Fans are wrong to point the finger at manager

SAYS JONNY HAYES

JONNY HAYES has told Neil Lennon’s critics to lay off the new permanent Celtic manager and look at the real reasons behind some lacklustre late-season displays. Hayes was delighted to hear Lennon had been offered the job after leading the club to completion of the treble Treble with Saturday’s Scottish Cup final success. Some in the Parkhead support have been less enthused by the board’s decision, pointing towards performance levels since the 47-year-old stepped in to replace Brendan Rodgers in February. Hayes, however, is adamant that Lennon can’t be blamed for fatigue finally catching up with the Celtic squad after three seasons of high-energy success. ‘He’s been brilliant for the team,’ insisted the Irish winger, who operated at left-back in the 2-1 win over Hearts. ‘His enthusiasm is infectious and it’s great to have him around the place. ‘We’ve spoken about this in the dressing room but he probably doesn’t get the credit he deserves. We’ve played something like 180 games in three seasons and you don’t get to take your foot off the gas, so there’s a bit of fatigue in our dressing room. ‘As a result, some of our performances have probably looked a little lethargic and the manager has been getting the blame for that, rather than the players. ‘But, when we haven’t been up to scratch — like in the recent defeat to Rangers at Ibrox — then it’s the players who have to shoulder the responsibility.’ Hayes (below with Callum McGregor) insists standards behind the scenes have not slipped at all since Rodgers made his swift exit to Leicester. ‘The way we’ve trained has been identical to the methods established by Brendan,’ he added. ‘The new gaffer has simply continued with that, so any blame for the fact we’ve not been winning games 3-0 or 4-0 can be put down to the fact some players — like Kieran (Tierney), Callum McGregor and James Forrest — have been playing continuously for three years. ‘Most of us get three weeks off — they get less — and then we’re back in for pre-season training and Champions League qualifiers. It’s a big ask and, especially towards the end of each season, fatigue does show. ‘We’re not robots — people think because we win trophy after trophy you can just go out and pummel Livingston — we got stick for a 0-0 draw — but you can’t do that every week. ‘We’re up against tough opponents and other teams adapt to how we play. But we do have a good squad and it’s also a big one. ‘Unfortunately, we’ve needed that because of injuries. However, we have a short break now and we’ll hopefully pick up where we left off

once we come back refreshed.’ Asked if a different Lennon would be seen now he was no longer just interim boss, Hayes replied: ‘I don’t know, to be honest. I think the one we’ve seen up until now is working fine because we’ve just won three trophies again. ‘He’s picked up where Brendan left off — I’ve got loads of Celtic fans in my family and they weren’t too pleased when he moved to Leicester but he deserves a huge amount of credit for what he built here. ‘John Kennedy has given us continuity and Damien Duff also worked under Brendan for a short time, so everyone has been a little ingredient in our recipe for success.’ At 31, Hayes has become a vital utility figure over the long run-in towards another clean sweep and says gaining Lennon’s trust has made him feel like the years were rolling away. With Tierney struggling for fitness, Lennon called on the Irishman in both defensive and attacking roles along the left flank. Each of those nine appearances since February was richly appreciated by the player himself. Hayes missed the second half of the previous season after suffering a broken leg at Dundee on Boxing Day 2017, so took an extra thrill in helping Celtic over the line. ‘After my broken leg and the other injuries, I’m happy just to be out on the pitch, whatever position. ‘I feel like a schoolboy again. I love playing football and the gaffer has shown faith in me. ‘It was unfortunate my old mucker, Kieran Tierney, missed out through injury in the final but I was happy to fill in at left-back because it meant I got to start.’ Aberdeen were linked with a move to bring Hayes back to Pittodrie last summer and again in January. The winger said, however, that he didn’t consider looking elsewhere. ‘This is a fantastic club and, even when I was out injured, it was a fantastic dressing room to be in and I enjoyed seeing the boys lift trophies,’ he said. ‘It’s been brilliant and I’ve loved being part of it under Brendan Rodgers, in particular, and now the new gaffer. ‘We celebrate winning things together; whether you have played or not, whether you’re injured or not. We’re all pulling in the same direction, no matter how big or small a part you have played. It all starts at Lennoxtown and everyone is rooting for each other.’ After a first half of precious few chances at Hampden, Hearts took the lead through Ryan Edwards. Anguish loomed for Celtic but Odsonne Edouard’s double — the first from the penalty spot — got the job done. ‘Was I concerned when Hearts scored? Not really, because I felt we had started the second half better,’ argued Hayes. ‘I think that, after the break, our coolness showed and that stemmed from what Brendan Rodgers started. ‘I was on the end of that in the final two years ago when Aberdeen went 1-0 up but Celtic came back to beat us. ‘That’s the game-plan here and I’ve seen that from the inside over the last couple of years.’