Paul Lambert has hit out at former team-mates criticising Neil Lennon, going as far as to brand one a disgrace.
Chris Sutton, John Hartson and Stan Petrov have all reluctantly come to the conclusion that it is in Lennon’s best interests that he steps away from the manager’s job.
None of them have come to that conclusion with any glee or to have a cheap dig at a former team-mate but having watched this season collapse they have identified deep running problems.
Six wins in 22 games isn’t a blip or a dip, there are serious problems inside the club that only a fresh broom will be able to address with a major rebuilding and restructuring task ahead in the summer.
Lambert is still in the front line at Ipswich and would prefer that former Celtic players acted like nodding dolls to ignore the problems inside the club.
Reacting to recent criticisms the Ipswich boss told the Daily Record:
Could you imagine the likes of Ian Durrant, Ian Ferguson or John Brown saying Ally should have been sacked a few years ago? It would never happen.
Had the shoe been on the other foot this season and Steven Gerrard had gone a third successive season without silverware I’m still not sure those guys I’ve named, who didn’t even share a dressing room with Steven, would have called for him to be sacked.
I should make it clear here that I’m not having a go at the many former Celtic players who work in the media and have enough skin in the game to call it as they see it. There are many who I totally respect and I would consider them fair and balanced.
Maybe I’m blinkered, maybe I’m in the wrong for thinking if you have nothing nice to say about a friend then don’t say anything at all but I just don’t think you need to call for a former teammate to be sacked.
I’m not going to name names, but I did call one up the other night and told him he was a disgrace. He couldn’t wait to get out of Celtic when the chance to move to England came about. I reminded him of that. I reminded of how much help Lenny gave him both on and off the park.
There may have been other critics out there but Petrov and Sutton both left Celtic for England but after six years and five years respectively at Celtic they were hardly racing to get out of the club.
Petrov’s departure wasn’t handled well with some sullen pictures and tales emerging but in his media appearances this season he has spoken with knowledge and passion about Celtic rather than dish up deflection and excuses to supporters.
