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Is it time for Neil Lennon to find a first XI?

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All season long Neil Lennon has shielded his players from the critics- until last night.

After the sixth domestic defeat of the season- before February is out- there was one comment from the Celtic manager that stood out from the rest.

“People keep coming up to me wanting to play games,” Lennon told Radio Scotland. “People keep saying that I should use the squad but if I leave Hooper and Ledley out we look a little bit short at times- that was the case tonight.

“When Hooper came on we opened Motherwell up at will.”

Lennon made five changes to the side that beat Dundee but every one of the players coming in were internationalists.

It may be an old fashioned notion but perhaps it’s time to go back to finding a first choice XI?

Injuries will always occur but identifying and playing a first XI almost every week might go some way to restoring consistency and creating real competition for places.

Most players know that they will be playing every few weeks and can tell themselves that they are part of a successful squad, take part in title celebrations and enjoy the feeling of being part of things. Dropping onto the bench doesn’t hurt- a recall and game time usually isn’t far away.

Under Martin O’Neill there was no doubt who his first choice team was and even when less than 100% fit those tried, tested and trusted players would almost certainly be in the starting selection.

Tommy Johnson played his part and left for first team football, as did Alan Stubbs, Morten Wieghorst, Steve Guppy and others.

Some would set the O’Neill took his policy to extremes with players like Shaun Maloney, Aiden McGeady, John Kennedy and Colin Healy not getting the game time needed to accelerate their progress but no-one doubted who O’Neill relied on and trusted.

Of the current squad Fraser Forster, Kelvin Wilson, Emilio Izaguirre, Victor Wanyama and Gary Hooper are about the only players guaranteed to be playing when they are fit.

Lennon could easily field two competitive midfield’s, selecting from Wanyama, Scott Brown, Joe Ledley, Beram Kayal, Kris Commons, Paddy McCourt, Charlie Mulgrew, Georgios Samaras and Dylan McGeouch. Adam Matthews and Izaguirre are more than capable of pushing forward into wing-back roles.

No-one needs to tell Lennon how to do his job or who his best players are.

After last night’s comments the Celtic boss showed the same frustrations as the fans that filled the visitors sections and watched on television.

Saturday’s Scottish Cup tie at St Mirren is crucial for how this season is viewed and how the remaining three months of the season develop.

Finding a first choice XI with a hungry bench of players wanting a share of the action should ensure that Lennon isn’t branding any other performances insipid or lazy.

SELECT your first XI and team for St Mirren in the box below.

CLICK HERE for Lennon: Some good players may be leaving

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0 comments

  • williebhoy says:

    His use of the squad is very poor, seems to have little idea how & when to make changes. I’ve witnessed his baffling team selections with lightweight midfields at various venues when it is obvious we will have to battle.

    Why keep putting McCourt on the bench when he offers so little to the team ?

    We have traditionally had difficult games at Motherwell, everyone knew they would be pulling out all the stops and yet he drops Ledley & Hooper – astoundingly poor management.

    Rogne isn’t signing a new deal, not that I would even have offered him one. His spell to date has been shown him as injury prone, very slow, a ball watcher and a very poor passer, hopeless at 1 v 1…WHY even offer a new deal, far less a starting place.

    Can we not learn from recent mistakes v ICT, Killie, St. Johnstone, Hibs – apparently not as we repeated them yet AGAIN v Motherwell.

    On & Off the park the attitude stinks, it doesn’t matter we will win the league. Obviously we will, but we are wasting time giving games to deadwood when we would be better to utilise the opportunity to give more experience to younger players like McGeough / Watt / Twardzik / Herron among others. We would be assured of 100% effort for 90 mins instead of the lack lustre couldn’t be bothered crap we have again witnessed.

    These guys are very well paid, but only want to put in the effort when it suits. We weren’t outplayed by superior teams in Motherwell / ICT / Killie / Hibs / St. Johnstone etc…they just WORKED harder which is simpy a disgrace.

