{"id":16683,"date":"2021-01-19T09:05:43","date_gmt":"2021-01-19T09:05:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/etims.net\/?p=16683"},"modified":"2021-01-19T09:05:43","modified_gmt":"2021-01-19T09:05:43","slug":"celtic-diary-tuesday-january-19-too-little-too-late","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/etims.net\/?p=16683","title":{"rendered":"Celtic Diary Tuesday January 19: Too Little, Too Late"},"content":{"rendered":"

Neil Lennon returned to the public eye yesterday, and told it like it is.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Or showed us he’s finally lost the plot.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

It all depends on whether you watched the clips of the interview, or read the transcript.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Some of the clips. alright, all of the clips show a man who has finally had enough of the shit that this country has thrown at him, and he responds accordingly. However, the media just picked out the ones they thought were the funniest and played them .<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The transcript, however, reads differently, and although flawed in some aspects, you can;t help but agree with the gist of it.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In full….. with a few bits added on… here is the question and answer session from the press conference.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Question: How has the last week been for you?\u00a0<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Neil Lennon:\u00a0<\/b>Interesting watching the media and the fallout and the attacks on the club. I have a question for you Charles, on your show last week you had Andy Walker on live saying our winter training camp was a jolly. Can you explain to me what he meant by that?\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Andy Walker is indeed a knob, but it’s hardly fair to single him out.<\/p>\n

You can\u2019t go on a public platform and spread lies and insults about my professionalism, my players professionalism. 70 to 80 per cent of the players are teetotal. You know the inference and the innuendo he was making. It wasn\u2019t a stag doo, it wasn\u2019t an 18-30, even though it\u2019s being portrayed like that. We went out there with the best intentions, the lads had one day off. We got into Dubai at 7 in the morning and were entitled to a bit of down time.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

It\u2019s not as if we did the conga in the dressing room dancing to Baccara or doing a train journey from London to Glasgow while having Covid.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He’s not wrong, but whoever organised and agreed to the trip did not look at the possibility, and it was always going to happen, that the media would pounce on any indiscretions, preceived or real, and as a consequence, the government would be under pressure to comment.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I think we\u2019ve been harshly treated. I would apologise to our supporters for the fallout, it shouldn\u2019t have been Peter who had to do it, it should have been me. It was my decision, along with the backroom team, medical staff and sports scientists to go with the best intentions for the benefit of the team going forward for the second half of the season.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Again, not one of those involved considered all of the implications of the trip, especially given that the Ibrox entity stayed home, indeed, one might even ponder the possibility they saw this coming….<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Unfortunately it\u2019s not worked out that way, we\u2019ve had one positive test but that shows our protocols were very good out of a group of 60 odd people.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

One is too many,<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I think the fallout from this has bene way too much and a bit of bullying going on and we\u2019ve been held to a far higher standard than any other club.\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Society in general has forgotten how to stand up to bullies, it;s why we have Trump , well, had, and Johnson.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

It’s also how he ended up with the return of the Old Firm.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What I want is for you to go speak to Andy and for Andy to apologise because he was demanding apologies from the club. I want an apology from Andy because he is questioning my professional integrity, my players professional integrity and the use of the word term \u2018jolly\u2019 is quite crass and arrogant.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

He accused the club of being arrogant, we weren\u2019t. We had no intention of being arrogant or rubbing it in anyone\u2019s faces. We went out to do a good week\u2019s work and get a volume of work we wouldn\u2019t have got here in Scotland. Until then, you won\u2019t be getting anything from me or my players.<\/em><\/p>\n

Who is Andy speaking for then? Does he speak for the Celtic support? Is he all of a sudden a man of the people? Challenging the club\u2019s social ethos. Andy has been in the game here for 20\/30 years and he\u2019s made no contribution to Celtic whatsoever.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I\u2019m not sure he\u2019s in a position, he stood up there as if he was a Celtic legend and a stalwart of the club, putting the boot into me, the club and everyone involved and I think he\u2019s totally out of order.<\/em><\/p>\n

Who is speaking for?<\/em><\/p>\n

He\u2019s on your platform.<\/em><\/p>\n

His opinion is false and it\u2019s insulting.\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

A simple message would have been more effective, like a t shirt that said “Andy Walker is a knob “. instead, we have a petulant sounding, and certainly interpreted as , rant about a former player who never says anything nice about Celtic anyway.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

