Neil Lennon believes that the Celtic squad has been hit by the title nerves that effect clubs worldwide.
Since finishing March with a win in the Glasgow derby the hoops have stumbled through goal-less draws against Livingston and Hibs before edging Kilmarnock out by the only goal of the game.
With three matches left to play Celtic are nine points clear and ready to claim their eighth title success after a season that no one could have predicted.
Brendan Rodgers and Moussa Dembele departed the scene in almost overnight moves while Leigh Griffiths hasn’t figured since early December.
Lennon has had to take over a squad riddled by injuries knowing that a large number of supporters are expecting first class entertainment delivered by an elite manager.
The Irishman has ignored the background noise to keep Celtic on track for the title and knows better than most what is involved at this stage of the season.
Lennon told the Evening Times:
The supporters were getting a bit nervous but that’s understandable. Listen, at this stage of the season, unless you have real momentum, there is always going to be anxiety and nerves around the place.
I look at Norwich and Leeds in the English Championship. They have been brilliant all season, but Norwich have drawn the last four and Leeds lost their last two.
We are comfortable in the league position but there is so much expectation on these players at the minute for what they’ve created and achieved – and there is so much asked of them all the time.
They are human beings and they can’t always play scintillating football. Right now, we are grinding. I get that. But we are grinding in the right way. We are winning games and keeping clean sheets.
It’s not what we want, obviously. I would love us to be 4-0 up and I’m sitting there comfortably thinking ‘this is brilliant.’ We are not playing as well as we can.
And before anyone says it…it’s not my fault either.
On Saturday Celtic go to Aberdeen looking for one point to clinch the title.
