The Offical Glasgow Celtic thread

[Angelo]

Shane Duffy has taken a lot of shit in the past weeks for his displays. But it is obvious from last night that the problem is not the centre backs but a gutless misfield led by Scott Brown who is a shadow of the player he was.

Just stop. I thought Duffy would be a great signing but he has been really poor. I can now see why he wasn't getting a game in England. Just because the players around him aren't performing doesn't give him a free pass. Ajer was awful last night but Duffy has been just as awful in other games.

Whatever about Duffy, we haven't got any better since he left.

I think we have a very talented playing squad, in light of a pandemic and football clubs across Europe cutting costs. For the first season in well over a decade I can say Celtic actually showed a little bit of ambition in their transfer dealings. We didn't sell any of our key men and spent a bit on Barkas, Turnbull and Ajeti along with a few expensive loan deals, even after losing the CL money.

There can be no excuses for Lennon. He's just not up to the job and as much as people want to pedal all the excuses in the world for him, it's so obvious, it was obvious long, long ago. Rodgers left this clubs in good stead, he turned around the fortunes of so many players and the development of what they were when he started out to when he left was very obvious. The regression in these players is so, so obvious now and that's what happen when you cheapskate on a managerial appointment.

Lennon left Celtic and had unsuccessful spells with Bolton and Hibs before coming back. Where do you guys honestly think he will end up next? He's a sentimental appointment and is out of his depth in a job this magnitude. If his name was Ronny Deila he'd have been chased months back.

[straightred]

We're in trouble, there's no doubt on that. Lennon's time is up at CP and even he knows it, people are saying hand the letter in and walk away but how many of you would walk away from your own job right now? Wise up. It's Peter's decision to make and i'd say there have been a few secret meetings held regarding his position. Some tools are now even criticising Lennon as a player which i suppose just shows how much of a hateful, spiteful good for feck all tosspot they are but it doesn't surprise any of us one bit.

Celtic are playing no where near what they're capable off and that's down to the management because it's just not one or two individuals but the team collectively and if management can't sort that out (which is their job) then it's game over, it hasn't helped that we've just played something like 8 outta the last 9 games away from home but we still should be better. Where do we go from here? and if PL sacks him soon then who do they bring in? I've no doubt they've an eye on a few and have probably already approached someone and i doubt very much it'll be any of those silly English names that have been floating about here...The next few day's and week will be interesting

Agree completely regarding the comments on Lennon the player. Its irrelevant. I'm (probably in the the minority) one who thinks we can turn this around. I still believe that our squad is good enough but only if they are prepared much better and if we get the best 11 on the pitch. That means a lot less time for Brown but that's live - time waits for no-one. The tribute act will have a bad patch and we all know that slippy can't handle pressure. Having said that I don't think a Lennon team would beat them. He has clearly lost the players and therefore has to go, hopefully this week.

[Angelo]

We're in trouble, there's no doubt on that. Lennon's time is up at CP and even he knows it, people are saying hand the letter in and walk away but how many of you would walk away from your own job right now? Wise up. It's Peter's decision to make and i'd say there have been a few secret meetings held regarding his position. Some tools are now even criticising Lennon as a player which i suppose just shows how much of a hateful, spiteful good for feck all tosspot they are but it doesn't surprise any of us one bit.

Celtic are playing no where near what they're capable off and that's down to the management because it's just not one or two individuals but the team collectively and if management can't sort that out (which is their job) then it's game over, it hasn't helped that we've just played something like 8 outta the last 9 games away from home but we still should be better. Where do we go from here? and if PL sacks him soon then who do they bring in? I've no doubt they've an eye on a few and have probably already approached someone and i doubt very much it'll be any of those silly English names that have been floating about here...The next few day's and week will be interesting

Criticising him as a player?

He was average, that's not criticism, that's just the truth.

A couple of goals in a few hundred appearances while carrying a pot belly about. You'll notice there were not too many big teams coming in for Lennon when he was a Celtic player.

If you thought he was anything above average then I'd seriously question your knowledge of the game.

