Some Celtic fans have been left to criticise Neil Lennon for the club’s recent 3-1 loss to Copenhagen in the UEFA Europa League.
Celtic had used the 4-2-3-1 shape against the Danish side on Thursday, not using the 3-5-2 that Lennon has been using a lot since the turn of the year.
Would playing a 3-5-2 had beaten Copenhagen?
Yes, Lennon got it wrong
We would've still lost it
After the game, many Celtic fans were fuming about the formation Lennon used and his decisions in general. Here’s what these Hoops fans made of him.
He’s been playing players out of position for weeks and getting away with it and tonight it cost him.
— Scottr75 (@scottyyorkie12) February 27, 2020
Cannot understand him at times been great with2 up front tonight shambolic
— jimbo (@JamesBe71674345) February 27, 2020
So so wrong tonight!!
— DubaiBhoy1888 (@alanwhite1888) February 27, 2020
Forrest invisible, simunovic donkey, Neil Lennon clown
— ConlinKelly (@ck67XX) February 27, 2020
Lenny not taking jozo off is unforgivable, he was shocking
— Neil McKeown (@neilmckeown4600) February 27, 2020
That’s my opinion too, playing eddy & Griff up top has been sensational to watch, can’t for the life of me think why he didn’t continue….HH..??
— Dexy?? (@Dexy18043613) February 28, 2020
Again when it really mattered
— Lupin(@LupinBhoy) February 27, 2020
If it’s not broken don’t mend it.
— angus o’henley (@AngusOHenley) February 27, 2020
As per Transfermarkt, Celtic have used the 4-2-3-1 six times in the Europa League this season. Rest of the times, they’ve used a 3-1-4-2 or a 4-3-3. They had used the 4-3-3 against Copenhagen themselves in the first leg of the Round of 32.
In the Premiership, they began using the 3-5-2 since playing with it against Kilmarnock in January. Transfermarkt claims that they’ve been using it more often in recent weeks. Before the Kilmarnock game, they had always used a 4-2-3-1.
What do we think?
Before the loss on Thursday, Celtic hadn’t lost a single game in 2020 and they had won every single game using that 3-5-2 shape. And it shows that Lennon could’ve used that shape at Parkhead on Thursday and the result could have been very different.