Celtic remained a point clear at the top of the league despite a 1-0 reverse at the hands of Inverness yesterday. again, the team seemed to blunder its way through the ninety minutes, and even the introduction of Paddy mcCourt couldn’t do anything to shift the black cloud that clung to supporters throughout.<\/p>\n
The league, nice and competitive this season, has Celtic on 25 points, Aberdeen and Hibs on 24, St. johnstone 23, Inverness 22, Motherwell 21, Dundee Utd 20, Kilmarnock 19, Hearts 18, Ross county,16, St. mirren 15 and dundee on 11.<\/p>\n
Not much in it, and green tinted specs aside, its healthy. The amount of teams who have something to play for means that they will play for it, and there is no easy ride to the title this year. In fact, if anything, its harder, as usually theres only one team to look out for. Now the challenge is coming from everywhere. Except Glasgow, obviously.<\/p>\n
Everyone continues to take points off everyone else, and its giving the games a little bit of an edge, and although one could reasonably argue that on paper Celtic should be running away with this league, games are not played on paper.<\/p>\n
The somewhat sensationalist headline this morning is that Celtic manager Neil Lennon has threatened to quit, in the aftermath of a spat with a supporter who criticised his team at the game yesterday.<\/p>\n
Heres what he actually said about the incident:<\/p>\n
“They are frustrated. I disagreed withthem, I didn’t like what they said about the team. Look , if they are nt happy with what I am doing, and they want me to go, then I will. If the fans make it clear they are not happy and they want me out then thats okay. I will do the honourable thing. I can’t repeat it (what the fan said) because it is a public arena but there were a lot of expletives and heavy criticism, which i didn’t think wasjustified, and a lack of patience with the team as well.”<\/p>\n
“If there was a lack of application and commitment I would be the first to criticise the team,. I didn’t see that but I did see a lack of composure and quality in the final third and thats what cost us. If i think its justified then i don’t have a problem with it but I don’t think it was justified today. But they pay their money , they are allowed to say what they like. I’ve got my opinions on it and sometimes I give them as well.”<\/p>\n
“I am not happy with the league form, it is my team at the end of the day, so I takre responsibility for it. Its not for the lack of trying to find the answers.”<\/p>\n
Compare and contrast that with Tony Mowbrays “We have to take it on the chin”<\/p>\n
Lennon has proved beyond doubt with that rant that he cares. Not only about results, but about his players. That wasn;t a serious threat to quit, more a statement of the obvious, but more importantly, he was protesting his players from what he felt was unneccessary and over the top abuse. There is a huge difference between criticism and abuse.<\/p>\n
When you are sat in a freezing cold stadium, and perhaps have a refreshment or two inside you-purely to help keep warm, of course-then the line becomes blurred, and its easier to vent ones frustrations when all is not going well.<\/p>\n
The important thing here is that Lennon cares about his players and he cares about the results. He isn;t going to take it on the chin.<\/p>\n
The whole thing puts me in mind of the Boavista game at Celtic Park back in 2003, when Lennon turned the ball about six miles back to the keeper, when it was 1-1 , I think, (might be wrong about the score) .<\/p>\n
Afterwards, because of the crescendo of boos, Martin O’Neill, said that the support didn’t know anything about football. In the final against Porto, of course, Celtics supporters “knew a thing or two about football” when he criticised the Porto players for diving, as the Celtic support booed them.<\/p>\n
Point is, its all said in the heat of the moment, and shows passion, which is essential for all Celtic managers.<\/p>\n
19 year old USA striker Juan Agedulo wants to play for Celtic, and has upset two of his US international team mates, who according to the Daily Mail, wanted him to follow in their footsteps at Rangers. According to the youngster, while together for an international friendly against Russia acouple of weeks ago, Edu, now at Stoke, asked Agudelo why he wasn’t at Rangers. Agudelo said he was just going with the flow.<\/p>\n
We hear what he actually said was “For the same reason you are not with Rangers, you muppet.” Though our source was less than reliable.<\/p>\n