So there we have it. Celtic 1-1 St Johnstone. The result we could all see coming unless you are of course the board.
Let’s be honest. Many of us had come to accept that Neil Lennon was getting another opportunity today. It was frustrating that he wasn’t away after the loss to Ross County last Sunday, but I for one had come to terms with the fact he was staying for today.
This was his big opportunity. The chance to build a six-game winning run ahead of Ibrox. A chance to go there feeling good about ourselves and ready to take the game to our rivals. But once again, symbolically of our season it must be said, we dropped yet more points.
That’s now 11 points dropped in the league all season. We’re out of the Europa League and look like only picking up one point, whilst we’ve also been knocked out of the Betfred Cup.
The time to sack Lennon was after Celtic were mauled by Sparta Prague’s “B” team at the start of November at Parkhead. At that stage the board should’ve realised that we were going in a worrying direction as a football club with Neil in charge.
Last week when the protests hammered down outside Celtic Park, they once again chose to take a stance that was supposed to be dignified but instead came across as stubborn. They backed Lennon again.
There’s no recovery from here on in
Surely, it can’t be fathomable to them that they give the manager the opportunity to stay on for the games against Lille and Kilmarnock this week. This was supposed to a week in which we were set up for a grand finale in the Europa League. That’s out the drain too thanks to Lennon.
So if the board do make both the right and honourable decision to relieve Lennon of his duties, they shouldn’t expect any credit. They’ve allowed this manager to cause irreparable damage to our season, and only a magician can save our title-chances. Another Brendan Rodgers-type figure who can come and wave some form of magic wand with this group of players.
Dermott Desmond allowed things to get to this stage. He’s the one who’s decided to keep Lennon in his post in a bid to ride it out. He’s watched on as the manager instead rode us out of three competitions and has caused us major emergency damage in a fourth.
In what other job in football do you keep your post with this kind of performance review? All of this has happened and we’re four months or so into the campaign.
By telling Lennon that time is now up, they would only be doing their duty as a board long after it was overdue. There’s no recovery for them from this. Don’t be surprised to see their pockets hit hard come season-ticker renewal time.
They’ve let us down just as badly as Neil has this season.
In other news, a BT Sport pundit has sent a grim warning out to Celtic after watching this afternoon’s disaster.
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