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Lennon Says The Celtic Players Are “Soul Searching” Over The Form Slump. But Is He?

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Since there are no transfer rumours – or at least none that I want to publicise – I thought I’d talk about the manager.

James and others have written about his claims that the team played well, and that we’re on the way back, but another tit-bit from his press conference last night, another of those moments which makes your jaw drop and your heart ache for a time when we had standards, was when the manager said the players are doing “soul searching” over the loss of form.

Always, always, always with this guy the quest for blame and excuses.

The players are soul searching? What about him? When does he do a shred of self-analysis? I understand that managers are often even more confident than the players – they have to be, it’s that kind of business – but when does it cross over into outright megalomania?

One of the podcasts recently discussed Lennon’s ego, and rightly surmised that it must be vast for someone of such limited talents.

He has been at the centre of what amounts to a personality cult for ages now, going back years, probably to the point where Martin O’Neill wrapped an arm around him at Ibrox and walked him across to the Celtic fans after a game in which he had taken a barrage of abuse from the home crowd, which O’Neill later characterised as racist.

Lennon is probably one of the most influential figures in this club’s history, for good or ill.

His place is secure, no matter what happens here, but the final verdict on whether his second managerial tenure is a success or colossal failure is pretty much already in.

Nevertheless, he retains the affections of large numbers of our supporters and people at the club.

They feel an intense loyalty to Lennon, and I think that is without a doubt the factor that looms largest in his survival up until now, when anyone else would have been sacked already.

But his blind refusal to accept any responsibility, his total inability – or unwillingness – to recognise that he is an overwhelming part of the problem, is going to test that loyalty to the fullest. I have yet to hear a single word out of his mouth that convinces me that he recognises his own role in all this.

He has said, at times, that he has to do better, but that’s invariably during an interview where he has questioned his player’s commitment or psychology.

The amount of chopping and changing he’s doing tells you that he believes there is some magic formula, some team selection, some system he hasn’t tried yet, which will suddenly make all these problems disappear; there isn’t though.

The problems are deeper than that; I believe he’s lost the dressing room. I don’t believe there is any way back for him now.

This game-to-game existence he’s living can’t be sustained.

I really do think it’s time he stepped back a bit and honestly asked himself some hard questions; I think in spite of his ego, Lennon is a good and honourable man, and I think he will do the right thing when it becomes obvious to him that this has past the point of no return.

If the board won’t act, perhaps the manager needs to consider taking the matter out of their hands.

I’ve already said it is the single greatest thing he can do for the club itself … it is not too late for him to fall on his sword, but it is getting there.

The Rumour Guy is a Celtic fan and blogger from Glasgow. He hates lockdown.

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