Neil Lennon has responded to Walter Smith’s claims that Celtic had an agenda to challenge officials in his final season in charge of Rangers.
No sooner had Rangers clinched the title than Smith was on the offensive with Celtic the target for his anger.
“The season got off to a bad start, in that respect, when Celtic put up a challenge to referees and to everybody else,” the departing Ibrox boss claimed.
Responding to that on channel 67 Lennon said: “What we were looking for was a bit of transparency in the way the referees were dealing with things.
“We as a club had the finger pointed at us and we all know what happened. A referee lied to me then the story broke through their own official coming out and telling the story. Nothing to do with our club.”
When Steven Craven resigned and revealed the truth of what had happened at Tannadice it brought out into the open the attempted cover up initiated by Dougie McDonald.
Not long after that McDonald decided to resign with Lennon blamed for that and the referee strike that followed.
Despite a decade in the firing line Lennon has been taken aback at how his views have been twisted and contorted and is ready to take a new approach to media relations next season.
Asked if he hoped that some parts of the media would take a less aggressive approach to him next season Lennon replied: “They might do but I don’t think that they will because they have tunnel vision in their ways.
“Whatever I do I can’t force them to change their views on things. I’ll do things in a different way, my approach to some areas of the job will change from next season.”
MOTHERWELL MOVE IN TO MURRAY PARK
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the boards feelings about neil lennon are quiet transparent. its views do not lie in their public statements which are clearly PR.
why is this great coach on a 6 month rolling contract?
he was on the bus before the neerday lifeline. he not wanted because he did exactly what walter smith stated, along with his other emarassments he is on the chopping block..win or lose the cup
MON and Strachan were on rolling contracts, Lennon wasn’t viewed as a definite for the job because he had never managed a team before, he needed to prove himself and earn the job, he did.
Lennon finished on 92/93? points in his 1st ever year as manager in 38 games, walter smith finished on 72 points in his 1st year at rangers in 44 games.
Walter Smith needs to prove himself in the EPL to be rated a top manager, everyone knows that, they are hardly banging his door down with mega money offers.