See It, Smell it- Continuing deflection tactics make Lennon unemployable

Neil Lennon has launched another attack on Celtic’s 9-in-a-row squad while he attempts to find a way back into management.

In May 2020 Celtic were crowned champions but it seems that in the middle of Lockdown that players were lining up to move elsewhere.

Lennon was in regular contact with his players during March, April and May, they returned for pre-season training in June, moved on to Loughborough and France to step up their preparations but according to their manager there seemed to be a mutiny on board at some stage.

In his latest media outburst, Lennon told The Sun:

We’d won nine titles in a row — four Trebles — and some players just got to the end of the road. You could see it pre-season, the body language, they weren’t with us. You could smell it.

Some players were, I wouldn’t say feigning injury, but they could have played and didn’t. This eats into the dressing room.

You’ve got great pros like Scott Brown and Callum McGregor, unbelievably successful, being dragged down by guys who don’t want to be there.

If Lennon could see and smell it, it seems incredible that he didn’t take any action to make changes.

After losing at home to Ferencvaros in a Champions League qualifier the blame was put on the players rather than the manager or tactics. With more than a month to go in the transfer window no players were moved on but Shane Duffy and Diego Laxalt were brought into the dressing room on EPL and Serie A wages.

Since the end of last season Lennon has made a number of media appearances to blame everyone but himself for the disastrous season that he presided over.

Leigh Griffiths was highlighted for personal criticism yet Lennon appeared to be trying to nurse him back into the side. A year ago he came off the bench to open the scoring in the 90th minute away to St Johnstone, in December he came on as a substitute to score against Hearts in the Scottish Cup Final then netted again in the penalty shoot-out.

Keeping quiet on what happened, or didn’t happen could have earned Lennon a little sympathy and respect but living in denial about his own failings isn’t going to do him any favours trying to get a new club.

At Celtic in 2014, Bolton and Hibs there were question marks over the reasons for Lennon’s departure from those jobs.

Lockdown and other factors could have been contributing factors for meltdown last season but constantly blaming the players is likely to leave Lennon in television studios from Glasgow to Israel sharing his views while clubs’ body-swerve his job applications.