Matthews insists that manager has players’ faith

Adam Matthews insists manager Neil Lennon has the backing of every single player at Celtic.

The Parkhead manager was critical of his side in the wake of Saturday’s goalless draw against Hibernian at home in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League.

Lennon described some of his players as passengers and threatened to “out” those he believed were lacking effort, but Matthews claims there are no rifts between the manager and his squad.

The full-back said: “Every single player in that dressing room plays for the manager and respects the manager.

“There is no doubt that every player is playing for him.”

Lennon dismissed rumours of a bust-up with Kris Commons, while the player played a prank on photographers by turning up for training yesterday wearing a neck brace, a head bandage and a large plaster across his nose.

Matthews added: “All the boys are really close and they are close to the management staff as well.

“I don’t know where the rumours are coming from. I think the rumours start about every team if they start having bad results.

“But everyone is playing for each other and we just want to get some good results.”

Celtic have won just six of their last 16 games in all competitions and Matthews acknowledged the pressure on Lennon ahead of crucial games against Rennes in the Europa League tomorrow and Motherwell in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League on Sunday.

He said: “The players are all aware of it.

“We are a big club at Celtic and if you have one or two bad results, everyone is going to be under pressure.

“The players feel it too and they are going to play for the manager and hopefully get a win in the next two games before the international break, which I think will do us good.”

However, the former Cardiff City defender concedes that a winning mentality may be lacking within the Celtic team.

Matthews said: “Maybe some of them aren’t used to it but we’ve got to get used to it quickly otherwise the title will start slipping away.

“It is very difficult but we need the players who are used to that pressure to help the new players and younger players to understand what it means and to get that mentality as quickly as they can. The majority are doing that.”