Celtic’s 2-1 defeat at the hands of Rangers meant the gap at the top of the Scottish Premiership was closed to two points with second-placed Rangers possessing a game in hand. Few would argue the Hoops deserved to get anything from the match, and many fans turned on their manager Neil Lennon for the disappointing performance.
The Daily Record gave no Celtic player above a 6/10 rating for the game and labelled 20-year-old Michael Johnston a 5/10, proving the gamble for Lennon to hand him just his third start of the league campaign didn’t pay off. The manager didn’t seem to have been able to motivate the Hoops players to want the win enough, with the same paper describing usual key figure James Forrest as “subdued”.
The Hoops had won 11 league games on the bounce before Sunday, but many fans had forgotten about that by the time the Old Firm derby was over. Replying to the club’s official Twitter account’s post of the full-time score, lots of supporters blamed the manager for the loss. Some even called for him to leave the club.
Full-time.#CELRAN #SPFL pic.twitter.com/5S9fbxYL0X
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) 29 December 2019
You can see some of their reactions to the tweet below:
Tactically inept when it was clear it wasn’t working. Lennon is not a good manager in adversity. Never has never will be
— steven (@Beaumontbhoy) 29 December 2019
Lennon out. Isn’t the man. Has no tactical identity or workable Plan B. Players play well in spite of him at times. Not a single player has improved under his management. In fact, some have arguably regressed. Forrest & Ajer specifically. Looked rank average today both
— Sean Jones (@TheRealDM56) 29 December 2019
Correct result, players didn’t show anything, haven’t all season, we have gone backwards under Lennon
— R Whittle (@Robert__Whittle) 29 December 2019
Out played in every area of the pitch again! Got what we deserved. A totally lack lustre performance. Lennon needs to sort this out. Cup final papered over the cracks!
— Ruaraidh (@Ruaraidh80) 29 December 2019
Lennon is the boards dream.. he cost nothing to hear and is on a low wage compared to a good manager! Bye bye 9 in a row.
— R Whittle (@Robert__Whittle) 29 December 2019
Lennon out
— David O’Reilly (@DavidOReilly3) 29 December 2019
Celtic fans, how do you feel Neil Lennon has done since taking over from Brendan Rodgers?
