Act before talk of shaming the club

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“I said to the players at half time that we were shaming the club at the moment and they had to go out and show some pride in the shirt”, the words of Neil Lennon to the BBC after the game on Saturday.

Pride in the shirt is a requirement any manager should ask of his team, and it is notable that the subsequent goal-scorers both have strong connections to the club, but it probably had little to do with the second half performance from Anthony Stokes, Charlie Mulgrew and our the impressive James Forrest.  Calls to pride are limited in what they can achieve, genuine talent is far more effective.

At the AGM on Friday and again in his post-match comments on Saturday, Neil alluded to the fragility of his own position.  Had the game finished 3-0 to Kilmarnock I think he would have walked away.  This would have been a great pity.

Neil is learning on the job. He was not gifted the benefits of experience without actually having to work through difficult times as a manager.  Before his thoughts turn to his own position, before our season is too far gone to save, he should recruit an experienced assistant.  Someone who knows the challenges of working with a disparate group of players, who can deal with the challenges of a demanding board and supporter base.

The need for a mentor was evident 18 months ago and is screamingly so now.  For the sake of Celtic, do the necessary.

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  1. “The sheriff will also consider whether to ban Birrell from attending football matches.”

     

     

    Money must be tight down ibrox way if this has to be considered. Surely in all such offences a banning order should be mandatory where guilt is proven.

     

     

    If Willie McStay is not an option (why not?) – Kenny MacDowall as a coach? He might move back for job security if nothing else?

     

     

    QB

  2. Dentists turn up at the first day of a medical degree course, buy the big bumper book of medicine, rip out the page on teeth, buy a flat, turn it into a practice, then watch the zeros add to their bank balance. Never met a poor dentist, yet they all appear to be down in the mouth.

  3. CultsBhoy hates being 2nd on

    P67

     

     

    If I ever apply for the top job in my field in Scotland it will be because I feel ready for it not in the hope that fontina will guide me through it.

     

    You make my point with reference to the Experience gained by other managers..maybe we should have appointed a manager with Experience. We didn’t so we support what we have until he walks.

     

    Do you question those who appointed Lenny? I do.

  4. Would it be outrageous to suggest bringing in jim jeffries? He knows the league inside out and could help lenny steady the ship even on a short term deal til the end of the season

  5. CultsBhoy hates being 2nd on

    Fontina????

     

    Should read ‘someone will lead me through it’

     

     

    iPhone!!!!

  6. Tickets for Rennes away on Thursday available at the ticket office on a first come, first served basis.

  7. Paul67

     

     

    For me it’d be till the end of the season only and of the Trappatoni, Ancellotti calibre.

     

     

    Sally had a mentor last season

     

     

    HH

  8. Thanks for the reply Paul. I remember at the time of the appointment you wanted experience as did I.

     

     

    I will never forget the night sitting at Celtic park watching us getting humiliated by Inverness Caley and the glee from the other lot in the days following it. After that I thought we would never have to go through hiring an inexperienced manager again.

     

     

    I agree it’s not an easy road and we are in the trenches, but IMHO I think if we do not change direction by bringing in an experienced manager then the league is gone.

     

     

    I hope I am wrong, but time will tell.

     

     

    Dan

  9. I would go for Alex Smith….He is no threat to Neil for the main job, and he has done a terrific job helping Danny lennon at St Mirren. He was also a more than decent manager at Aberdeen

  10. The Battered Bunnet on

    Word is that the Battle of Hastings was played at the wrong ground.

     

     

    Replay anyone?

  11. South Of Tunis on

    Zbyszeck @ 13 22 ——

     

     

    Dan Petrescu was manager of that wee team from ” nowhere Romania ” -Unirea — who humped , humbled and humiliated The Hun a few seasons back .

  12. celtic *o* lennon on

    JoeLedleyCFC says:

     

    17 October, 2011 at 13:28

     

     

    Yes it would. I dont think Neil will take a mentor. He will sink or swim on his own.

  13. Partizan [FTLT]- if you enjoyed Hart /Bonamassa you should check out Mr and Mrs Trucks, ie Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi.

     

     

    The album is called ‘Revalator’.

     

     

    Joe Bonamassa is pretty good but Derek is the bhoy.

  14. seanbhoy69 says:

     

    17 October, 2011 at 13:31

     

    ‘JoeLedleyCFC

     

    Are you on drugs?’

     

     

     

    If he isn’t, he should be.

  15. CultsBhoy hates being 2nd on

    Joe Ledley

     

     

    Call Nhs24

     

    On 0845242424

     

     

    To speed things up tell them you are having an acute Psychological disturbance

     

     

    Hope you get on ok!

  16. Davie Hay

     

    Has been mentioned on more than one occasion from within the walls at Celtic Park.

     

    Allegedly!!!

  17. Bloke109 is Neil Lennon – Dentists turn up at the first day of a medical degree course, buy the big bumper book of medicine, rip out the page on teeth, buy a flat, turn it into a practice, then watch the zeros add to their bank balance. Never met a poor dentist, yet they all appear to be down in the mouth.

     

     

    Anti-Dentite. (thumbsup)

  18. The mentor idea can work really well.

     

     

    Look at Adrian Boothroyd at Watford, when he took the job he brought in Keith Burkinshaw as assistant/mentor and together they got Watford promoted to the Premier. When Burkinshaw was forced to resign (under similar circumstances to Martin O’Neill) Boothroyd decided he had learned enough and could fly solo, what followed was a spectacular collapse of a young up and coming managers reputation.

     

     

    David Hay seems like the obvious candidate for Lenny but there must be others.

  19. The BBC are part of the establishment and if people think this documentary on Thursday will do harm to Rangers they are seriously deluded..

  20. whitecrook tim on

    Good afternoon Greig and Mclelland out the BILLIONARE Whyte on BBC1 thursday night 7pm

     

    cant wait

  21. Davie Hay’s book mentions how much he learned from working under Ally MacLeod at Motherwell.

  22. starry plough says:

     

    17 October, 2011 at 13:44Jim Jeffries FFS…I’ve heard it all now..

     

     

    Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx,xxx,

     

    Oh no you have not……….

     

    John Barnes

  23. stephenpollock on

    I suggested a mentor here at start of season and general consensus was it is too late then I thought that was better time than now.

     

     

    If Celtic appointed one now it would be seen as a desperate last act, which it is, and i just do not think would give us sufficient rapid freshness.

     

     

    I recall the John Collins partnership with Tommy Craig at Hibs and sat behind them at Easter Road against Hearts and for sure Tommy was having a big and effective say. That was the right time for a mentor and it went largely unnoticed.

     

     

    Appoint a mentor now and every conversation will be discussed in the press and maybe Lenny would recognise the threat of the mentor taking over.

     

     

    Of course this is all conjecture and if I had to choose I’d have Lenny and a mentor before JUST Lenny. But if I had a choice I’d want rapid freshness, zeal and vigour in the club which can only come from a rapid change of ALL first team coaching staff – including Lenny.

  24. Paul67

     

     

    Not sure what is meant by ‘mentor’. If you mean someone brought in to override Neil and essentially do his job for him, then just call for the manager’s head and be done with it.

     

     

    If you mean an older experienced assistant, then Neil would have to sack one of Thompson and Mjallby (I know who my money’s on).

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