"If there is going to be a change, so be it," says Neil Lennon of Celtic post after latest lapse

Neil Lennon as good as conceded that his desire to stay in his post as Celtic manager could now be taken out of his hands following another abject outcome with the 1-1 draw at home to St Johnstone.

Neil Lennon can't look as Celtic come up short yet again with the 1-1 draw against St Johnstone (Photo by Alan Harvey / SNS Group)

The draw extends a horrendous run to two wins in 12 games for a Parkheac club now 13-points adrift of Premiership leaders Rangers.

A change in Lennon seemed detactable as he conceded that the torturous nature of his Celtic team was a manifestation of them lacking in almost every department. Asked if he had a feeling his time might be up, he said: “I can’t answer than. I don’t want to pre-empt anything. I want to keep working to try and turn it around. We need a bit of swagger back in the team. It is missing at the minute. Some players aren’t fit enough and that has been the case for a long time. Some players are just not in good form. They need some respite at some stage and they need some support from me. But, again, it is a two way thing. The players have got to play better. We have tried everything we can to get the performances right.

“I understand [fans] frustrations, when we are not playing well, and not getting results. But there are ways and means, and some fans are more irate than others. But right now I agree with them that our performances don’t equal the quality that we have, and if that falls on me then so be it. If there is going to be a change, then so be it but I won’t stop working to get it right.”

Everything Lennon has tried has had no effect. Only six points from a possible 15 in a league campaign for the ages. Dumped out of both the League Cup and the Europa League. Unable to win at home, or keep clean sheets. This devastating slump has come across an abysmal 10-week period when they have been unrecognisable from the team that ahead of this season had claimed nine straight titles and a record 11 consecutive domestic honours.

Lennon was also asked if he would resign if he felt he couldn’t take the club any further. “That is a hypothetical question so I’m not going to answer it.” He was also asked if the previous backing he had received from the board would change on the back of a performance and result that really did feel like the last straw, on the back of the 35-game winning run in cup-tie having been brought to a close by Ross County a week earlier.

“I don’t think so. I don’t want it to change either. I want to keep working. I have got good people behind me. I just need to get the players back to the levels that they’re capable of. Do we look at our training? Do we look at our routines? Do we look at our set ups? We have analysed all those things to death. The players have to look at themselves as well. We are better than this. It is too tentative. The play is too tense. We are taking too many passes to get the ball forward and there is not enough quality in the final ball.”

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by Coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

If you haven't already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription.