‘WAY TOO EASY TO BLAME THE BOSS’, INSISTS ELYOUNOUSSI

forward and approach every game with positivity.

“It is a team sport. It is always easy to talk about the manager or whatever. I feel bad for him, but he must be one of the strongest guys I have met, facing all this. "One thing is for sure, he is working really hard. He is still pushing us to our limits. We need to respond, we need to give him even more.

"When I look to my left and to my right and see the players I have all around me I see a lot of quality. We just need to get it out on the pitch. I see it every day in training, I see it every day from the coaching staff, how much they push us.”

In a strong defence of Lennon, Elyounoussi, pictured inset, added: "I think it is way too easy to just go for him and say that we need a change. I think he does a really good job with the motivational speeches he gives us before and after games. He is a strong guy and it is way too easy to blame him.”

Pressure has being mounting on Lennon in recent weeks and months but speaking immediately after the Livingston draw, the manager said: "I won't walk away, absolutely not. I've put too much into this. Too much of my life. If the club have to make a decision then they have to make a decision. You're asking the wrong guy about my position.”

Last night, bookmakers Paddy Power stopped taking bets on Eddie Howe to be the next Celtic boss after his price dipped as low as 1/10 to succeed Lennon.

A Paddy Power spokesman said: “The Celtic board brought Neil Lennon back to the club to be a kind of steady Eddie – now it looks like they’ve gone for the real deal instead.”