Lennon: I would leave if I'm not taking the club forward

Neil Lennon has stated that he’ll walk away from Celtic if he feels that he’s not taking the club forward.

Lennon was frustrated and drained after the goal-less draw with Hibs that left Celtic trailing Rangers by 12 points 12 games into the season.

The promise of last season and pre-season optimism is a distant memory for the hoops support who have backed Lennon to the hilt since he took over from Tony Mowbray.

Asked about his own position Lennon said: “The only way I would leave the job this season is if I decide I am not taking the club forward or I am not getting the performances that the fans merit.

“When you come in 3-0 down against Kilmarnock at half-time, or against any SPL side, you have to ask questions about myself.

“Today, I am not hugely concerned about my position, it’s more of a question of why I can’t get these players to be as consistent as last season.”

Strikers Gary Hooper and Anthony Stokes have scored just nine goals this season and took the brunt of the manager’s criticism.

Hooper was replaced by Georgios Samaras with seven minutes left to play but at no point did Celtic lay siege on the Hibs goal despite Hooper and James Forrest hitting the woodwork

Lennon said: “I thought the two of them were poor today and I need some more consistency from them.

“If they are not scoring goals they need to bring something else to the team and I thought the two of them were very flat today.”

“I am really angry, they let the game drift away from them and that is not acceptable. I would like to make changes but the way the squad is stretched it is difficult to do that.

“There are a few who have been consistent like Ki and Joe Ledley but there are others at the minute who are happy to go along, riding on their backs and not really making the contribution that I want from them.

“I have to speak to them and out them, basically.

“I am not happy with some of them at the minute.

“I don’t think they are giving enough in terms of the quality of their play or effort and I will speak to them individually and tell them what I think and I am looking for a response from them.

“But you ask them questions at times and you don’t get answers.”

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