Celtic

Celtic: Tam McManus speaks about Neil Lennon’s ‘big mistake’

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Image for Celtic: Tam McManus speaks about Neil Lennon’s ‘big mistake’

Pundit Tam McManus has recently given his opinion about one ‘big mistake’ that Neil Lennon has made this season.

McManus appeared as a guest on the latest episode of PLZ Soccer’s The Football Show and the panel discussed multiple issues involving the Bhoys. One person that they focused on was Neil Lennon and McManus talked about the Celtic manager’s comments after their loss to Ferencvaros and he believes that Lennon made a ‘big mistake’ at that.

Following the club’s loss to Ferencvaros, Lennon had publicly stated that some Celtic players didn’t want to stay at the club. He had urged the players to show more hunger and more desire and that the players had themselves to blame for the loss (as per BBC Sport).

Has Lennon been right to publicly criticise his players?

Yes

Yes

No

No

McManus believes that Lennon shouldn’t have said it publicly that some players aren’t looking to stay at Parkhead.

He said: “When Neil Lennon came out after the Ferencvaros game and said that certain players didn’t want to be at the club, I think that was a big mistake. I think it was a big, big mistake.

“I liken it to, if you can remember, when Terry Butcher came in as the manager of Hibs. Terry Butcher came out and said some of these players won’t be here next season, they won’t be getting contracts. He actually told them to their face in the January that they weren’t going to be at the club the following season. And Hibs went on a downward spiral and lost near enough every game and got relegated.

“I think that Neil Lennon has alienated certain players [because] of that comment that players didn’t want to be there. I think that was wrong. I don’t think he should have said that publicly.”

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TIF Thoughts on McManus’ comments regarding Neil Lennon…

Earlier in the season, Lennon had publicly criticised Boli Bolingoli’s act of breaking quarantine rules. He had also slammed Leigh Griffiths for turning up to pre-season training in an overweight condition. He has gone on to question the attitudes of multiple other players this season.

So the players have certainly come in for criticism and Lennon has perhaps only wanted them to improve their attitude. The fact that results aren’t going their way suggests that either Lennon shouldn’t have criticised his players openly or the players should’ve reacted differently. So perhaps, they have to share the blame for the club’s current situation.

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European Football Writer. Contributed for FootballItalia, Manchester United, Manchester Evening News, Calciomercato, GFFN and more.