Lennon blasts ‘pathetic, boy band’ team

NEIL LENNON last night lashed out at his players.

He accused them of being “utterly pathetic” and reverting to the “boy band” they have been for the last three or four years.

In what was an astonishing post match conference, he refused to listen to media suggestions his side had been hard done by after producing a spirited performance.

“Don’t commiserate with me, it wasn’t good enough,” he said.

“Gallant losers are losers. Forget it. I am not interested.

“The players might get accolades from the punters but they will get no accolades from me. Not today. They should have won, the opportunity was there.

“They can go home and watch it again. You can talk about tactics and formations, it’s all nonsense.

“The first two goals were schoolboy stuff.

“It was pathetic. Utterly pathetic. It was a semi-final, the pitch was good.

“We have been playing on quagmires all season.

“You get set-backs, losing the early goal, but it didn’t worry me because I have character in there. “They just didn’t show it. “I am not saying they lacked bottle because they showed plenty to get back in the game. It takes a big effort to come from 2-0 down.

“But we didn’t turn up for 30 minutes then for the next 60 we were the better team by a long way, we scored two wonderful goals.

“I don’t mind conceding a goal after one minute because you have 89 to get back in.

“But we didn’t show responsibility. Two players did, Bartley and McGeouch.

“The rest looked like the boy band they’ve been over the last three or four years.

“It takes a 36-year-old (Grant Holt) to come on and change the game for us. I thought he was brilliant.

“We get back to 2-2 but it’s not our day because we lose McGeouch.

“They got a huge slice of luck for the goal.

“However, I still think Darren could have done better.

“The keeper’s header for us late on? Coulda, woulda, shoulda.”

And with that, Lennon was gone.