When Brendan Rodgers left us in the lurch in February 2019 we were fortunate to be able to turn to a known quantity in Neil Lennon as interim boss. His first week was totemic, wins at Hearts and Hibs sent him on the way to the league and Scottish Cup, completing our third successive treble.
Neil took the job on condition he was considered for the permanent position. Celtic agreed, but I doubt they expected he would get the job. Ultimately, hopes of attracting another tier one candidate were dashed, as you and I occasionally observe, Never follow Sinatra. Few wanted to fill Brendan’s sunbed. The choice was between Neil and an earnest candidate who had won promotion to the Premier League in England, before relegation and unemployment. Neil was thought to be the better choice by the club for what would be a pressured season, but it is fair to say there was consternation when the announcement was made after that famous Cup Final win over Hearts.
The fourth consecutive treble, by now an expectation in some places, was not as easy as previous seasons. Newco’s loss-inflated side reached their first final in five years, got to the last 16 of the Europa League and led the domestic table in January. After defeat at Celtic Park to their challengers on 29 December, Celtic won every game for the remainder of the domestic season in league and cup. It was a fantastic response from a manager who looked to be on the ropes.
More impressively, a difficult Europa League group was won; famous victories over Lazio will live long in the memory. Last season, Europe also provided a portent of troubles ahead; an inferior Cluj, eliminated Celtic in the Champions League qualifiers, Copenhagen amazed themselves by doing the same in the Europa knockout rounds. Something was not right.
The capitulation this season has few precedents in our history. Despite retaining all key members of the side, ignominious defeats arrived in waves. Ferencvaros, Sparta Prague, twice, Ross County, twice, Newco at Celtic Park without making an attempt on goal. The Europa League group was an omnishambles until Neil rested players for a dead rubber against Lille and discovered talent waiting in the stands. This helped his cause but not his reputation.
I don’t buy the theory that were disproportionately affected by lack of fans, we made a series of missteps, in magnitude no greater than at the start of Brendan Rodgers last season in charge, but this time our challenger scarcely lost a goal, never mind a game.
With the direction of travel well established, there was a window to change manager in the autumn. When I argued the case to act for the good of Celtic’s season, I was counselled on the need to attract a manager who would work for a club who will sack a manager that’s never lost a trophy and had only lost one league game. There would be some takers, but not the ones you want. I believe this avenue was considered. Our options were John Kennedy as interim or a candidate miles out of their depth.
Among the many emotions Neil Lennon will feel today, I am sure a sense of disappointment in how he was treated by some among us. As well as giving us some great days, the worst that can be said about him is he made several bad football decisions. After what he has been through to be a Celtic player and manager, his treatment in places was atrocious.
I remember Jock Stein’s last four seasons, that produced only one league title, not to mention Gordon Strachan’s four, which resulted in only one league loss. Both were hounded by uncontained angry fans. The only difference now, is that the uncontained have social media to organise around. Neil, is in good company.
He will undoubtedly experience relief, but Neil has opened up previously on his fragilities, I suspect he will be haunted by regret, one of the more pernicious human emotions. However, as the Chairman of the Board once noted, ‘Regrets, I’ve had a few, but too few to mention.. The record shows’, NINE-IN-A-ROW.
Neil, thanks for Lazio, Rennes, the leagues and cups and the many euphoric victories. I cannot imagine how difficult on a personal level this has been, but the very best of health for the future. You will never walk alone.
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Listen, people have a right to scroll past me. They have a right to do that. Nobody forces them to involve themselves in any way in debating me … not that any of these halfwits ever try and DEBATE, they throw invective and then slink off somewhere.
They have a choice and they should exercise that choice, and if they chose to engage me in the manner in which they do I’m going to respond in a manner exactly proportional to theirs.
So when one of them made a pitiful childish snark tonight when he could have just gone by, I responded in the same manner. When one of them had a public go, and specifically addressed his post to me he got the same response. Now, this can continue to toxify the rest of this forum … if that’s what some people want to happen I’m down with it.
Unlike some of these people my life doesn’t revolve around this site. I have my own blog. I work hard on it. I make a living doing this stuff, as unpalatable as that idea is to some people on here.
You understand what I’m saying? I can come on here, take my shots, and then leave. Or I can hang around and turn this into the Wild West during my coffee breaks. Either way, I don’t care.
The moderators can work hard censoring this stuff, they can even kick me off.
I DON’T CARE. THEY CAN DO THEIR WORST.
If they want this to become a lobotomised site full of keyboard warrirors that’s what it will be.
I would prefer if this was some place we could all come and debate and discuss issues involving our club without the internet hardmen deciding who should and shouldn’t be allowed to talk.
