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It’s not personal- Hartson’s emotional plea just before Lennon’s exit

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John Hartson has opened up in an emotional radio broadcast about the breakdown in his relationship with Neil Lennon. Soon after his appearance on Go Radio it emerged that the Irishman was about to exit Celtic.

One by one former team-mates have said that it is time for change at the club but no one has said it with any glee or to even up old scores with the Irishman.

Three times Hartson emphasised that it ‘is nothing personal’ during a two minute discussion on Go Radio as he dissected a disastrous season in which almost everything that could go wrong has gone wrong.

Match by match Lennon has appeared increasingly detached. From praising the team for being back in the groove to disowning them again after the most recent set-back, a second defeat of the season from Ross County.

Lennon’s stubborn nature has intensified alongside the criticism, to the bemusement and horror of many fans he has increasingly been talking about the rebuilding job needed for next season.

Hartson was a team-mate for five years under Martin O’Neill and Gordon Strachan, rather than bury his head in the ground he is almost pleading with Lennon to leave with some sort of legacy still intact.

It’s nothing personal. Me and Neil, we’ve always seen eye to eye but I wasn’t happy with the response that he gave a couple of weeks ago when he said ‘John Hartson’s opinion doesn’t matter to me.

You know, we’ve shared good times together. I was disappointed with that but it’s nothing personal, we’re both professionals. I work in the media, I’m not privileged enough to be in charge of Celtic, Neil is. Let’s not forget, when he played and his first official job at Celtic when he took over, winning the league and the Scottish Cup he deserved praise but right now I just that the time has come.

I think that this season has been disastrous. There has been one thing led to another but for people listening it is not personal, it really isn’t. I have to do my job, I have to say what I feel, Stan Petrov has already called for Roy Keane to take charge, Chris Sutton, on numerous occasions has said that Neil Lennon can’t last, he can’t survive this latest poor result. I have to call it as I see it and I think that Neil has been really good for Celtic but I think that there is a danger of him carrying on now and the club leaving him in charge. There is a danger of people turning their views and everything else against Neil and I’d hate to see that.

But I think personally when I say that a change is needed I backed Neil more than anybody else. I told Peter Lawwell the first time around to give Neil the job. I just want people to know that it’s not personal but a change is needed. A blind man can see this season has been inept in so many ways. From the recruitment to the poor results, going out of the Champions League, out of the Europa League. 18 points behind Rangers who were so far behind this time last year. How can we be this far behind, it’s not good enough, it’s unacceptable.

At 10.30pm last night The Sun broke the news that Lennon was leaving within 24 hours, Hartson and others will pay tribute to their former team-mate but praise won’t be forthcoming any time soon from Celtic fans.

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