NEIL LENNON’S future at Celtic will be decided in the next 48 hours.
The Hoops boss is under severe pressure after the club’s abysmal performance in the 2-0 Betfred League Cup collapse against Ross County at Parkhead yesterday.
Celtic had won the silverware for the past four years and it was their first loss in a spectacular sequence of winning domestic Cup-ties that had stretched over THIRTY-FIVE games.
However, that came to an abrupt and shocking halt against the Highlanders as the team toppled out of their third competition in three months with the League Cup exit joining the list of failures that have seen expulsion from the Champions League in September and the Europa League Cup last week with two games still to play.
Scotland’s title kings, who are bidding for a historic TENTH successive crown, are 11 points adrift of Steven Gerrard’s Ibrox outfit although they have two games in hand.
The devastating defeat from the Dingwall side leaves the team with only two wins from their last 10 games in which they have shipped an incredible 23 goals with neither Vasilis Barkas nor Scott Bain impressing.
It makes for depressing reading and crunch talks are expected within the next two days with Celtic due to travel to Italy in midweek for their redundant encounter against AC Milan at the San Siro on Thursday night. which will be followed by a Premiership meeting against St Johnstone in Glasgow on Sunday.
Lennon, though, is in no mood to quit, despite an angry mob gathering outside Celtic Park last night to call for his resignation.
Asked about the fan protest, the Irishman, speaking to the media, answered: “It doesn’t make me feel good, obviously.
“That’s their opinion and it’s been rumbling for a while. But it doesn’t matter what I say or what bravado I put on because it won’t wash.
“Do I still see myself as the man to lead the team? Of course. I believe in myself. I think I should get more time at it, but, if not, then so be it.
“I am not always going to harp on about what I have done in the past.
“We are in the present and I know all about the expectations from the supporters and the board.
“I am falling short of that at the minute, me and my backroom team.
“It’s okay saying: ‘We’re going to turn a corner’. But there is no point just talking about it — we need to do it with our actions and do it soon.
“Otherwise the landscape could change for me very quickly.”
Asked if he anticipated the board making a change, he added: “I can’t answer that. But I spoke to Dermot Desmond and Peter Lawwell on Friday and we want to find solutions to the problems we have.
“On the evidence of today, we are still having those problems.
“I can’t say what decisions the board may or may not make. We are all in it together.
“I hope I’m here to turn things around because that’s what I want to do as quickly as possible. But, obviously, the results don’t help those chances.”
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