SALVAGE JOB
Lennon given until New Year to spark Celtic
CELTIC defied furious fans last night by giving Neil Lennon a stay of execution until the New Year.
The club faced fresh calls to fire their manager after Sunday’s 1-1 draw with St Johnstone left them 13 points behind Rangers in the title race.
An embattled Lennon has already conceded that ten in a row is a long shot following the latest dismal result in a sequence that stands at two wins from 12 games.
However, the board have now broken cover to give the Northern Irishman a conditional vote of confidence, with their public backing of the head coach following chief executive Peter Lawwell’s
show of support last week. But although Lennon will now definitely take charge of the six games preceding the trip to Ibrox on January 2 — including the delayed Scottish Cup final with Hearts that could clinch a quadruple Treble — the statement on his position said that ‘progress will be reviewed in the new year’. It read: ‘In light of the ongoing speculation regarding the position of our football manager, Neil Lennon, the Board of Celtic Football Club wishes to make clear its continuing support for Neil and his backroom team. ‘The Board recognises and understands the importance of winning the league championship this season and that, as Neil himself has made clear, recent performances and results have been disappointing. The Board is committed to delivering success for Celtic supporters. ‘The Board has carefully considered the current circumstances and the challenges that we are faced with, not least the pressure on the management and players to deliver the tenth championship in a row that is so important to us all. ‘Equally important is to continue to operate according to our club’s values. The Board has come to the conclusion that our collective objective is best served by continuing to support Neil and his team as they seek solutions for those challenges. ‘Neil has the support of the players and staff at the club. He understands the pressure and the environment. As his outstanding record as a manager, captain and player demonstrates, he knows what it takes to be successful at Celtic and he has delivered success with many of the current squad of players, who understand his method and approach. ‘Whilst it has been suggested that it is time for a change, at this stage in the season the Board believes that Neil and his management team are best placed to turn the team’s performances around and lead us on to success. ‘The Board continues to work closely with Neil and his team to support them as they seek to do so and progress will be reviewed in the new year. ‘The Board wishes to take this opportunity to thank all Celtic supporters for their support during this challenging year. ‘The response of the support to the challenges that we all face together has been magnificent. It is therefore important to make clear that the Board has never, as it has been inaccurately reported, referred to any Celtic supporter as “entitled”. ‘The Board recognises the range of views expressed by our supporters and the strength of those opinions. ‘Whilst there may not always be agreement, there is certainly a common goal — the success of Celtic Football Club — and we will continue to work together to seek to achieve that success.’ Protesters have descended on the stadium on each of the last two match days to express their anger at the manager, players and directors. Despite the flak he has received, Lennon (below) believes that he can still turn the situation around. ‘It will improve, I’ve no question of that,’ he said after Sunday’s match. ‘Can I turn it around? Yeah, of course I can. Will I get the time to do it? Well, I’ve already been told that the club are with me, but it’s a results-driven business and, at the minute, the results aren’t what they should be. ‘I’m frustrated. We’re trying everything with them (the players). They’re feeling it, there’s no question of it, you can see that in their body language and their performances. ‘We need to turn it around very, very quickly. They can do it.’