Lennon answers Walker and critics
If Celtic take a point from today’s match against Inverness Caley Thistle it’ll be the eighth time that Lennon has been involved in a title winning side since joining the club from Leicester in 2000.
The liquidation of Rangers has proved to be a difficult concept for many to get their head around, confused further by the shambles of a newco granted associate membership of the SFA and lurching from one crisis to another with little known of the owner or who holds the assets.
Without doubt the unfolding pantomime presided over by Mr Green and Mr Whyte has had an impact on the whole of Scottish football but the net result is that for the first time in a decade there is a level playing field in the SPL with all twelve clubs living within the same financial restrictions of paying tax in the same manner.
Lennon has seen Celtic lose out on last day titles and other off field dramas during his time at the club. If Celtic succeed today the celebrations will be long and loud as the club reassert themselves not only in Scotland but attempt to build on the European progress of the last two seasons.
“Whenever it comes it’s just a memorable occasion and I want the players to take it all in,” the Celtic boss said.
“They might never get the chance to win the championship again. People will say it’s been easier without the competition of Rangers but it’s never easy.
“I saw Andy Walker’s comments. It’s just total nonsense about it being less satisfying. Absolute rubbish.
“When you win the title it’s the best feeling you can have in football because it’s a season’s preparation, work, endeavours all coming to fruition.
“It’s really good for a player to have on his record. When you don’t have it you realise what you’ve lost.
“I lost two titles on the last day of the season, one in our hands and one we couldn’t do much about. The feeling after that was one of total emptiness, despair.
“When you’ve come through that adversity it makes you stronger and hungry for more so I want the players to realise what they’ve done and take a lot of pride from it.”
Lennon added: “Hearing criticism like that from ex-players frustrates me more than hearing it from anyone else. Andy has won a title so he should know how special it is.
“I do get the feeling sometimes ex-players aren’t as complimentary towards our club as other ex-players are towards their own.
“That disappoints me because this club has been nothing but good to them.
You’d need to ask Andy why that is. Ask him why it hasn’t been as satisfying.
“Of course it has, off the back of the European run, off the back of league, off the back of reaching a Cup Final. That’s pretty satisfying to the players I’d think.
“I’d won a promotion at Crewe, a couple of League Cups at Leicester and a promotion at Leicester which was pretty special at Wembley.
“But to win your country’s championship is a fantastic feeling. It really is. You can walk with that tag of being champion for a season or so after it before you either win it again or it’s gone.”
CLICK HERE for latest news