Lenny blasts Saints boss over dive rap
Kenny: Club still want to be the best
awarding penalties. But Lennon stoked the war of words by telling his fellow I r i shma n to s t op deflecting from his team’s failings – and focus on their own collapse.
Goodwin had hit out at the spot- kick award, saying: “The penalty the other night was a joke. We need to start naming and shaming.
“I’d be embarrassed if I was some of these players watching these incidents back. I’d be cringing.”
But Lennon jumped to the defence of his full-back and told Goodwin to get his own house in order before pointing fingers.
He said: “He’s out of order – well out of order. Greg didn’t dive. It was quite clear he was pulled back and he was also clipped by Flynn at the top of his foot.
“The referee deemed it a penalty. I’m not having other managers accusing my players of diving when it’s clearly not true. Jim needs to rein it in a bit.
“We’ve looked at it again and there a re two contacts, one on his arm, and one on his foot.”
Goodwin’s claims came after Hoops striker Albian Ajeti was cleared of an SFA charge of simulation to win a penalty at Killie.
And Lennon said: “Whenever we get a penalty these days there is a whole controversy about it but it is clear there was contact in the box. It was clear for Ajeti and it was clear for Taylor.
“Where, all of a sudden, this emergence of diving’s coming from, I don’t know.
“Greg’s one of the best pros you could work with. I’m not talking about one incidence, that takes away from a good performance.
“We won the game 4- 0 and if I was Jim I would be concentrating on what happened to his team second half as opposed to accusing other players of cheating or diving.
“That’s totally out of order from him. We’re honest, we don’t deflect.”
Lennon also believes VAR wouldn’t solve all the Scottish football storms.
He said: “You have to remember it is left to the referee’s discretion once he has looked at the incident.
“Whether we have VAR or not, it will be down to the ref ’s interpretation of what he sees on the screen. Or what refs elsewhere see on the screen.
“The bottom line is that there is an affordability thing in Scottish football. Can we afford VAR?
“That’s why we don’t have it now and going forward the way football is up here it is going to be very difficult to introduce VAR. Just from a costeffective point of view.”
Lennon says planning for next season has started but he has still to meet incoming chief executive Dominic McKay.
He is also in the dark about the possible arrival of a director of football as he continues briefings with Peter Lawwell.
Lennon added: “We’re talking about the team, the present players and Peter planning and putting things in place for the new guy coming in.
“It all begins now. The preparations are ongoing.
“Peter leaving leaves a big hole on the football and administration side.
“It’s obvious that gap needs to be filled by one or two people. Whether that’s a director of football or another sort of person coming in remains to be seen.”
Jonjoe Kenny knows a thing or two about noisy neighbours as part of an Everton side living in Liverpool’s shadow.
But Celtic’s on-loan Toffees star insists swapping his hometown for Glasgow and the threat of an end to their Old Firm trophy monopoly are much ado about nothing.
The 23-year-old believes a Rangers revival that has carried them more than a few furlongs clear in the title race is nothing more than a bump in the road for a side more than due a period of adversity.
Kenny has watched the Hoops rack up the silverware from afar and is adamant the remainder of this campaign is all about lifting the support and restoring a sense of business as usual.
He said: “I don’t think Celtic need to prove anything. They’ve won nine league titles in a row, Trebles.
“There’s a big fuss going round but what can you expect? You’re making a big deal out of one season.
“It wasn’t even one season, it was six months.
“But for us as a team, and for the fans who support us, we want to go out and prove to ourselves just how good we are and try to give everyone a little bit of a buzz.
“We want to finish on a little bit of a high and that’s all we can really do right now.
“You can’t forget what this team have done over nine seasons. They have won trophy after trophy and that’s the standard the club have set.
“A drop in form is only natural. Things like that are going to happen in life – not everything will be perfect.
“We can’t forget what the club and the players have achieved.
“OK, everyone has had a little bit of a dip but we can’t forget how much quality is in this team and how good they’ve been.”
The Everton right-back arrived at Parkhead on a five-month loan deal after Jeremie Frimpong completed a permanent move to Bayer Leverkusen and has enjoyed a seamless transition into Neil Lennon’s first team.
It has coincided with a return to winning ways for the champions as he impressed in positive results against Kilmarnock, Motherwell and a midweek romp at St Mirren.
Now he’s convinced confidence has been restored to the dressing room.
He said: “The atmosphere is really good. We’ve won three games and scored 10 goals so the confidence is getting better.
“It’s normal. It’s human that, when you have a little dip, confidence goes. I’ve been there before, it does happen.
“But that’s football. Not everything is going to be perfect all the time.
“It’s just understanding that you have to rebuild the confidence and don’t get ahead of yourself.
“You have to take it day by day, game by game — that’s how you build yourself back up.
“It’s just confidence. Once you get a win after a win, it always helps.
“I can only speak for when I have been here but everyone at the club, from the physios, staff and chefs, have been brilliant. From what I’ve seen, the club have been outstanding and are always striving to be the best.”
The right- back has made four Premier League appearances at Everton but has found himself frozen out after falling behind Mason Holgate and Seamus Coleman in the Goodison
Park pecking order.
Kenny’s focus is only on getting games under his belt but he admits the opportunity to rehabilitate his career is in good hands under
Neil Lennon as he looks to a clash against St Johnstone this afternoon and continuing to make an impression at Celtic. He said: “Lennon has been outstanding with me. He has had the belief in me and has given me a chance to go out and do what I’m good at.
“He has given me that confidence to go out there without pressure and do the best I can.
“The gaf fer has been great with me. I know what I can do.
“I had a couple of months at Everton where I wasn’t playing but I know what I’m al l about. I want too play footbal l. That’s part andnd parcel of football, it’s up andnd down.
“You want to find the balance too stay in the middle and enjoy the ridede really.
“Hopefully when you get game time,me, you take it and you perform.”
Kenny, who has won 16 caps for Englandngland Under- 21s, spent last seasoneason on loan at Bundesliga club Schalke,chalke, where he played 34 times in allll competitions.
He admits nobody had to sell him onn a switch to Celtic.
Kenny said: “I don’t think you needeed to have a conversation about joiningoining Celtic.
“They are a massive club worldwide so I don’t think that conversationonversation is needed.”