Neil will be lucky if he’s getting five hours sleep a night, but he’s shown he’s the right man for Celtic
This is exactly the time when there needs to be unity at Celtic, with everyone pulling in the same direction.
Asking questions of a manager is absolutely fine, and well within the rights of any paying supporter.
But it must done constructively. So the last thing Neil Lennon needs at this delicate time is some of the Celtic supporters being overly critical.
It’s always great to be wise after the event.
For the crunch Champions League qualifier against FC Cluj, Neil picked a team he felt was going to be good enough to get Celtic through the tie and into the play-off round.
Surely nobody thinks any differently to that?
He played Callum Mcgregor at left-back as he sees every player in training every day.
He felt that Mcgregor was a better option than Boli Bolingoli or anyone else.
You have to respect his decision, whether you agree with it or not.
Remember, Celtic lost a topclass left-back in Kieran Tierney because the boy wanted to go and try something different.
You can’t replace that calibre of player, like with like. Not on Celtic’s budget and wage structure.
They spent in the region of
£10 million on their defence during the close season.
It could be they have tried to splash out even more money, but can’t get the players to come, for whatever reason.
Nobody should ever think that any club chief executive just sits around all day, and isn’t trying to improve things on an hourly basis.
Believe it or not, sometimes you just can’t spend the money you have available.
And it would be foolish to buy players just for the sake of it. That’s a guaranteed recipe for disaster.
The transfer window in Scotland is open until September 2, and I’m sure there will be more quality additions made to the Hoops squad.
So it means there will be one or two teething problems and different things tried to eventually find a solution.
But Neil will get there because he is the right man to manage Celtic.
He was the correct choice of the Parkhead hierarchy back in May after they won the treble Treble, and he remains so.
They have started the season brightly in the Premiership, scored 12 goals in two league games, and sit top of the table.
Does all of his hard work and success in the past eight months count for nothing because he loses one game?
Yes, Neil will still be hurting from the defeat against the Romanians last Tuesday night.
That defeat in the Champions League qualifier will have caused him a lot of pain.
But he will have hidden in it in the past few days from his players to get everyone as upbeat as possible for yesterday’s League Cup tie against Dunfermline.
Under trying circumstances and in the face of adversity, he will have displayed tremendous leadership, that’s for sure.
Neil knows that there is a massive two-week period ahead, during which his team play AIK Stockholm in the Europa League play-off tie and have SPFL Premiership games at home to Hearts and away to Rangers.
Defeat in any of these will only further aggravate the gaping wound.
After Tuesday, and for the following few days, Neil will have felt raw.
That is exactly the time he needs people with him to help and offer comfort and guidance because it can be a very lonely place for a manager on the aftermath of a defeat with such huge consequences.
I’ve been there myself during my managerial career. It’s not pleasant.
Yet, he will not have been able to switch off and forget about it.
He has a massive few weeks ahead, so he will still be working seven days a week, and lucky if he gets a solid five hours of sleep a night.
Another huge test is on the horizon with the visit of AIK Stockholm on Thursday evening.
I fancy Neil and his players to get through, but it won’t be easy.
The same applies to Steven Gerrard. Rangers played well in the two legs against FC Midtjylland and once again Alfredo Morelos was in fine form, scoring twice and setting up another.
He has been finding the net regularly this season, and so has Jermain Defoe.
It’s a dream scenario for a manager to have both strikers right on it, and walking around the building every day in a happy place.
As is the case across the city, it’s also a huge few weeks for the Ibrox club before the international break in early September.
They play St Mirren in Paisley before the Old Firm game a week later.
In between, they have a tie against Legia Warsaw to negotiate in the Europa League.
With a prize pot in excess of £8m up for grabs, it’s vital they get through, and I fancy them to just sneak it.
Paying supporters are well within their rights to ask questions, but it’s always great to be wise after the event