[ned]

We're in trouble, there's no doubt on that. Lennon's time is up at CP and even he knows it, people are saying hand the letter in and walk away but how many of you would walk away from your own job right now? Wise up. It's Peter's decision to make and i'd say there have been a few secret meetings held regarding his position. Some tools are now even criticising Lennon as a player which i suppose just shows how much of a hateful, spiteful good for feck all tosspot they are but it doesn't surprise any of us one bit.

Celtic are playing no where near what they're capable off and that's down to the management because it's just not one or two individuals but the team collectively and if management can't sort that out (which is their job) then it's game over, it hasn't helped that we've just played something like 8 outta the last 9 games away from home but we still should be better. Where do we go from here? and if PL sacks him soon then who do they bring in? I've no doubt they've an eye on a few and have probably already approached someone and i doubt very much it'll be any of those silly English names that have been floating about here...The next few day's and week will be interesting

Criticising him as a player?

He was average, that's not criticism, that's just the truth.

A couple of goals in a few hundred appearances while carrying a pot belly about. You'll notice there were not too many big teams coming in for Lennon when he was a Celtic player.

If you thought he was anything above average then I'd seriously question your knowledge of the game.

FFS man! You don't understand football if you think lack of goals is a good reason to criticise NL as a player.
He was a vital piece of a midfield at that time. Whether he was a good player or not, is not relevant to his inability as a manager.

[illdecide]

I'd say Henrik Larsson was well qualified to say that he always preferred NL in the team than not. MON paid was it like £6m for him but what did he know about football. Played supposedly in the best league in the world and done rightly. Captained his Country (wouldn't blow about that one TBF). Not bad for a crap player...Wish i was as crap as that

[illdecide]

Celtic: What now for Neil Lennon after another Sparta Prague humiliation?

Talk, unlike certain centre-halves, is cheap. When Christopher Jullien sprang to Neil Lennon's defence in the wake of Thursday night's debacle in Prague, he showed the kind of certainty that was sadly lacking in the 90 minutes that went before.

Celtic fans would have been entitled to say that had the Frenchman and chums been as impressive with a Sparta Prague player in front of them instead of a microphone then the club might not have experienced another in a lengthening line of mortifying experiences.

When backing his manger, Jullien became the latest Celtic player to speak up, Scott Brown and others having done the same. The champions' dressing room has become a bit of a talking shop these days. All words and little action.

They're all at it. When Sparta came to Glasgow earlier this month and won 4-1, Lennon said this had to be the end of soft-touch Celtic. "This is a turning point," he said. "It won't happen again, that's for sure." Twenty days, and three games, later, it happened again. Once more, Lennon is left to sift through a wreckage in an attempt to find something of value. It's not a pretty sight.

So much of what he said on Thursday night was desperate. He didn't think they deserved to lose 4-1. Actually, defending the way they did, 4-1 was fair enough. When Lennon talked up his team's performance for 35 minutes of the second half it was the ultimate in straw-clutching. Well, perhaps not the ultimate. There was reference, too, of the impact that playing in empty stadiums was having on his players. They were "missing the atmosphere," he said. Making allowances for failure is not a good look.

Lennon said his team have been in a situation like this before and that they turned it around. He was talking about the 2-1 loss to Rangers at Celtic Park last season, a reverse that did, indeed, see many people question the mettle of his team. Those questions were met with an emphatic answer on the run-in.

The situation now is very different, however. Last season, Celtic had the kind of credit in the bank that they don't have now. Before that December loss to Rangers they had won 16 of their previous 17 games. They'd beaten Lazio home and away, they'd defeated Rennes, they'd won the League Cup final against Rangers with 10 men, they'd scored 45 goals and conceded only nine.

Currently they're on a run of 21 goals conceded in nine games. Many of those goals were calamities perpetrated by an array of different people. One of the things Lennon said on Thursday night that was unarguable was that Celtic are "lacking in confidence". When he followed up by saying he was scratching his head trying to figure out why that's the case it was a moment of honesty that revealed weakness. Lennon did not come across as a manager in command.

It's not just the most vocal who want him out now. For weeks if not months, there's been a venom about some of the criticism directed at him by small elements of the Celtic support. It's been nasty and wholly unwarranted. He's deserved better than the bitter invective from these cyber warriors.

The majority of fans have been far more circumspect, their analysis measured. Lennon is losing more and more of these people. They'll admire him forever for what he's done over two decades as player and manager but they've lost faith in his ability to take this team further. The case for the prosecution is weighty and getting weightier by the week.