The moderators can get a grip on this any time they like. Or they can watch this site disintegrate into petty bitchery. Because let me repeat, I don’t care. I’ll argue the toss with these idiots all day, every day.
Or they can ignore me and scroll on.
That’s up to them.
“When Brendan Rodgers left us in the lurch”
paul67.
do you think for a second that Lawwell would turn down an offer of £9.5m for brendan?
and replace him with Neil? an unemployed manager. with no bargaining power. desparate for a job.
Chairbhoy
“I’d have James McGrory, Brendan Rodgers and John McGinn at Celtic before Neil Lennon. ”
You may WANT them but only James McGrory will accomodate you
Brendan left and he has no desire to come back…. ever.
John McGinn chose Villa over us – fair play to him- his choice and he’s happy with it.
I have more love and affection for Shane Duffy who willingly came to play for us then I have for the leavers or those that snubbed their chance to play for us.
I can appreciate Messi, Ibrahimovic and Xavi but they are not Celts so they are not my heroes.
HH
Lol I’m done for the night.
Moderators, do what you gotta do.
I apologise to you guys, you have my profound sympathies … but when are you gonna clear some of the trash out of here so the rest of us can talk Celtic without it degenerating into a bubbling bitch-fest?
To the regular guys and gals on here who only come on to talk Celtic, who read and post with respect for others, who don’t engage in any of this childish garbage … you have my sympathies.
Don’t worry, I’ve got more respect for you guys and our host (aye, believe it or not cretins) to turn this into a shoot-em-up.
I repeat; if you don’t like what I write SCROLL PAST. There’s no need to respond.
But if you do, do it constructively. Engage with what I actually say rather than playing the man not the ball, it makes you look pathetic and snide and bitchy and weak. And feeble minded.
For the sake of the rest here, eah?
Honestly life is too short.
JAMES FORREST on 25TH FEBRUARY 2021 12:58 AM
life is too short for posting shite on the internet
reach out for some help, take a break,
it is a serious thing , i am worried about you ,
take some time out
I never trusted the infinite monkey theory thing. Give an infinite amount of monkeys an infinite amount of typewriters and they’ll eventually write Shakespeare or something. In its entirety. Aye right then.
Seems some do though make sense after a constant previous for delivering piles of, well, gibberish. The inter webs today. Enough already.
Anyway.
If you are worried about the monkeys writing the next episode of East Enders, worry not about AI writing the next Sci-Fi or period best selling novel. Binary eh? Who knew?
https://nautil.us/issue/95/escape/why-computers-will-never-write-good-novels
Stlll sad today. Watching someone die inside while seeing your own dream, a shared dream of, dare I say, everyone one that has ever pulled on our strip or followed our club or posted in good faith on these pages, die. All of us for a cause, yeah? Felt like a final nail. End of something that wasn’t all bad.
But sometimes you have to stop kicking downed men in the teeth and return to the positive vibes that change always brings. There’s a future to be lived. When we are all gone folks won’t be talking of NFL as a failure. History books will show his stats, trophies and medals on both sides of the line and he’ll look fecking solid. Wasn’t a fan of his appointment for many reasons spoken about on here. One of them was a lot of us saw him landing the gig again ran the risk of ruining a legacy and that group now seem to want to say it has been ruined.
It hasn’t.
Still dream of Eddie Howe. Don’t judge.
Still think Lambert was better in midfield as well though, sorry Neil.
SAINT STIVS on 25TH FEBRUARY 2021 1:01 AM
I’ve not even read what’s been discussed but your comments aren’t big or clever and paint you in a horrible light.
TOSB
No I don’t think I misunderstood in any way.
Well, you interpreted it as a dig at all fans that wanted Neil to leave, so you interpreted that wrong, at least.
Did you ever consider that perhaps Mr. Lawell and the Board may have had a wee read at CQN and thought, “ Och we can continue with Lenny for another season. There’s plenty on CQN who support him. Doesn’t matter that the team’s playing rubbish, there’s a huge number who don’t want us to change now.”?
Actually no! I did not. It sounds hysterically unlikely to me that PL would consider the views of a group on CQN as representative of the fans at large. I have many complaints about the decisions made by the club and their moral cowardice, but I credit both PL and DD with a level of intelligence and human understanding. CQN is not representative of the club fan base at large and CQN had many, many posters who felt Neil should not have been appointed and should have gone long ago.
It is a fantasy to think that a few minority opinions heartened them to keep Neil for longer or deterred them from taking whatever action they felt necessary.
