Sure, we don’t always stick by everything we say right?
Sometimes you can say something you regret further down the line or something that appears contradictory thanks to your actions in the future. However, as a football manager, Neil Lennon doesn’t have the luxury of changing his tune so easily.
There’s growing anger amongst fans this morning. The Herald reported last night that Lennon wouldn’t be resigning and that the Celtic board is actually backing him. That’s despite the fact such a large portion of supporters have wanted him gone for a while.
Yet, what Lennon may have forgotten was the dignified stance he dished out to the supporters back in 2012 when things weren’t going too well. After a 1-0 loss at home to Inverness that saw the pressure being ramped up on him eight years ago today, the manager promised to resign if fans wanted him gone. “The honourable thing to do” was how he put it.
As quoted by the Daily Record back then, here’s Lennon’s comments in full:
“The fans are frustrated and a few of them were shouting from behind the dugout. I can’t repeat what they said but there were a few expletives and heavy criticism. I disagreed with them and gave them my point of view.
“But, listen, if they are not happy and want me to go then I’ll go. If the fans make it clear they are not happy and want me out I’ll do the honourable thing.”
There’s no defence now Neil; the fans want change
These comments are a complete contradiction to the Herald’s report last night, and it’s not a statement that can ever be misquoted.
And let’s not pretend that Lennon isn’t aware of what’s going on either – his agent was on Twitter arguing with supporters after the Rangers game. Everyone in the Lennon camp will be fully aware of the anger towards him at the moment.
Sure, perhaps it comes from a good place. Perhaps Lennon feels he can still do the job and doesn’t want to let supporters down. But the cynical side of me makes me think this is more ego-driven than emotionally-driven. The manager loves proving people wrong – so much so that he’ll stay in the job despite him knowing we could do with a change.
But he threw his cards on the table back in 2012 when his back was up against the wall. He’s flat out told us all that if we want change then we’ll get change. Yes, it was eight years ago, but this isn’t a statement you can just turn your back on over the course of time. This was a moral stance the manager took to deflect away pressure.
Unfortunately for the Celtic boss, it’s coming back to haunt him in 2020. In a year where Lennon appears to be doing his best to avoid what the fans want, he couldn’t help but throw himself at our mercy back in 2012 when he knew supporters didn’t want to go as far as him leaving the club.
Last month, the manager said there was no justification for him to be sacked (Sky Sports). But given what he said during his first stint as manager, it should be a resignation letter he’s signing instead.
In other news, a Celtic striker has been left having to rue a gutwrenching UEFA decision yesterday.
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