Burke: Now I can learn from Lenny
surroundings again but it’s the squad who have to get accustomed to a new boss when they least expected it.
There are familiar faces of course, with the likes of Scott Brown, Mikel Lustig and James Forrest still key men in the Parkhead club’s first team.
But a fair few players in the dressing room would have left fearing the future was uncertain after it all being mapped out just a few days earlier.
Lennon is determined to help them see clearly again and remain on the path towards a history clean sweep for the third season on the spin.
He said: “I’ve spoken to them as a collective and I’ve spoken to a few of them individually as well.
“It takes a bit of time and we haven’t had much time. But I’ve said to them, ‘I’m working for you, you’re not working for me’.
“‘I’m working for the club and you’re the most important part of the club so anything you need come and knock on the door.’”
Opportunity knocks for Lennon and he knows the best way to predict the future is to create it. OLIVER BURKE raced north to work for Brendan Rodgers and now he’s ready to run through brick walls for Neil Lennon.
The Celtic forward admitted it was a bombshell to see the quickfire change of manager after Rodgers left for Leicester.
But Burke has taken a turbulent few days in his stride.
The on-loan West Brom man said: “Brendan was a big part of me coming here. But you always have to be prepared a manager is not always going to stay.
“Now I’m in the mind frame I love playing for Celtic I love being here and all I can do is give my all for the club.
“Hopefully we can all keep learning and progressing, even the loan players. We’re OK, the mood is good. It hasn’t really changed at all. So that’s positive.
“It can sometimes be a shock to a team but I don’t think it shocked us that much. There was talk in the news for weeks but we were focusing on games and having our usual banter.
“I’ve not have the chance to talk to Brendan yet but I’ll wish
‘The biggest laugh of the season was watching the Aberdeen steward trying to stop 36 Accies fans from invading the pitch’
him all the best. He has been great to me. He brought me in to Celtic and gave me my chance.” Burke insisted it will be business as usual under Lennon. Ahead of today’s cup clash with Hibs he said: “I wouldn’t say I was disappointed. I can learn a lot from the new boss. “He came in and had a chat with us but that was about it. The rest was down to us. “It’s all really new to me and we’ve only had one training session. He seems really good, passionate about the club. He knows what it’s all about so he’s the right man for the job. “We already have a great chemistry in the dressing room – we’re all behind him. “This is a passionate club, the fans live and breathe Celtic so you can understand the frustration. But it’s gone now – we have to move on.” understand why fans are being so wild about Rodgers. They have forgotten what the man has done for Celtic and Scottish football as a whole.
“They should cherish the good memories rather than slagging him off.”
Celtic managed to get off to a winning start under Lennon thanks to a last-gasp goal against Hearts.
But said: “I’m getting concerned by an annoying conspiracy of silence regarding refs giving Celtic preferential treatment.
“Scott Brown should have been sent off at Tynecastle and only got a yellow, while the young Hearts player should have been a yellow but walked.
“Even the four minutes of stoppage time to allow them to score their winner, I don’t know where that came from. Yet none of these things are flagged up and it’s because people are scared to offend the mighty Glasgow Celtic.”
said: “I’d have thought in these troubled times Kilmarnock would have honoured the voucher for the Motherwell fans who were at the abandoned game on Wednesday.
“I must say though credit to the stewards at Rugby Park who were excellent with away supporters.”
Speaking of stewards, said: “The biggest laugh of the season was watching the steward at the Aberdeen v Hamilton game. When Accies scored the second goal he was trying to stop 36 supporters invading the pitch.” Finally on coin-throwing and sectarian singing,
said: “The only way we can cut these things out is by giving one warning and then if it happens again ban fans at the next home game.
“If it happens again then it’s no home fans at their next three games and so on until clubs and supporters get the message.” CALL THE HOTLINE TOMORROW FROM 11 TILL 12 NOON on: 0141 309 3306 or email us: hotline@dailyrecord.co.uk