Desmond facing big decision
How much does this matter? That's the question. Ultimately Dermot Desmond, the majority shareholder, will make the decision to stick or twist on the managerial front. Peter Lawwell, the chief executive, will be heavily involved, but Desmond is the one who pulls the strings.

Trying to second-guess what Desmond is thinking is a bit of a challenge. He's not a man who makes a habit of revealing things to journalists. Famously, in a response to a critical column in the Irish Times, he sent the writer in question an extract from the poem, Still I Rise, by Maya Angelou...

Does my sexiness upset you?

Does it come as a surprise

That I dance like I've got diamonds

At the meeting of my thighs?

With all due respect to what Desmond has between his thighs, it's what he's got between his ears that Celtic fans will be wondering about. He rarely does interviews, but he did speak to The Athletic in September, when Celtic were in the midst of an eight-game winning run. His words predate the current crisis, but they're the only thing we've got in terms of trying to figure out what the main man might be thinking.

Talking about the loss to Rangers last December and the club's refusal to panic, he said: "That's what's so good at Celtic. We're unified, we don't have recriminations, we're not here to fire somebody or blame someone, we take collective responsibility."

If that's still how he feels then Lennon is going to be given more time to put things right. Desmond then spoke about the character of his manager. "You underestimate Lenny at your peril," he said. "He's a very intelligent individual. He's got great awareness and integrity."

You can absolutely see where Desmond is coming from. Lennon has overcome an awful lot in his life. He's been subjected to sectarian abuse, physical attacks in the street and deeply sinister plots in the post. He took over as manager after the dejection of the Tony Mowbray era and made a huge success of the job. He took over again when Brendan Rodgers walked out and won every trophy he was asked to win while knowing that a high percentage of fans didn't really want him there.

Manager in unchartered territory
This is different, though. This is two wins from nine games. This is 21 goals conceded in rapid order. This is an early exit from the Champions League and another early exit from the Europa League. This is a widening gap between themselves and Rangers. This is a collection of players who are mired in mediocrity and slapstick. This is a support who have lost confidence.

Desmond and Lawwell are loyal to Lennon, but how far does that loyalty stretch? At snapping point or still plenty of elastic left? Very few people know the truth of that. They were grateful to him for answering the call when Rodgers left. They were appreciative of him steadying the ship and steering home title number eight. They were thrilled for him when he delivered title number nine. They will want to give him every chance of making it 10.

Banners and social media outrage will not influence Desmond all that much. In his business life he doesn't have a reputation for bowing to public pressure. If anything, he rails against it. The more the fans say that Lennon must go, the more he may think that Lennon must stay.

There has to be a limit on loyalty, though. Domestically, Celtic play Ross County (in the League Cup on Sunday) then St Johnstone, Kilmarnock, Hearts (the Scottish Cup final), Ross County again, Hamilton and Dundee United before the next Old Firm game. We might not know Desmond's and Lawwell's mindset, but you don't have to be Nostradamus to figure out that a slip in any of those games could be fatal.

Lennon is wrong when he says he's been here before. He hasn't. He's in unchartered territory now.

[tyroneman]

NL was a good player, was never a box-to-box or goalscorer, but did his job, breaking up oppostion moves and and knitting things together, giving the ball to better players to create something with. Celtic fans appreciated him at the time and it's poor form to try and revise history now.

The problems we do have now however are that:

- some players are disgruntled and simply want away, so operating at 50-60%
- othr players are not devleoping through good coaching (e.g. Frimpong)
- tactics are basic and not fit for purpose.
- in game adjustments are rarely working
- Gerrard has assembled a decent (not great) team where they are tight in terms of tactics and application.
- other SPL teams have regressed
- there is no home crowd to add a 12th person to proceedings

The 'talented squad' line is also myth, certinly if our benchmark is Europe.

