Interim gaffer needs to know if he’s staying or going in the summer so he can light a fire under sloppy Celts

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This was not the Lennon the Celtic’s supporters know. Nor for that matter did he resemble the Lennon that Hibs fans grew to adore during his time in Leith.

Perhaps he is trying too hard to be on his best behaviour and control the flame that rages inside because Lennon has never been the kind to accept sub-standard performances with such apparent resignation. He has spent a career railing against the slipping of standards but it does feel this time as if he doesn’t feel properly empowered to call the players out.

He admitted yesterday that he was not at all pleased with Celtic’s first-half performance but he did so with a shrug of the shoulders which suggested there was very little he felt able to do about it.

If he considered himself satisfied with the second-half display, which was only a mild improvement, then this is not the Lennon anyone recognises or expected at Celtic.

He did say the gloves were now off which may be a sign that the Lennon thunder is coming back.

But now would be as good a time as any for chief executive Peter Lawwell to sit his man down for a chat about the future to clear the air ahead of the run-in towards the title and the Scottish Cup Final.

If Lennon is the man Lawwell wants to be in charge of Celtic’s affairs then put a contract on the table and get it signed and sealed so that he can command all the authority that his position requires.

If not? Let him know that his services will not be required after the end-of-season showpiece and allow him to fully embrace the time he still has left. At least that way he can go out on his sword, demanding every last ounce from his players instead of having to tiptoe nervously around them without hurting any feelings.

These recent performances are probably doing Lennon more harm than good as his team coughs and splutters its way towards the summer so the sooner Lawwell invites him into the office for a cup of tea and a biscuit the better for all concerned.

At least it will provide some clarity by cutting through the fog of confusion which has settled ever since he-whose-name-must-neverbe-uttered left for Leicester City.

It should not be forgotten that Brendan Rodgers was struggling to get a decent tune out of these players for long spells of the season.

Rodgers freshened things up with a January reshuffle which led to a run of nine straight domestic victories, the side’s best run of the campaign by a distance.

Lennon entered the building at