The Diary looks on as the team goes back to work
Once you get over the disappointment that Neil Lennon is Celtic’s manager it’s not to difficult to be pleased that it’s him. Yesterday saw him go from being the supply teacher, who allowed certain idiosyncrasies towards the end of term to being permanent teacher who has to get the under achievers ready for exams.
It’s still strange seeing him as Celtic manager. It’s still to close to us remembering Neil Lennon the player. Even watching his interviews you can’t help thinking that we should be being impressed by Neil Lennon the Dundee or St Mirren manager. A man learning the ropes at a small club but showing that he has the mettle for brighter and bigger things.
Lennon’s press conferences – not post match – have so far been like him slipping into a pair of well worn slippers and settling down to watch Hairy Bikers with a cup of tea. How long will this last? Like Mowbray he is refreshingly open but that didn’t last.
When probed about Sol Campbell he said that the player wasn’t “just experience but quality” and he had a “personality” which shone through when he had “problems” that leaving on a Bosman transfer to your clubs bitterest rivals brings. Doing that also proves he has hind like a sunburnt rhino. He expects an answer in the “next week or so“.
One of the great pleasures The Diary gets being a Celtic fan is looking forward to each season and building my hopes built up that we have signed a decent leftback then by October being left feeling utter helpless and disappointed with his ability, or lack of ability, that I’m left cuddling my memories of Tosh McKinlay like a Titanic survivor cuddling a lifeboat.
That’s one pleasure that has already been taken away from me.
Lennon confirmed that we had signed Charlie Mulgrew who had “a great spell at Aberdeen“. We were indulged in the cliche that he has a “cultured left foot“, which is code for he can’t use his right one. Lennon proved that size does matter by saying he is a “physical presence.”
Cha Du Ri gets the same size matters treatment. A “good size” and “quite physical” a quality that our manager “likes“. It is now very hard not to picture our training sessions to a soundtrack of Olivia Newton John piped through an offical club vuvu-f*cking-zela.
It sounds like Lennon has promised the board a Diet O’Neill team.
It’s confirmed we have had “initial discussions with Jimmy Bullard” and “it’s not a yes but not a no either“.
While it’s disappointing that Lennon wasn’t flanked by two marquee signings The Diary is thankful that he wasn’t flank by a suitably embarrassed looking Charlie Mulgrew and a perplexed Cha Du Ri.
When you used to return to school after the summer break and after you told everyone about your fake holiday girlfriend that you meet in Scarborough you looked around the class for new faces. You know the ones that had moved into the area as part of the witness protection program.
The players will be doing the same.
Hopefully, unlike your or my school days, well-ampled hotness will be added to the class and not just another few bullies.
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