Deathly Celtic Park a graveyard for Neil Lennon

The emptiness that will have been felt by Neil Lennon over yet another humbling home experience courtesy failure to win a fifth straight game at Celtic Park could be considered apposite.

Neil Lennon is left feeling as empty as the Celtic Park stands during the 1-1 draw with St Johnstone that has puts his position as Celtic manager in severe doubt. (Photo by Rob Casey / SNS Group)

It is difficult to envisage how the 1-1 draw with St Johnstone does not become the tombstone for Lennon’s second spell in charge of Celtic. And in this season of spectacular collapse for the club as they prove unable to mount a sustained challenge for storied 10-in-a-row, the Parkhead citadel has become a ghostly graveyard littered with such memorials.

Lennon and his charges are considered fortunate that Covid-19 restrictions over spectators have spared them mullerings for a litany of lifeless performances in their own backyard. Yet, it is to be questioned whether they would have performed so soullessly had their been the crackle from capacity crowds instead of the eerie, bleak ambience that has enveloped the cavernous stadium in this unprecedented season.

It is stark to consider that it is 62 years since the club last failed to win in five consecutive home games as has befallen them now. Moreover, for all that they are now 13 points adrift of Rangers, their on;y league loss remains the derby defeat at Celtic Park on the start of October.

Lennon’s position looks untenable because Celtic’s prospects in four competitions effectively have ended in their own path. It is inconceivable how they turn it around in the championship following the failure to beat the Perth club. A week earlier their hopes of continuing the most concerted run of trophy gathering in Scottish football ended with the League Cup loss at Celtic Park against Ross County - which brought to a close the 35-game record sequence of straight domestic cup-tie successes.

In addition, the excruciating 4-1 flailing by Sparta Prague in Glasgow’s east end last month wasn’t only the breaking point for hopes of progression from their Europa League group hopes, it represented the most egregious home performance in 58 years competing in continental competition. All of this after the first blow-out in a season that has blown up on Lennon and the club came with the 2-1 defeat at home to Ferencvaros in August that meant Celtic would exit in the qualifying stages for the Champions League for a third straight season.

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