Neil Lennon’s relationship with Dermot Desmond in and out of Celtic has been well documented.
As Celtic’s manager, Lennon had a close relationship with Desmond and it’s clear that away from the club, there is still a close bond.
All that is fine and well, but with Celtic supporters’ unhappiness at the running of the club and its long-term vision, as well as the handling of the summer transfer window being well-documented, Lennon’s comments here appear to be misguided.
The former Celtic boss defended Desmond and the Celtic board before the Europa League tie with Red Star Belgrade and now, just days from the Dundee clash, Lennon has come out to bat again for the executives.
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Neil Lennon praises Dermot Desmond’s ‘genius’ and love for Celtic
Dermot Desmond is a very successful businessman, not one person can deny that, and here, Lennon expresses that view once again.
Lennon told the Daily Record, “Dermot is a genius, for me. Not just from a sporting point of view, but an intellectual point of view.
“He’s very successful, hugely successful, probably the most successful man I’ve ever come across, in terms of what he’s earned and generated and built in his career.
“He’s on an intellectual level of no one else I’ve ever come across. He is very forward thinking, always looking to the future.
“He is very proactive, I have to say, in supporting Irish sportsmen, whether it be football, golf or Gaelic football. He loves his sport and he loves Celtic.”
Lennon talks up Celtic’s past successes under Peter Lawwell and Desmond but completely misses the point
Celtic fans have real genuine concerns about the direction their club is heading under the current leadership at the club.
Another failure to progress into the Champions League group stage via the play-offs and the lack of investment into the Celtic first team is what’s bugging fans right now but here, Lennon harks back to the past to talk up the Parkhead executives.
Lennon continued, “I think they’ve brought great success. They’ve fought many battles for the club — many battles they’ve won against the odds.
“I just think the success the club has had since 2000 has been incredible. The amount of titles, Champions League, the UEFA Cup final, player trading, the money the club has, how well-run and sustainable the club is. The health of the club is what they think about going forward.
“They know they’re not going to be there forever, but what they’ve achieved on and off the field, it’s incredible. There’s no way Martin O’Neill, Brendan Rodgers, Gordon Strachan, managers of this ilk, would have come to Celtic if it hadn’t been for Dermot. No way, honestly.”
At the risk of repeating myself, not one Celtic supporter will deny the success the club has had under Desmond since 2000. Not one.
Celtic have had much success but there has also been many avoidable failures that have happened under Desmond and the board’s watch. Are fans just to ignore those?
It’s where the club is heading to now. Celtic have not shown consistent progress in Europe since the 2003 UEFA Cup final.
Even with the vast resources available to the club, Rangers are still within touching distance of Celtic and the only reason they haven’t caught up is because they have failed to get their own house in order.
Celtic shouldn’t be in sight of the Ibrox club and they certainly shouldn’t be losing out to teams like Kairat Almaty, Malmo and FC Midtjylland in Champions League qualifiers.
The timing of Lennon’s comments is misguided and out of touch with Celtic supporters and will leave fans extremely baffled and, dare I say it, angered?
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