They backed the manager. Even after the twin disgraces of Prague home and away, this board of directors stood by their man.
The man they appointed in a shower.
The man they plucked from a dole queue after his sacking by Hibs.
They backed him even after his ineptitude against Ferencvaros cost us our Champions League place.
We are bottom of our Europa League group.
Today the finest domestic cup run in British football, probably European football, history has gone and I am done blaming the manager, whose own egotism and arrogance is shredding his reputation, or the players who, as far as I’m concerned are wage thieves for their own stunning lack of giving a shit this afternoon.
No, as bad as Lennon was and as gutless and without pride as those players were to surrender that run in that disgraceful fashion, I am not blaming any of them.
I said after midweek that any future disasters – and they were inevitable – would fall on the shoulders of the so-called leaders of this club, who’s lack of vision and foresight all but guaranteed us a day like this one.
I will be astounded if even this sparks action from them.
It should, but what’s been readily apparent to the rest of us all season has eluded them so far and I would not be in the least bit surprised if they continued to bunker up and delude themselves that this might still turn out okay.
We exited our third competition in a matter of months this afternoon … but up until today they were still telling themselves that this was business as usual.
Fan pressure and supporter discontent was dismissed as if we were all idiot children jumping at shadows. In fact, we saw quite clearly where this car crash of a season was heading, and it is readily apparent that the worst of the damage might not be done.
But the consequences are already here.
The reputations of the men who inflicted this on us are but one casualty of them.
The ones who suffer most are the fans, who poured in their money in spite of not seeing a minute of football inside a stadium. That loyalty has been rewarded by sneering contempt, pig ignorance and a lack of leadership that is shameful. It will not be forgotten.
And by the way, the contempt the club has shown for the fans is equalled only by the contempt this board and the manager himself have shown the rest of the league; wasn’t this supposed to be the first match of an “easy” run in? That they appeared to believe this, that they appeared to think this would be the cushion they needed to leave Lennon in post, is staggering. It is Ibrox-level arrogance which today has proved was scandalously misplaced.
None of the supporters believed it for an instant, yet we’re the ones constantly being told that we’re incapable of rational thought. It is disgusting.
This is a day of shame for those inside Celtic. The only people who emerge from it with an iota of credit are the fans who the club has been ignoring when it isn’t sniping at them through the press.
Accuse us of what you like now, call us malcontents and spoiled children, but dare not say that we were wrong.
There’s not one of us who didn’t know we were heading for a disaster from which none of those involved could possibly recover, and today was the day.
Every single person involved in it should pack their shit up and beat it this afternoon.
Act now, don’t act until it’s too late, don’t act at all … the loss of our outstanding cup record is a stain on those who crow about having Celtic’s best interests at heart even as they suck the marrow from its bones, even as they ignore the obvious, even as they scorn the supporters.
This one’s on them, and I fear it’s only the first of many installments.
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