And frankly, no one gives a shit what Walker thinks.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Peter apologised on behalf of the club last week and you felt you should have been in a position, when you look back over the last week or so is this a point where the stuff off the pitch has taken the headlines? A couple of draws and a loss to Rangers, has this overshadowed it?<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n

There seems to be some sort of agenda being driven here. We played very well at\u00a0Ibrox\u00a0<\/a>and didn\u2019t deserve to lose the game. We were the better team. We\u2019ve come back and been absolutely decimated by these rules. I\u2019m not convinced they\u2019re a public health issue, it seems political in my opinion. Nobody has got Covid. Our protocols were perfect. We\u2019ve been decimated the last two games.<\/em><\/p>\n

The players have done all they can, the ones who have been left behind to play the games. Could have played a little bit better in both the games but considering some of them hadn\u2019t played in a year and we had some young boys out there doing a man\u2019s job, to come away with two points we\u2019ll have to take it.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

We\u2019re very motivated, it\u2019s great to see all the players so we want to go on a run now and put in the type of performances we put in towards the end of December.\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

This is the only time he mentions Ibrox, or the club \/company that plays out of there.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Do you feel you have a chance of turning this situation around?<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n

Of course. The league may be beyond us but we\u2019ll not stop trying. What we have to do is start winning games on a consistent and regular basis.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Again, far better to say we’ll keep fighting and are conceding nothing.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Is everyone back for Wednesday and have they been tested?<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n

Yes. All been tested rigorously. I\u2019ve been tested five or six times myself. We\u2019ve all been tested again today, we get the results back later on but from the lateral flow test this morning, everyone is negative.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

They’re not though, as we shall see.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

How did you keep in contact?<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n

Just by technology. Obviously you had zoom, you had cameras at the game, cameras in the dressing room as well.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Gavin Strachan is the tech man, he insisits on using zoom even when he’s in the dugout.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Is it worth an apology for what\u2019s happened?<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n

At the end of the day we\u2019ve gone out there with the best of intentions and professional, just as other clubs are doing at the minute. We were out there speaking to the manager of the training complex and he was saying \u2018if there\u2019s a circuit break in England, we\u2019ve had some enquiries from English clubs as well\u2019. British athletics were out there, Zenit St Petersburg are out there now, it wasn\u2019t just exclusive to Celtic going out there. Other clubs use the facility as well because it\u2019s world class.<\/em><\/p>\n

I do regret that we lost 13 players and three very important members of staff but that was out of our control.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

It was not out of your control. Going halfway around the world meant that any control you did have was lessened as soon as they got to the airport. And sitting in a metal tube with recycled air for hours, not once, but twice, is going to be at best risky and at worst neglgigent.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Was there a doubt in your mind?<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n

I was just hoping that we\u2019d go out there and get away from the pressure a little bit, get some warm weather, train, get them refreshed like we have done many many times before and get a positive impact when we come back. Always in the back of your mind there\u2019s a worry someone might pick it up but you don\u2019t imagine you\u2019re going to lose 13 players and three staff because one player has picked it up somewhere.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

There we are. No consideration was given to the possibility -or the consequences-of someone contracting covid.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

When you come back and the whole thing explodes, do you feel in some ways has it created this madness but it\u2019s also hampered your chances of sitting down with Peter and saying \u2018I\u2019ve turned this around\u2019?<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n

I don\u2019t think it\u2019s hampered my position. I\u2019ve had chats with Peter on a daily basis. We feel we\u2019ve been held to a higher standard than other clubs. There\u2019s outbreaks across the country, Aston Villa shut down, Raith Rovers. They haven\u2019t travelled anywhere. We could have maybe stayed here and had an outbreak but because our protocols have been so good, we\u2019ve been able to quell that.<\/em><\/p>\n

In terms of the trip itself, we felt really good on the way back. We felt we had a good week, quality of work physically and mentally really good coming back for the second half of the season. But this thing has taken off and we\u2019ve been shot at from all sides rightly or wrongly. You all have your own opinions professional or morally but right from when this was first mooted, I thought it would be the best thing to do at the time.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He has a point, but none of the other clubs mentioned went to dubai.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
\n

More politically motivated<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n

I\u2019m not getting into a fight with the government but I\u2019ll leave it out there. Sorry just to clarify there, Iain has just told me that we\u2019ve had one other person who has been deemed positive. So we\u2019ve had two out of the whole 60. The person would rather remain private.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

