were playing I was ready but it was really hard. If there wasn’t Covid maybe a couple of players might have gone to other clubs and I would have played more football. That was a hard time for me.”

Klimala looks at former teammates like Kristoffer Ajer and Odsonne Edouard doing well in the English Premier League and isn’t in the least surprised at that outcome. “You saw on the field how talented these players were and how much quality they had. For me it’s not a surprise that they’re playing in the Premier League and doing very well. Celtic is a club with a lot of talented players and I’m sure everyone in that team can have a good career. But it is hard to say who might follow in their footsteps.”

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

1 Comment

  1. Lennon destroyed the careers of a good number of players.
    He didn’t know how to coach, didn’t know about tactics or how to substitue effectively, didn’t know about proper man management, whilst also being a very poor example with regard to fitness. He encouraged days off for the players as he got them as well. He had a poor diet, drank excess alcohol and had a vicious way of addressing the players. In fact, he was a bad example to those below him. If he had taken stock to address some issues it may have helped. His back room team of Kennedy and Strachan were also of little use to him. In the end, the board are totally to blame. Neil had his own problems, but perhaps being in the situation of being Celtic manager was not helpful for him.
    This job needs a strong character, such as Ange. If we find the board are not supporting Ange, then we need to take action to remove them. The AGM will be a good start.
    I feel really sorry for Patryk Kimala and I think he would have fitted in well to Ange’s style.