Neil Lennon reveals he has Celtic board backing after Zoom call with Lawwell and Desmond

Under pressure Celtic boss Neil Lennon revealed he has the "full support" of chief executive Peter Lawwell and major shareholder Dermot Desmond.
Neil Lennon, Manager of Celtic says he has had a vote of confidence from Peter Lawwell and Dermot Desmond (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)Neil Lennon, Manager of Celtic says he has had a vote of confidence from Peter Lawwell and Dermot Desmond (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
Neil Lennon, Manager of Celtic says he has had a vote of confidence from Peter Lawwell and Dermot Desmond (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

The Hoops crashed out of the Europa League on Thursday night after their second 4-1 defeat by Sparta Prague inside a month left them with one point, and bottom of the section with two Group H games remaining.

With two wins in nine across all competitions, the Hoops are 11 points behind Rangers at the top of the Premiership - albeit with two games in hand - and a section of the Parkhead support have made it clear they want their manager to go, fearful that the chance to win an unprecedented 10th successive title is slipping away.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Ahead of the Betfred Cup tie against Ross County on Sunday, where Celtic will attempt to win their 36th successive domestic cup tie, Lennon said: "I had a long chat with Peter and Dermot Desmond today, we are totally united, totally together and totally determined that we will make it into a good season.

Celtic went out of the Europa Legue last night with a 4-1 defeat to Sparta Prague. (Photo by MICHAL CIZEK/AFP via Getty Images)Celtic went out of the Europa Legue last night with a 4-1 defeat to Sparta Prague. (Photo by MICHAL CIZEK/AFP via Getty Images)
Celtic went out of the Europa Legue last night with a 4-1 defeat to Sparta Prague. (Photo by MICHAL CIZEK/AFP via Getty Images)

"I speak to Dermot maybe twice a week so I spoke to the two of them on a Zoom all this morning and we are trying to find solutions to what we can do better, not just for the first team but all around the club, and it was a very productive conversation and I have their full support."

The former Celtic captain, in his second spell as boss of the club, is "hugely" encouraged by the support of the club's powerbrokers.

However, Lennon was not surprised by their stance "because of the relationship I have had with them as a player and a manager, in my first spell and certainly in my second spell."

The Northern Irishman added: "It gives me a lot of confidence and comfort going through a difficult period which all managers do, all teams do, all players do.

"We are not happy with the way things have gone over recent weeks and I am head of the football department and face of the club and Peter is chief executive and Dermot is the main shareholder.

“They are not happy about things, no question. They are honest about things as well but they believe in me and I believe in them and I believe in the process.”

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.