As should the news have. Whoever Iain is, there’s a toe with his arses name on it.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
\n

Discussions with Peter, do you feel Peter has said to you you\u2019re the man?<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n

He\u2019s not said that, no, but I don\u2019t think he needs to either. My job is to carry on and get the best out of the team. It was only a month ago we won the treble but now there\u2019s a bloodlust for me to lose my job. There has been for quite a while but that\u2019s the nature of being a football manager in this day and age.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Living in a bubble may well have given him the impression that fans weren;t after his head, but Dubai isn;t the sole reason for that, or even the main reason.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
\n

Is it another player?<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n

Yes.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

You\u2019ve talked about the protocols being perfect, would you concede they\u2019ve not all been around the poolside and at the bar?<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n

We were in our bubble. The players were sitting in a bar, they weren\u2019t on top of one another. We were outside having a beer in our bubble for half an hour. This is being made out to be something it\u2019s not. We weren\u2019t doing a 20 man conga which was lauded by all and sundry because Scotland qualified for the Euros. Our players weren\u2019t behaving like that at all. 80 per cent of them are teetotal so for anyone to call it a jolly is totally disrespectful to the professionalism and the way they conduct theirselves as men.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

For me there was nothing wrong with the photographs, and by the way it\u2019s illegal to take a photographs in Dubai without someone\u2019s consent. However we weren\u2019t hiding anything, we weren\u2019t up to anything, we were out there sitting there on our day off having travelled all through the night. Again, that\u2019s our problem and not anyone else\u2019s, but it\u2019s impossible to do any training the next day, so they were given some down time like they all were. This has been a stick to beat us with these photographs and it\u2019s completely preposterous.\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

We should have expected it, sorry, he should have expected it. He’s not naive, and he knows how our media works.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

There should have been 2m social distancing, John Kennedy slip ups<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n

Not everything was perfect but show me anyone who is doing the right things. For example, when we played Hibs we had to bus six players in two buses because we were told now that is the way it has to be. Three people on a 52 seater bus. That has not been going on throughout the season.<\/em><\/p>\n

We have been going to away grounds where we are cramped in like sardines. Boxing Day at Hamilton there was no social distancing there, there was no physical distancing. It is inconsistent. Protocols of different clubs are inconsistent. We go to St Johnstone all crammed into a little dressing room. Inconsistent.<\/em><\/p>\n

As soon as Celtic are deemed to do something wrong then bang. You are all wanting blood. It is absolutely scandalous.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He’s clearly feeling the pressure, and we had a wee insight there into matchday arrangements, and lets be honest, whats the point of social distancing in the dressing room if players are going to be in close contact during a game ?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

It\u2019s not so much a bloodlust<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n

That\u2019s your opinion? Not from where I\u2019m sitting.<\/em><\/p>\n

The chief exec has already apologised and you\u2019ve said it\u2019s warranted<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n

I\u2019m only apologising because unfortunately we had one player pick it up. We have to look at that and see what happened. My apology is to the fans because 13 players and 3 staff had to isolate for 10 days which is ludicrous. I\u2019m not apologising for anything else. I\u2019m not apologising for going out there and training for a week. I\u2019m not apologising for the players having a day off.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

His stubbornness is as legendary as it is damaging.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Is there an apology due to a wider section than just the clubs fans?<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n

To who?<\/em><\/p>\n

To other clubs, to the population at large who had to stay behind here, to any reputational damage it\u2019s done in the eyes of the government?<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n

What reputational damage has it done? Compared to Raith Rovers, compared to Hamilton, compared to Kilmarnock, compared to Motherwell, compared to Aberdeen? What damage has it done?\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

And here he could have really gone out with a bang. Here he could have become a legend…reputational damge to the game.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Tax dodging, liquidation due to non payment of taxes, convicted fraudster and assorted crooks running a club, collusion and corruption, and we’ve “damaged the reputation of the game\u00a0 ” ?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Fuck<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Well the first minister and her deputy have said the trip shouldn\u2019t happen?<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n

Why didn\u2019t they stop us from going then? We flew out on the Saturday, the country went into full lockdown on the Monday. You can\u2019t tell me the government didn\u2019t know that we were going into full lockdown before we flew out on the Saturday?\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I can understand why he feels they Celtic have been set up. Of course they would have known they were going to lock down. Why did they not tell Celtic this, although in fairness, it wasn;t exactly a secret.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Again, all down to not thinking through the decision to go.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Was the risk going to outweigh the reward?<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n