    Being 20-30-40 points ahead doesn’t give anyone an excuse – they are paid to play. Fans still pay top price irrespective of how far ahead / behind we are in the league – give us players who will play for the jersey, have high standards, want to win EVERY game. In Europe we have been outclassed at times but made up for shortcomings in greater effort, determination but seem to switch off much too often in domestic competition which should be unacceptable for ANYONE connected with Celtic FC.

  • williebhoy says:

    Sorry Joe, too busy ranting to read your comments in full.

    St. Mirren gubbed us at Hampdump because they wanted it more, were willing to fight, chase, hustle….surely we can equal & better such tactics EASILY in betters players / fitness / technique / finishing / quality.

    We are miles from real top class like Bayern / Dortmund / Madrid et al….but similarly should be well ahead of the St. Mirrens of this Country.
    No-one can tell me St. Mirren / Motherwell etc could simply hustle Man Utd / Real / Dortmund etc out of a game as easily as they seem to do to us.
    Win the battle and then let our superior class tell.

    Annoyed dam right and I EXPECT to see a 100% committed display for 90 mins no matter who pulls on a jersey.

  • Iain says:

    Rogne shouldn’t be anywhere near the 1st team after knocking back a new deal which he doesn’t deserve and Ambrose should be dropped to the bench for his last few performances. As Williebhoy says the league is all but won, so now’s the time to give the young players some experience!

  • corrib04 says:

    I just wanted to say…..what Williebhoy said.

    HH

  • Williebhoy u just about coverd it all, terrible team selection again, how can players get any sort ov consistency or develop an understanding with other players when they are constantly being ROTATED, now thats a word that really does my box in, why rotate a winning team, ledley played excellent at thdm wknd, stokes n Hooper looked like they wer getting back to last seasons understanding yet on the bench, as for Ambrose, well im sorry but he’r a gary Caldwell in the making, always just a split second away from a disaster. Im growing tired of lennys rants about players attitude and commitment, he shud be seriously looking at his own now, start with your best 11 then when well ahead or injurys occur then chop n change, GUTTED TODAY, HAIL HAIL

  • peter larkin says:

    hi every one. an other bad performance no strenght in the middle wanyama and ledley should have started the game in midfield wouldnt play ronge again the players need to start playing for the jersey every game no mater who we play or who is playing big changes are need for saturday lennon must start picking his best 11 every week when possible injuries and suspensions take there toll but we should have players that are good enough to come in . so heres to saturday lets go hammer st mirren and get back to playing the celtic way xx gbnl hail hail

  • Richie says:

    Simply Yes ! Surely if Lennon was going to give players a rest it should have been on sunday vs dundee ? Away to motherwell was always going to be a tough game and for me last night and sat vs st mirren is massive games in the season !

  • buckie1967 says:

    What has Forrest done last night that Lennon says he is back to his best, what i saw last night at the game was players going about there job as if not bothered about what happened cause we will get a game anyway, commons, stokes, sammy,ledley when he came on and ambrose he has had 2 good games against barca and thinks he is a super star the goalie is good but won’t be a great no authority in the box doesn’t shout at his defence when they make mistakes like all great goalies.
    What is this tatic we have, foster gets ball hoofs it up to sammy if sammy not playing hoof it up to mulgrew,what do teams do they put 2 players on them so that they impede them. And what did you expect about the Huns.

  • Celtico102 says:

    Neil has to learn the time to rest players is once they have completed their task.
    I totally agree with all the bhoys points on this subject.
    Inconsistency breeds malaise breeds failure. In my book barring an injury if you are the Celtic right back then you should start every game. Even I’m unsure is it Lustig???is it Mathews ??? or in recent games is it going to be Efe???
    Get it sorted Neil and get us back in track. Hail hail

  • Gerry says:

    Lennon needs to stop blaming others, players & official’s especially & look at his own decisions sometimes!
    He has done very well but he has lots to learn.

  • I Thomas Haverstock have wrote three comments which you have not publish Why??????????

  • paul McCann says:

    any players who the manager cannot trust should be moved on and replaced by better players and wrap the league up first and then bring in the youngsters

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