NEIL LENNON insisted he would NOT quit, despite Celtic still waiting for their first win in 2021 after four failed attempts following the drab and uninspired 2-2 draw with Livingston on Wednesday January 20 2021.
The faltering Hoops had skipper Scott Brown red-carded only five minutes after coming onto the pitch as a substitute with 12 minutes to go in the error-strewn stalemate in snowbound West Lothian.
After losing at Ibrox and shedding points in deadlocks against Hibs and Livi twice, the champions were still without a victory after four league games for the first time since Kenny Dalglish was caretaker manager TWENTY years beforehand.
With just three points from four outings since the turn of the year, the Parkhead side were now 20 points adrift of Steven Gerrard’s Ibrox side with only two matches in hand. The hopes, dreams and ambitions in the summer were being buried under a rubble of blunders – on and off the pitch.
Once again, the team could not hang onto a lead after goals from Mohamed Elyounoussi and Nir Bitton had wiped out the early header from Ciaran Brown that had given the home side the lead after shocking defending. However, Jay Emmanuel-Thomas rolled in the leveller after the rearguard went to sleep following a low ball from the left.
WINTER BLUNDERLAND…Neil Lennon can’t hide the fact he is under mounting pressure after another failure in Livingston.
Vasilis Barkas had been asked to deal with two efforts on target – and once again the Greek keeper didn’t have an answer. Much the same as the 1-0 loss in Govan on January 2 when the only thing he had to deal with was the deflection from Callum McGregor.
Despite growing calls from angry fans for his removal, a defiant Lennon said: “I won’t walk away, absolutely not. I’ve put too much into this. Too much of my life. And a month ago we won the treble.
“We’ve lost two games in the league. Europe wasn’t good enough and we’re out of the League Cup. But we’re human beings and we haven’t played well for whatever reason.
“We can analyse it to death. Maybe no fans has had an adverse effect, I don’t know. But they haven’t reached the levels of last season by any stretch of imagination. I haven’t changed my procedures, my philosophy hasn’t changed, but for some reason too many haven’t reached anywhere near their levels.
“If the club have to make a decision then they have to make a decision. You’re asking the wrong guy about my position.
“I’m fed up answering it, really. Everyone is interested in my job. You keep asking if I’m going to be here. I will be until I’m told otherwise.”