That\u2019s alright in hindsight. At the time we felt it was worth it. You sit there pontificating to me like the rest of you all are. Hindsight is a wonderful thing. We did everything we possibly could do avoid any damage. But like I say, we\u2019ve been held to a higher standard. There\u2019s no leniency at all. We sent pictures of the plane, pictures of the bus, everything social distancing but it appears it wasn\u2019t good enough for some government officials.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In terms of the review of your position, has it happened?<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n

You need to ask the board that.<\/em><\/p>\n

Reports you are to continue until the end of the season?<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n

Well that\u2019s great news for me then isn\u2019t it.\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He sounds delighted.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
\n

That\u2019s not correct, you\u2019ve not heard that?<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n

No.<\/em><\/p>\n

Is the positive test from someone self-isolating?<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n

It\u2019s from someone self-isolating.<\/em><\/p>\n

Are you disputing that you should have been without that many players?<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n

Yes.<\/em><\/p>\n

On the plane they were saying you had to isolate if you were two seats forward or two seats back, which wasn\u2019t the case. We were told it was three metres.<\/em><\/p>\n

Is it inaccurate?<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n

I disagree with and I\u2019m not convinced that was what we were led to believe. On the buses, the way we\u2019ve been travelling and the way every team has been travelling up and down the country, now – the way the government has set out the protocols since we\u2019ve come back, you can only have three on the bus out of a 52 seater.<\/em><\/p>\n

We played Hibs and we had six players who couldn\u2019t drive so we had to bus them. We couldn\u2019t put all six on one bus. We had to get two busses to take six players. That would have meant in Dubai, we would needed 20 buses. If that\u2019s the case, every team in the country is breaking protocols.\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Thats because on of the players has the plague. And others have been near him. And others have been near them.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
\n

You feel as if the goalposts are moved?<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n

100 percent.<\/em><\/p>\n

Is there an issue with the guidelines?<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n

We followed the protocols and it\u2019s backfired on us, we\u2019ve been punished for following the protocols so for me they\u2019re a complete waste of time.\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n

 <\/p>\n

Again, he could have mentioned incidents at other clubs, but didn’t.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

From this new positive, any worry of self-isolating?<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n

Everyone is negative. The whole squad is negative, bar two players. That\u2019s remarkable, and it totally blows out the water the way the trip has been portrayed in certain quarters of the media, by certain pundits and by certain government officials as well. We did not abuse any ‘privilege’, we did the right things, we were totally professional. We had a little drink in the afternoon on a day off, completely allowed, no law breaking. It we come back to this barrage of absolute hypocrisy.”\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Speaking of hypocrisy….Lawwell and Lennon have allowed our club to be bullied for so long now that its become the norm.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Referees, other officials, media personalities and pundits have said what they want when they want to about Celtic.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Very little of it has been complimetary.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Lennon is right about what he says, to an extent, especially the bit about the government not warning Celtic about even the possibility of a full lockdown while they were away.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

But sometimes we have to admit we got it wrong, and we did.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Not only with the trip, but longer term in allowing such scandals as the one associated with Resolution 12, the constant manipulation of the flow of matches by referees, and most importantly, the re-writing of history where a now defunct club are concerned.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

If they continue to be allowed to get away with that, in the public eye, whilst more or less trading whilst insolvent, then our board isn’t doing its job.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Hypocrisy will always be a part of what Celtic has to face, and it has to be faced head on, but I fear its too late for this board, and too late for this manager.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

They have lost our trust, and for that they can ony blame\u00a0 themselves.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Which, of course, does not make Andy Walker any less of a knob.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Just to clarify.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Neil Lennon returned to the public eye yesterday, and told it like it is.   Or showed us he’s finally lost the plot.   It…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":16684,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/etims.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/quote-leadership-consists-of-nothing-but-taking-responsibility-for-everything-that-goes-wrong-dwight-d-eisenhower-51-18-71.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2J7If-4l5","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/etims.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16683"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/etims.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/etims.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/etims.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/etims.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=16683"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/etims.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16683\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16685,"href":"https:\/\/etims.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16683\/revisions\/16685"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/etims.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/16684"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/etims.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=16683"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/etims.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=16683"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/etims.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=16683"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}