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Does The Celtic Board Think The Scottish Cup Could Save Neil Lennon?

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If, like me, you’ve watched the highlights of Lennon’s latest press conference with a sinking feeling in your gut you will completely understand the fear I feel writing this piece.

The SFA today announced that the Scottish Cup will be played this season, although I don’t know how they can possibly have come to that conclusion. Nevertheless, they seem sure.

Lennon looks like a guy without a care in the world at the moment.

If he fears for his job there is no sign of it when he talks.

Indeed, I’ve rarely seen him so bullish. When he was talking, towards the end of the January window, about building for the summer I felt that this was someone who was either in total denial of reality or who had been given certain assurances.

My overwhelming views was that it was the denial of reality; after all, is our board really stupid enough to think that it can leave Lennon in post? That we’ll all just forget about this car-crash campaign and get behind the manager and the team in the next one without any reckoning at all?

You think to yourself “no way” but the Scottish Cup might be what they are counting on. Does the Celtic board – does Neil Lennon – think that willing that trophy might erase all our anxieties and concerns, and fill us with confidence for next season?

It’s ridiculous, right? But the club has shown such a complete lack of understanding of the support throughout this season that you really do wonder.

I know Lennon does believe this.

I know that because Lennon has spent the last few months throwing his record at us. He clearly believes that delivering a Scottish Cup would put him beyond reproach, and it might well be that a lot of our fans agree. Some would definitely have their faith restored completely, and would be banging the drum loudly for him to get another year.

Does our board think there are enough of them that the rest of us wouldn’t matter?

Do they believe that Lennon really is the victim of unfortunate circumstances?

That our dismal form, the unfitness of our players, the collapse in morale, the number of players who want to leave … that these things are all just a series of coincidences, and not emblematic of a larger problem within the walls?

Within Lennoxtown? Within the management team?

I don’t think we’ll win the Scottish Cup if Lennon stays in post.

I don’t think he’d get us over the line, but it would be ludicrous if that was finally the outcome that saw him lose his job.

Lennon has done more than enough to deserve being fired already; even if we did win the Scottish Cup with him as manager, there is no way we can go into next season with him in the job.

We’re in a dreadful state because of him and for the board to continue with this charade for another campaign would be simply unthinkable.

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