There was a bit of fight in Neil Lennon yesterday, that much is undoubted.
But there was something else to his explosive comments as he returned from self-isolation. There was something else that made it all the more intriguing but I can’t truly put my finger on it.
There was anger. There was emotion and almost desperation. For the first time this season, the shackles were off. Lennon didn’t care who he called out. Whether it be the Scottish national team’s celebrations or the Scottish Government, Neil was gung-ho yesterday (PLZ Soccer).
Perhaps it was everything I’ve mentioned there all joined together that made it so unique. It felt like we were seeing a different Lennon for the first time this season. Not personally one I want to see in our dugout. I’ve made my thoughts perfectly clear that Neil has had more than enough chances.
But he managed, in that presser alone, to create a siege mentality. A Celtic against the world feel in one last attempt to get this team firing again.
Speaking exclusively to 67HailHail, Jackie McNamara gave his belief that Lennon will take that approach too:
“I think it’s like anything else. I’m sure Neil’s team-talk (vs Livingston) will be “everyone’s against us, let’s go and have that siege mentality”.
“It can work. You make everybody think they’re up against it. You want to go out fighting, win your battles, and prove people wrong. Absolutely (it works).”
There’s some fight in Neil Lennon; but too many have seen enough
It’s difficult to really know whether yesterday was concerning or promising. Lennon certainly did his best to create that said siege mentality, but players won’t be daft.
They’ll know the reality of the situation. It’s down to them as to whether they want to save this manager or not. It’s clear Lennon is on the ropes at Parkhead, and for many he should’ve left a long time ago.
It’s now down to whether the players believe their manager has been hard done by. Do they believe they’ve let him down and could be giing more? Is there a percentage or two that they’re not giving when they go out onto the field? These are all questions they should be asking themselves.
There’s no way you can watch videos of Neil Lennon’s presser yesterday and not be asking yourself that as a Celtic player. You’re just as responsible for this decline as the manager is…or are you?
It’s going to be an absolutely intriguing clash tomorrow night between Livingston and Celtic. If there’s an added element of fight and the three points are taken, it’ll be a big plus. It’ll be a sign that the players have listened to Lennon and have done some soul-searching.
But if we leave West Lothian with anything other than a win then we can forget it. If this group of players don’t start fighting for their manager after yesterday, they never truly will.
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