What we really have is:

- 1 above average striker (Eddie), 1 decent striker, who is perpetually unfit  / unavailable (Griff), 1 striker who the jury is very much out on (Ajeti) and one who has produced nothing for the ridiculous fee paid to date (Kilmala)

- Wide we have JF (plays one good game in 4), MJ (a talent, yes), Elyanoussi (as streaky as they come and not someone who can be relied on to give a consistent 6-7 performance every game and Christie (never a winger, but a good player if used correctly)

- CM we have Calmac (very good player if used correctly, often not used correctly however), Brown (good servant but finished at top level), Soro (who knows - can't get a game), Turnbull (who knows, can't get a game), Rogic (streaky and never fit enough to last 90min x 3 games in a row), Kousassi (who knows, on loan)

- Defence we have Frimpong (all the potential but seems to be regressing through lack of good coaching), Ajer (decent, but not as good as he thinks he is), Julien (8ft tall and can't outjump 5ft forwards, still our best centre half though), Elhamed (a utlity man and a bench warmer on any decent team), Laxalt (good player), Taylor (limited player), Bitton (another utlity man and a bench warmer on any decent team Duffy (limited and needs protected frmo pace, but could be ok ni the right, with the right people around him)

- GK we have Barkas (very disappointing) and Bain (a scond / third string keeper anywhere else)

The scouting network has been very hit and miss and no-one has thought about replacing Brown with a proven, seasoned DMF

All told we have a very, very average team on balance, that is (was) good enough to win the SPL year after year when there was no challenge but very limited in Europe.

Lennon and his team do not seem to be developing players, bringing on the younger players or being tactically astute enough to boss / change games.

All told it's difficult to see how we get out of this rut unless there is a seismic shift in attiude, application, tactical awareness, structure, coaching, development and fitness and management.

[Angelo]

We're in trouble, there's no doubt on that. Lennon's time is up at CP and even he knows it, people are saying hand the letter in and walk away but how many of you would walk away from your own job right now? Wise up. It's Peter's decision to make and i'd say there have been a few secret meetings held regarding his position. Some tools are now even criticising Lennon as a player which i suppose just shows how much of a hateful, spiteful good for feck all tosspot they are but it doesn't surprise any of us one bit.

Celtic are playing no where near what they're capable off and that's down to the management because it's just not one or two individuals but the team collectively and if management can't sort that out (which is their job) then it's game over, it hasn't helped that we've just played something like 8 outta the last 9 games away from home but we still should be better. Where do we go from here? and if PL sacks him soon then who do they bring in? I've no doubt they've an eye on a few and have probably already approached someone and i doubt very much it'll be any of those silly English names that have been floating about here...The next few day's and week will be interesting

Criticising him as a player?

He was average, that's not criticism, that's just the truth.

A couple of goals in a few hundred appearances while carrying a pot belly about. You'll notice there were not too many big teams coming in for Lennon when he was a Celtic player.

If you thought he was anything above average then I'd seriously question your knowledge of the game.

FFS man! You don't understand football if you think lack of goals is a good reason to criticise NL as a player.
He was a vital piece of a midfield at that time. Whether he was a good player or not, is not relevant to his inability as a manager.

Vital piece of the midfield at doing what?

Passing the buck, he couldn't run, he didn't create, he didn't make many tackles, he didn't score.

He was as average as the day was long and was regularly targeted by the fans, lets not rewrite history here. Neil Lennon was loved by the Celtic fans because of his identity and what he went through on a personal level. But as a footballer he was regularly the target of howls of derision because he was an extremely limited player who could do little constructive.

For a guy with such limited ability the fact that he was able to play so many games, captain the club and play with some great players was like winning the lotto.

Neil Lennon is about as good a footballer as the much maligned Glenn Whelan was. There's a reason nobody really came in for Lennon at Celtic.

[Angelo]

CELTIC star Neill Lennon blasted fans yesterday for driving his dad away from Parkhead.

The former Northern Ireland player was booed by supporters during last Thursday's Uefa Cup semi-final at Parkhead.

The heckling has disgusted the midfielder's shocked dad Gerry.

Lennon said: "Dad was really upset and he told me he wouldn't be coming back to see me play at Parkhead because of what happened.

"He wasn't over for the Boavista match but he was watching it on TV and could hear what went on.

"He's obviously very proud of me playing for Celtic and to be honest it has probably hurt my family more than me."

Lennon has been delighted by the countless messages of support he has received including that from Celtic manager Martin O'Neill, but he admitted that he'll find it hard to forgive fans who abused him.