Bye bye TIAR. Maybe Lenny’s fan club on here played their own part in our failure this season.
Aye right. Sydney Tim once blamed me and people like me for WGS losing his final title season with us. I don’t remember ever getting the credit for the 3 previous titles WGS won though.
Everything Neil achieved with us, including his failures, is owned by him and the players. They’re the ones that deserve the credit and the blame. We have a great support but we do not win titles on the pitch. We influence very little from a blog but we can have an effect, through matchday attendance and supporting style, to drive the players into their shells or to lift them to be the best they can be.
Everything on here is just us talking to ourselves.
St Stivs
leave off the guy he’s got no nobody to
party with,tells the mods to throw off
posters that don’t agree with his rants
yes he needs help
MALONE BHOY on 25TH FEBRUARY 2021 1:06 AM
SAINT STIVS on 25TH FEBRUARY 2021 1:01 AM
I’ve not even read what’s been discussed but your comments aren’t big or clever and paint you in a horrible light.
——————–
did you make sure JF got home tonight ?
JAMES FORREST
“Unlike some of these people my life doesn’t revolve around this site. I have my own blog. I work hard on it. I make a living doing this stuff, as unpalatable as that idea is to some people on here.”
Chasing the ad dollar is tough, I hear you.
Outside of watching the games and the occasional Reddit read, my Celtic life does revolve around this site. My dad and sis and brother in law of course would be the big ones of course as they remain in the old country but I get all my stuff here.
Posting or lurking, I love some of the voices. Don’t knock that.
Dial it down a notch and I’ll start reading again.
Repetition
*course
Good morning, drizzly fine morning in the Chiltern…
SFtBs @ 12:55 AM,
So, despite everything you are still going to be unreasonable.
You pluck statements out of the air and state them like they’re facts – they are Not.
The fact remains that Brendan Rodgers said that he is open to a return to Celtic.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/talksport.com/football/503985/brendan-rodgers-open-to-celtic-return-in-the-future-claiming-he-loved-every-single-second-as-hoops-boss/amp/
You lost the debate over both Brendan Rodgers and John McGinn – I stated at the time and now with 20/20 hindsight the evidence is all there.
It was Peter Lawwell’s arrogance and incompetence that drove Brendan Rodgers to leave and screw up John McGinn’s transfer.
They kept their dignity and did the right thing going on to be successes in the most demanding League in football.
Peter – it’s all about perception – Lawwell has been found out and leaves as a failure.
History will not be kind to Pedro and Lenny I’m afraid.
Good Luck to John Kennedy – a man like Rodgers and McGinn who truly know what Celtic are about. As does Shane Duffy but what his random inclusion in your argument is there for escapes me – another squirrel perchance!?
As I say, JK will surprise a few…
Aff Oot
Hail Hail
JF and ONIL
Keep on posting , it’s a blog
open to one and all , imo .
Your posts and thots are
most welcome same as
everybody else’s are .
James Forrest! Well said fella ! Always a good read bud ! No be long before the coward has a nip 😂😂
At Celtic, at the moment, ‘the baw is burst’ – probably three-quarters of the first-team squad favour getting out. This boil must be lanced – Barkas, Bolingoli Duffy(L), Ajer, Ajeti, Klimala, Laxalt(L), Kenny(L), Elyounousi(L), Christie, Griffiths, Bitton & Eduard, must be jettisoned asap – probably £35m for the lot – that would leave Bain, Taylor, Welsh, McGregor, Forrest (if he’s ever fit), Turnbull, Soro, Johnston(if he ever grows up), Brown & Jullien(if he ever comes back)…..what a state of affairs.
Will the new CEO actually take up his post? I ‘hae ma doots’.
james forrest
two down one to go
can you expand?
hh
Good morning cqn from a wetcand windy Garngad
Got my vaccination for the nation yesterday and a bit sore today.
Well that was some read back…jeezo.
Let’s move forward to the Aberdeen game, a game I always like to go to and watch, this week will be on tv unfortunately.
How long before fans allowed in and how many do you guys think?
I still think we need a clearance of deadwood in our management team and board but that will have to wait as we dont fo change well.
HH
D :)
JAMESGANG on 24TH FEBRUARY 2021 9:18 PM
Philboy
I rented a flat and moved home last week.
Amazing to see the weans again.
Love ©️SOAL
—————————–
Delighted for you!
Take care!
‘I’m telling Dermot Desmond you called him a bastard’, one of the funniest things I’ve read on a Celtic supporters forum. Thanks for that, always a good way to start your day.
Philbhoy..
Yer a clipe!!!…
Lol.
