From my username you can see I'm a supporter of Neil Lennon. However that performance today was shocking. The defending was amateurish at best, they didn't appear prepared at all. They got lots of breaks in the game - Mcgregor mistake Rangers goal ruled out - if the breaks went against us we'd have been hammered.
Why does Lenny keep picking Samaras and Loovens in big games, players who have failed to deliver time and time again in a Celtic shirt. Forster in goal doesn't come for crosses, zonal marking at set pieces with the tallest players not picking up dangermen. No sign of will to win when 1 goal down with 10 or 15 minutes left. WTF is going on?
There'll be excuses made about coming back fatigued from trip to A Madrid, but Celtic are supposed to be a club that plays in Euro competitions. More performances like that and Lenny doesn't have much of a future as Celtic boss I'd say.
The fans will cut Lenny some slack because of his record as a player, but he needs to get his team organised defensively and get consistent performances from his team fairly quick.
Lenny heading for the last chance saloon...
posted on 18/9/11
thought we showed some signs of improving last season. not much sign of that so far this season. hats off to rangers for the last three seasons they've weathered all kinds of internal strife and come away winners. maybe today will be a wake up call for us. i doubt it, though. still, stranger things have happened!
posted on 18/9/11
Anodyne ?? Close Affair ?? What game were you watching. Rangers had us off the park for all but 20 minutes in teh first half
posted on 18/9/11
Comment by Captain Daddy Puppy:
What is important now is how we recover, Old firm games are notorious are more glamour matches than league deciders and our record last season was lose 2 drew 2 won 4, so I'm gutted but we'll still be in the hunt for all three trophies!
--------------
Agreed. My point is an obvious one I suppose and that is that Lenny is going to have organise his team better and get better more consistent performances out of them. He won't last in the job with the team playing like they did today.
posted on 18/9/11
Lennon needs to stop tinkering with the squad,pick the best team and go for it,this changing the defence every two games is just a joke as is playing samaras in all our important games when clearly him and hooper cant play together,and he can't play wide left,Lennon better get it sorted out soon,stop the stupid team selections and play our best team ffs home and away.
posted on 18/9/11
I would keep him just Rangers outplayed them in the secound half
posted on 18/9/11
Celtic fans all knew we needed a keeper, a decent striker and a c/defender in the transfer window, we didnt get any of them, we got Forster back instead. Today shows why we needed them.
posted on 18/9/11
comment by Timinator:
Lennon needs to stop tinkering with the squad, pick the best team and go for it,this changing the defence every two games is just a joke as is playing samaras in all our important games when clearly him and hooper cant play together,and he can't play wide left,Lennon better get it sorted out soon,stop the stupid team selections and play our best team ffs home and away.
------------------
Yes agreed. Every time we play a big game in Europe or v Rangers Lenny starts Samaras every time, yet he doesn't start him in games v other SPL sides. This makes no sense, he has got to stop making that mistake over and over again just because it worked once last january. Does he know his best team? He has got to make up his mind quick and pick his best team and stick with them - injuries permitting- for all games.
It's not like Rangers are a crack Euro side like A Madrid or someone, he does not need to alter his general tactics to play Rangers. Most important he's got to sort his defense at set pieces and generally.
posted on 18/9/11
I couldn't agree more with the article. Something has to change soon, with or without Neil Lennon as our manager. Players like Loovens and Samaras have now failed three different Celtic managers. You could debate the managerial merits of each of them all day, but these players are good examples of why we have been finishing second in a two horse race for so long. It is worrying that Neil Lennon offered Samaras a new deal earlier this year and suggests to me that he doesn't know how to turn the club's fortune around or he simply shows too much faith in those that don't deserve it. So far, he has not been the ruthless manager I hoped he would have been. He deserves the chance to carry on, but if we lose any significant ground in the title race in the next few months then it's the board who will have to be ruthless.
posted on 18/9/11
Mcilvik-Lennonist
He won't last in the job with the team playing like they did today.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Lennon's teams have been consistently bad since he got the job, his teams have failed in almost every important match, making the same mistakes over and over again.
Celtic will not progress under Lennon.
posted on 18/9/11
Lennon's teams have been consistently bad since he got the job, his teams have failed in almost every important match, making the same mistakes over and over again.
Celtic will not progress under Lennon.
-------------
There were times last season particularly the 2-2 cup draw v Rangers that were was signs of improvement. Celtic haven't kicked on from that and so far this season have gone backwards.
He needs to start picking the best players available to him, that means no Samaras, no Loovens and he needs to sort them out defensively. If he doesn't get the finger out quick he's heading for the chop.