He said: "I'm not pleased about what happened and it will take me a long time to forgive the fans who barracked me.

"Playing in the semi-finals of the Uefa Cup is hard enough without having to go through that. I wobbled for 10 minutes or so after it, before managing to compose myself.

"Personally I thought it was unjustified but I received some nice cards and messages from fans.

"They apologised for what happened but I'm big enough and ugly enough to get on with it.

"I was pleased to hear fans singing my name on Sunday (when Celtic defeated Kilmarnock 2-0 at home) but I haven't forgotten what happened last week.

"It's still very much a sore point for me."

Lennon, from Lurgan, Co Armagh, stressed that fans had to understand the pressures on players to get a result during big matches.

"I don't think it's a coincidence that our best performances in Europe have come away from home.

"The tension is so intense at Parkhead sometimes and the fans have got to realise it's not the same as domestic games." Lennon's father refused to comment last night when contacted at his home in Lurgan.

It's not the first time that Lennon has been tormented by fans.

The Catholic father-of-one was regularly taunted by sectarian supporters at Northern Ireland games.

And he quit international football after receiving loyalist death threats in August.

[illdecide]

Angelo...TBH this is the last time i'll ever respond to one of your posts because TBH you're just an attention seeking lower than a snakes belly good for nothing person (very nearly typed another word there). Would love to type a whole lot more but would only get banned. Have a nice life (Not)

[Angelo]

Angelo...TBH this is the last time i'll ever respond to one of your posts because TBH you're just an attention seeking lower than a snakes belly good for nothing person (very nearly typed another word there). Would love to type a whole lot more but would only get banned. Have a nice life (Not)

Jesus Christ, would you ever grow up. You're behaving like a 5 year old because I stated some facts about Lennon.

He was an average player and is a sub standard manager, he managed to carve a very successful career for himself out of football and make himself very rich because he Celtic fans felt a lot of sympathy due to the sectarian abuse he suffered. As a footballer and manager though he underwhelmed and I think his conduct has been poor at times. Let us not forget how he was happy to chuck Alan Thompson under a bus to save his own skin.

Think you need to have a long look af yourself in the mirror if you are getting so upset and taking things so personal over valid criticism of a football manager

[tyroneStatto]

CELTIC star Neill Lennon blasted fans yesterday for driving his dad away from Parkhead.

The former Northern Ireland player was booed by supporters during last Thursday's Uefa Cup semi-final at Parkhead.

The heckling has disgusted the midfielder's shocked dad Gerry.

Lennon said: "Dad was really upset and he told me he wouldn't be coming back to see me play at Parkhead because of what happened.

"He wasn't over for the Boavista match but he was watching it on TV and could hear what went on.

"He's obviously very proud of me playing for Celtic and to be honest it has probably hurt my family more than me."

Lennon has been delighted by the countless messages of support he has received including that from Celtic manager Martin O'Neill, but he admitted that he'll find it hard to forgive fans who abused him.

He said: "I'm not pleased about what happened and it will take me a long time to forgive the fans who barracked me.

"Playing in the semi-finals of the Uefa Cup is hard enough without having to go through that. I wobbled for 10 minutes or so after it, before managing to compose myself.

"Personally I thought it was unjustified but I received some nice cards and messages from fans.

"They apologised for what happened but I'm big enough and ugly enough to get on with it.

"I was pleased to hear fans singing my name on Sunday (when Celtic defeated Kilmarnock 2-0 at home) but I haven't forgotten what happened last week.

"It's still very much a sore point for me."

Lennon, from Lurgan, Co Armagh, stressed that fans had to understand the pressures on players to get a result during big matches.

"I don't think it's a coincidence that our best performances in Europe have come away from home.

"The tension is so intense at Parkhead sometimes and the fans have got to realise it's not the same as domestic games." Lennon's father refused to comment last night when contacted at his home in Lurgan.

It's not the first time that Lennon has been tormented by fans.

The Catholic father-of-one was regularly taunted by sectarian supporters at Northern Ireland games.

And he quit international football after receiving loyalist death threats in August.

I remember that, the fans were getting very frustrated as NL kept passing the ball back. Didn't make sense when there were guys with the quality of Larsson and Sutton up front.

[Angelo]

CELTIC star Neill Lennon blasted fans yesterday for driving his dad away from Parkhead.

