The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Lennon defends his selection decisions
CELTIC: Hoops boss says injuries were behind line-up for disappointing Ferencvaros game
CELTIC 3 MOTHERWELL 0
Neil Lennon stressed circumstances have dictated team selection after Celtic’s beat Motherwell at Parkhead.
Ferencvaros knocked Celtic out of the Champions League qualifiers on Wednesday when, amid criticism, he began without a natural centre-forward as two sat on the bench.
Patryk Klimala and Albian Ajeti were substitutes again with Ryan Christie leading the line for the Steelmen’s visit and they had to toil until James Forrest’s opener five minutes before the interval.
Polish striker Klimala started the second half and Switzerland international Ajeti came on to score the second, with defender Christopher Jullien adding a third in stoppage time.
Lennon, who has star striker Odsonne Edouard and Leigh Griffiths injured, says he is doing what is best for the club.
He said: “I thought that, in isolation, we dominated Ferencvaros and should have won – we didn’t.
“And then it’s all down to the fact we didn’t play a centre-forward, but none of them are fit enough to start and you can see that today.
“Patryk did 45, he did well, but he was really blowing towards the end and
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No one is more sore about going out of the Champions League than myself.
NEIL LENNON
Albian needs conditioning work but you can see how good he is.
“Edouard and Griffiths aren’t here either, they are injured. Tom Rogic is injured, Mikey Johnston is injured.
“It was the best team we felt could have picked and today to start the game, we felt it was the right way to go.
“I expected criticism after the game and the volume of criticism is sometimes out of sync and balance. But you learn to live with that and we had a good response today from the players.
“No one is more sore about going out of the Champions League than myself. ”
The Hoops boss revealed Boli Bolingoli faces further club sanctions for breaching coronavirus protocol.
The defender was given a threegame ban by the SFA, with a further two-match penalty suspended until 28 February, after travelling to Spain and not isolating before playing at Kilmarnock
Lennon said: “There will be a disciplinary sanction from the club as well. We will take stock of things over the next week or so and take a decision on what we do.”
Asked if Bolingoli’s career at Celtic was over, he said: “I wouldn’t be so definite but it might be something we think about, that’s for sure.”
Motherwell are still bottom of the table without a win in six matches but manager Stephen Robinson believes better times are on the way.
He said: “I have been happier with performances on the whole than people might think. But I am judged on getting results and winning matches and at this moment in time we are not doing that.
“I don’t think we will get judged on today’s game but after the international break we have games I think we can win.”