Neil Lennon’s incredible interview with The Times has set his stock crashing even lower among Celtic fans.
Not once in the interview did he admit to any mistakes or failing for Celtic’s disastrous season.
Bolstered by £15m worth of new players on the back of a ninth title no-one was predicting that the 20/21 season would have been done and dusted 48 hours into the new year. That’s what happened as Lennon led Celtic off to Dubai for a training trip trailing by 18 points in the SPFL.
Before that the team had lost a one-off Champions League Second Round qualifier at home to Ferencvaros. That night set the tone for the season with the seeds sown for that interview when Lennon blamed some un-named players for the defeat to the Hungarian champions.
The writing was on the wall before Sparta Prague won 4-1 home and away in the middle of a disastrous Europa League campaign but the main point of his Times interview was still to come.
When Ross County inflicted a fourth successive home defeat on Celtic around 200 fans demonstrated outside of Celtic Park. Their anger was at the Directors, manager, CEO and Dermot Desmond not the players as Lennon claimed.
Lennon held on to his grudges for three more months, after another defeat to Ross County he decided to resign. In The Times he gets the kid gloves treatment as he launches his newspaper career in tandem with his broadcasting deals. It seems like he is destined for more time with Ally McCoist and Chris Sutton than in the dug-out putting his management ability on show without those ungrateful Celtic fans on his case highlighting his failings.
Neil Lennons interview in the Times is exactly what we’d expect from Neil Lennon.
Everyone else’s fault but his. Fans to blame because they shouted at the players and poor Peter and Dermot got their feelings hurt.
Just fade into insignificance Neil, now isn’t a good time.
— McMachiavelli (@MLTim88) June 5, 2021
He has this bizarre love for them. Either because they gave him a job when he was out in the managerial wilderness or they have dirt on him…
— McMachiavelli (@MLTim88) June 5, 2021
They can try but I honestly think the majority of fans are wise to it now. After last season and the decisions being made most will see through it. They need to be careful about their next moves. If it’s an attack on fan groups, there will only be one winner and that’s us.
— McMachiavelli (@MLTim88) June 5, 2021
He’s blaming the fans, the same ones he was using as an excuse because we couldn’t get into the games he’s really lost the plot.
— Paul (@Wyndbhoy67) June 5, 2021
he’s completely lost it
— J.o Sneddon (@o_sneddon) June 5, 2021
He accepted it happily.
— John McGregor (@tarmac1888) June 5, 2021
He has to take blame
Rodgers made Good players great
Lennon made good players poor
He should have been gone a lot earlier than he was— Celtic Collectibles (@CollectCelticFC) June 5, 2021
Where’s all the wet wipe Neil Lennon fans this morning ?
— is it busy out chaps. (@BusyIt) June 5, 2021
I tried to give Neil Lennon as much time as I could. There were exceptional circumstances at play after all. But in the end he proved unworthy of the role.
His comments today just prove everything the fans have been saying. Despite his protestations, he clearly is out of touch.
— Connor McQuade (@ConMcQ) June 5, 2021
Trying desperately to clamour for some relevance here in the hope someone might want to appoint him to a role. If anyone really has paid attention to his last tenure as boss of @CelticFC they’ll know to stay well clear of his caustic brand of management
— alldothehuddle (@AllDoTheHuddle) June 5, 2021
I’m dizzy from the amount of spin in that interview. Completely glosses over the reasons why the fans turned against him. Also conveniently there’s mention of Lazio but not the Prague b team humiliation at home ( and away for that matter)
— Land_ahoy (@land_ahoy_) June 5, 2021