DERMOT SAYS I’M RIGHT MAN
hihim in charge at the San SirSiro. The 49-year-old faced anangry demonstrations and prprotests following last wweekend’s loss to Ross CoCounty but remains in his popost having been backed bby club hierarchy.
Lennon accepts he ccocould have been removed fofollowingo the County ccacalamity and admitted: “I wwasn’t expecting it, no. But I could have been.”
Desmond and chief eexecutive Peter Lawwell ststayed loyal to their man in the wake of fierce pprotests in the car park aand the manager is cconvinced that’s down to fofootballing reasons.
Lennon continued: “I aam very grateful. I ’m ggrateful they gave me the oopportunity the first time, aanand they’ve given me the oopopportunity again.
“Desmond bases his ddedecisions on rationale, on valvalues, on durability. He dodoesn’t make knee-jerk reareactions either. And neneither do the board.
“It’s not a question of, ‘ WWe’re keeping Lenny in the job in spite of everybody’. ThThey’re keeping me in bebecause they know I can do the job to the standards we set last year. They knknow what I’m capable of.
“We haven’t moved on frofrom last season in terms of performances and resresults. Not every season is the same and we’re goigoing through a difficult spspell. Hopefully we can finfind that standard again.
“This club doesn’t sack managers for the sake of it. They think about it deeply by looking at the philosophy. The board are being very patient with that and, from my point of view, that’s comforting.
“We talked about it on Friday and we’ve talked about it since then.”
Lennon admits that he was cut by some of the savage criticism and scenes outside the stadium following the County disaster but made it clear he wants nothing more than to deliver again for the supporters.
He said: “It hurts and it’s disappointing. Nothing at this time in my life means more than success for the club and the supporters.
“That’s been my remit for 20 years. Myself, John Kennedy who has come through the ranks and loves the club, Stevie Woods has been here a long time, Gav Strachan has just come in but his father was the manager.
“We’re all indoctrinated into success for the club and the players are as well.
“I can empathise with the supporters, understand their frustrations. We do everything we can to turn things around very quickly but it hurt a little bit, there’s no question.”
Some of Lennon’s players had missi les thrown at them during the fracas and a club statement confirmed some of them were shaken by the disturbances.
The manager said: “I spoke with them. A few of them were shaken at the time but they’re alright now. They are fine and they are really determined.
“I don’t know if you would say it’s another turning point but they are really determined to put things right and get back to the levels they know they are capable of.
“Just with the fervour and the anxiety going into the season and what it means to everyone at the club and the supporters, I can understand some of the actions.
“But it doesn’t serve any good to the players and my backroom team. We were bitterly disappointed and devastated after the game, the players are just feeling it a little bit and they need to shake that off and put a run of games together, which they are more than capable of doing.”