The former Northern Ireland player was booed by supporters during last Thursday's Uefa Cup semi-final at Parkhead.

The heckling has disgusted the midfielder's shocked dad Gerry.

Lennon said: "Dad was really upset and he told me he wouldn't be coming back to see me play at Parkhead because of what happened.

"He wasn't over for the Boavista match but he was watching it on TV and could hear what went on.

"He's obviously very proud of me playing for Celtic and to be honest it has probably hurt my family more than me."

Lennon has been delighted by the countless messages of support he has received including that from Celtic manager Martin O'Neill, but he admitted that he'll find it hard to forgive fans who abused him.

He said: "I'm not pleased about what happened and it will take me a long time to forgive the fans who barracked me.

"Playing in the semi-finals of the Uefa Cup is hard enough without having to go through that. I wobbled for 10 minutes or so after it, before managing to compose myself.

"Personally I thought it was unjustified but I received some nice cards and messages from fans.

"They apologised for what happened but I'm big enough and ugly enough to get on with it.

"I was pleased to hear fans singing my name on Sunday (when Celtic defeated Kilmarnock 2-0 at home) but I haven't forgotten what happened last week.

"It's still very much a sore point for me."

Lennon, from Lurgan, Co Armagh, stressed that fans had to understand the pressures on players to get a result during big matches.

"I don't think it's a coincidence that our best performances in Europe have come away from home.

"The tension is so intense at Parkhead sometimes and the fans have got to realise it's not the same as domestic games." Lennon's father refused to comment last night when contacted at his home in Lurgan.

It's not the first time that Lennon has been tormented by fans.

The Catholic father-of-one was regularly taunted by sectarian supporters at Northern Ireland games.

And he quit international football after receiving loyalist death threats in August.

I remember that, the fans were getting very frustrated as NL kept passing the ball back. Didn't make sense when there were guys with the quality of Larsson and Sutton up front.

He was a fairly limited player. Nobody said he was terrible but there's no way Lennon is a Celtic legend on his abilities as a player and manager. In reality he owes Celtic so much more than Celtic owes him and that's generally not the way it is with legends.

I think his arrogance among all the flak and poor results shows him up in a bad light. Further disappointing to hear today that the board will not be taking action until such time as the league race is completely out of reach. We can still salvage this season but not with Lennon at the helm.

If the genuine alternatives are Roy Keane or Strachan then we are as well cease operating as a football club.

[Applesisapples]

Shane Duffy has taken a lot of shit in the past weeks for his displays. But it is obvious from last night that the problem is not the centre backs but a gutless misfield led by Scott Brown who is a shadow of the player he was.

Just stop. I thought Duffy would be a great signing but he has been really poor. I can now see why he wasn't getting a game in England. Just because the players around him aren't performing doesn't give him a free pass. Ajer was awful last night but Duffy has been just as awful in other games.

Duffy buried his father a few months back, that may have some bearing on his lack of form. But how do you build confidence as a cb if you're exposed. It is a common concept even in GAA that you protect your fullback.

[general_lee]

Angelo...TBH this is the last time i'll ever respond to one of your posts because TBH you're just an attention seeking lower than a snakes belly good for nothing person (very nearly typed another word there). Would love to type a whole lot more but would only get banned. Have a nice life (Not)

Jesus Christ, would you ever grow up. You're behaving like a 5 year old because I stated some facts about Lennon.

He was an average player and is a sub standard manager, he managed to carve a very successful career for himself out of football and make himself very rich because he Celtic fans felt a lot of sympathy due to the sectarian abuse he suffered. As a footballer and manager though he underwhelmed and I think his conduct has been poor at times. Let us not forget how he was happy to chuck Alan Thompson under a bus to save his own skin.

Think you need to have a long look af yourself in the mirror if you are getting so upset and taking things so personal over valid criticism of a football manager

You are actually poison at this stage and your shité posts are getting tiresome. You're portraying your opinion as "fact". Just admit you personally resent Lennon and you might actually be taken seriously (did he shag your sister or something???)

I bet you're one of these cünts that would be over patting him on the back if you met him in person. He spent 7 years at the club because "the fans felt sorry for him" f**k I haven't read such shite in my life.