HH.😂👍
SAINT STIVS on 25TH FEBRUARY 2021 1:01 AM
Pathetic.
AIPPLE on 25TH FEBRUARY 2021 1:03 AM
Interesting article. I read one last year about a lot of Hollywood film companies using AI to select scripts and in the future writing them. Utterly depressing.
SPIRITOF67 on 25TH FEBRUARY 2021 5:46 AM
Many thanks for the kind words.
I just feels sorry for these guys, they cannot see the wood for the trees when it comes to celtic, blind faith is a dangerous thing.
While Lenny’s departure was 6 months overdue I’m not at all elated. A lot of folk getting carried away with renewed optimism. I believe that underestimates how much damage Lennon and Lawwell have inflicted these past 2 years. The club is in a state of shambles, plus we have the ongoing impact of Covid. We will have new everything next season, from CEO through football structure, through new coach and whole new team. A lot to ask them to hit the ground running. Will need at least one season to gel. Lawwell and Lennon’s legacy as custodians.
I have medals for playing soccer, but they are for 5 a-side. I coached a soccer team, but it was at post-primary level. I have followed Celtic all my life, but I live in the North of Ireland and have not been at Celtic Park as often as I would have liked. So, my opinions might not carry a lot of weight, but I am right when I say; it is natural to disagree but can we please leave out the personal insults.
Well let’s hope everybody got it out of their system yesterday and we can now concentrate on Celtic and hope that John Kennedy can lead us to a series of victories and great performances between now and the end of the season. I’m sure we’d all like to get an idea of what John is capable of managing the team in his own right.
Hail! Hail!
:/_
Celtic fans or not , there are some right Ibrahim Hemdanis (who are right up their own 4rse) on this site. But then, should I even be saying that ? There are many voices and opinions on this site and in my opinion its not always reflective of your average Tim. Interestingly, met an old Irish guy out on his walk this morning (still out with his wee dug and thats after a stroke and triple by-pass). His thoughts – hes no goin back and hes ditching his shares cos of the treatment of Lennie by the board and fans. Just saying.
TOSB
Good luck with that 🙂
Very late in reading this article but I see Paul is still protecting the Board . PL went for the cheap easy option that day in the shower . A friendly face that would never challenge him the way BR did . A man who would be a shield for him and his board pals . PL is a cheap man as was proven season after season with his fear of doing the right things to prepare us for our champs league qualifiers . He is also a coward , he used Neil Lennon when things were going pear shaped this season by allowing him to talk about club matters when Cheap Pete should have been out there facing the cameras . Neil should have left at least 6 months ago , he would have left still a club legend and chances are we may still be in the title race. Pl and the Board fecked up spectacularly and still Paul67 you will not criticise them. You say we only had one candidate available before the shower scene . I find this very hard to believe AND if it was the case why stay silent about it . That is nothing short of a scandal at a club of our size . Is it the fact that maybe PL was the reason for so few candidates and you didnt wanna upset your big chum. You Paul and guys like you with the same mind set are part of our problem at the moment
David66 – good stuff – hope your arm isn’t too sore. It is a real relief.
JAMESGANG – great for you, and welcome home :-)
Fans back in football grounds – I think we could see it post split for a couple of games.
Me and Wee BGFC cannae wait!!!!!!!!!!!!
McChuills/beer –> Game –> McChuills/mair beer –> Sharkey’s/wee sing-song/mair beer – PARADISE :-))
HH
BGFC
Anybody on here any idea how it was that the story of Neil Lennon’s resignation was first broken by David Friel of the Scottish Sun? That was Tuesday evening after some kind of Board meeting.
SPIKEYSAULDMAN on 25TH FEBRUARY 2021 9:30 AM
Old Irish guy is like every other Celtic supporter and entitled to his opinion.
Lennon was in charge of our most important season for decades and failed spectacularly, he also held on with his fingernails knowing he could do nothing to change things. This is inexcusable and will never be forgotten by many celtic supporters as well.
https://twitter.com/celticstarmag/status/1364879803451666435?s=24
Ivan Toney….
GORBALSTAM on 25TH FEBRUARY 2021 8:36 AM
‘I’m telling Dermot Desmond you called him a bastard’, one of the funniest things I’ve read on a Celtic supporters forum. Thanks for that, always a good way to start your day.
###
After he’s told him somebody on the internet called him a bastard he could maybe ask him about his first Celtic game.
!!BADA BING!! on 25TH FEBRUARY 2021 10:28 AM
Ajeti or Toney? Mmmmmmmm
If this is true, yet another shocking decision by the board. Statue of Peter anyone?
SPIDEY101
From last n.
Thanks for that