14 ways Lennon can turn the tide
Celtic have lost 14 goals in their past six games, the 1- 4 defeat by Sparta Prague putting Neil Lennon’s job security in the red zone. Remedial action requires to be immediate and should revolve around the following...
1. Win at Motherwell
This is absolutely non- negotiable for the Celtic manager with only one victor y in six. Celtic have not failed to win three straight league games in a live league campaign this millennium, the last such run in 1998- 99. They failed to win in four in 2003- 04, but it was with the title won following a Scottish record 25 straight league wins.
2. Take Shane Duffy out of the firing line
It is horrible to watch the struggles of the on- loan Brighton centre- back. It is impossible not to feel sorry for a man clearly giving his all, perhaps even trying too hard. He is in one of those form pickles where all attempts to do right only seem to bake in more wrongs. An act of mercy is required from Lennon, for both the player, and his own, sake.
3. Stop losing goals from corners and crosses into the box
Another haphazard slice of defending from a corner provided Sparta’s second on Thursday. This season already, it was the fourth goal Celtic have conceded from a corner, the fifth from a dead ball and sixth from a cross into the box. Those numbers damn Celtic’s backline organisation and the attendant coaching to deal with such situations.
4. Restore Christopher Jullien at the earliest opportunity
The Frenchman, out with a back complaint, is the best centre- back at the club. Indeed, the over- emphasising of flaws in his game previously appears silly now. He should be ready for a return post- international break and must then be put straight back in the side.
5. Restore confidence
Major shareholder Dermot Desmond spoke earlier in the season about hiring a psychologist to help the players deal with European qualifiers. The requirement for such a figure may be right now.
6. Somehow get Leigh Griffiths fit to play 90 minutes
It was lost amid the mayhem, but the mercurial striker’s goal shortly after he came on against Sparta moved him in to the club’s top 20 alltime scorers. He is the forward most likely to score for the club right now, and needs to be worked over on the training ground to get him into condition to be able to start regularly.
7. Get Odsonne Edouard firing Something is amiss psychologically, never mind physically, with Celtic’s prized asset. It has to be impressed on the Frenchman, who clearly hoped he would be experiencing pastures new by now, that if he wants to work his ticket, ‘ work’ has to be the operative word.
8. Do something about Mohamed Elynououssi’s consistency
The on- loan Southampton man is hardly alone in seeming unable to produce with regularity at Celtic right now, but his footballing mood swings are frustrating nonetheless. Perhaps Celtic should put an app on his phone that sets out the steps required to stay ‘ in the zone’ ...
9. Recast the engine room
It might have once seemed sacrilegious to suggest that the deep- lying two of Callum Mcgregor and Scott Brown j ust i sn’t offering enough protection to a marshmallow- soft backline. It would be bold to replace both, but Lennon needs to be both bold and ruthless right now to remain in place. Ismaila Soro and Nir Bitton could be considered for such berths. Desperate times demand desperate measures for Lennon.
10. Step up the integration of David Turnbull
One start in two months – however indifferent he was away to St Johnstone at the beginning of October – isn’t sufficient to allow the £ 3.25m recruit to make an impression.
11. Rest Jeremie Frimpong
It can be forgotten that the Dutch born right- back is only 19 and has
been playing senior football for barely 14 months. Celtic’s need for solidity at the back, and within a flat four, would be better served with the more naturally cautious Hatem Abd Elhamed on the right side of defence.
It might have once seemed sacrilegious to suggest that the deep- lying two of Callum Mcgregor and Scott Brown just isn’t offering enough protection to a marshmallowsoft backline. But Ismaila Soro and Nir Bitton could now be considered for those midfield berths. Desperate times demand desperate measures for Lennon
12. Revert to Vasilis Barkas
Scott Bain may have made some decent saves against Sparta, but he also demonstrated an unorthodox approach to certain aspects of goalkeeping that fail to inspire confidence. Of course, Barkas did the same, but having paid £ 4.5m to AEK Athens for a player with pedigree only in August, Lennon requires to show him some TLC and give him the opportunity to
come good.
13. Try out a more pragmatic approach in the next three Europa League games
With one point f rom nine from Group H, Celtic can forget about qualification. But further heavy beatings will damage morale for domestic duties, so Lennon should look to configure his team to save some sort of face in the trip away to Prague later this month, before the jaunt to Milan and the closer at home to Lille in early December.
14. Make plans for emergency signings in the January window
Celtic will only have one shot at the storied ten, and must be willing to drain their finances to reel it in across the second half of the season. As much as the club’s support might not want to hear it, their board have pushed the boat out with a near £ 30m net spend on new arrivals over the past yearand- a- half. Unfortunately few acquisitions have been unqualified successes … though each new purchase over the summer was fully endorsed by a faithful flogging these same players now.