‘I don’t think things have changed that much
Neil Lennon has revealed the frustration he voiced – over five months ago – about having players at Celtic who do not want be at the club remains largely unchanged.
The Irishman hit out at his unsettled stars after watching the Hoops crash out of the Champions League to Ferencvaros at the end of August.
It was the earliest they had been put out of the competition since 2005-06, and the notorious exit to Artmedia Bratislava under Gordon Strachan.
Capitulating against the Hungarians drew a furious response from the manager, who challenged anyone who did not want to be at the club to leave. He later softened his stance a little. But when asked whether the Champions League exit was still a source of exasperation, he replied: “Yes, I think I made that clear after the Ferencvaros game – and I don’t think things have changed that much since then.”
Lennon is clear on what he believes to be their main motivation – money.
“These are different times from when I was a player,” he said.
“The landscape in UK football and the bigger clubs around Europe – the disparity in what we can pay and these clubs can pay – has grown and grown and grown,” added the Celtic manager.
“The excitement that playing for Celtic brings – the chance to win trophies and compete in Europe, and play on a regular basis in front of a passionate crowd – is something that other clubs cannot offer.
“But sometimes money talks, and these guys want to go.
“I am not convinced they all progress their careers, but certainly they might be financially better off.”
Lennon’s own plans for the future involve no change of employer.
While speculation continues about how long he will have charge of the team, he is already looking beyond the end of the current transfer window tomorrow, and to the possibilities summer will throw up.
“In terms of rebuilding the squad, that is always an exciting project to take on, to bring in new blood and give the squad that extra impetus and freshness which does everybody good,” he said.
“Players who are coming to the ends of their contracts may be looking to move on, and the club may be looking to move them on.
“Loans will be going back. Whether we investigate taking them on loan again is a discussion for the summer.
“But there will be changes then. There is no question of that.
“The only thing that concerns me is how the market is going to be.
“This is January, it is very quiet and you are concerned that it might be the same again in the summer.
“We don’t know where clubs are going to be, if and when the pandemic passes, or gets better.
“We don’t know how financially strong clubs are going to be, or even how our own position is going to look in the summer.”
One player whose future looks especially intriguing is Moi Elyounoussi.
The Norwegian, on loan from Southampton, is Celtic’s top goalscorer with 15 goals this season.
At the age of 26 and behind the likes of Nathan Redmond, Moussa Djenepo and Nathan Tella in the pecking order at his parent club, he would have obvious claims as a target for permanent transfer.
“Honestly, I haven’t really thought about my future,” said Elyounoussi. “I’m just concentrating on the here and now, and what is ahead of me – the next game, the next training session.
“There’s been ups and downs here, really, but it’s been a really good experience for me.
“I wanted to come here to become a better player as well, and I think I have.
“The players I play with, and the coaching staff, make me better, so it has been positive.
“It’s been just as good as I wanted it to be. Obviously, I wanted to have better results this season, but we keep fighting.
“Everyone is taking responsibility – from what happens on the pitch to what happens off it.”