Neil Lennon

You are the mentally ill one

 

Johan Mjallby reckons the heat on Neil Lennon is at boiling point right now – but he backed the Hoops boss to keep his cool.

The former Celtic hero reckons the manager won’t wilt as he will be loving the pressure of making history at Parkhead.


Lennon has come under fire after Celts slipped nine points behind Rangers on the back of their Old Firm defeat last month while fans have fumed about the side’s Champions League exit and struggles in the Europa League.

The Parkhead manager has taken hits over team selection and tactics with punters sweating their dream title tally could be slipping away.


Mjallby came to the defence of his old pal. He reckons it’s easy for the computer game managers to criticise and he insisted Lennon is no tactical dinosaur.

The big Swede told The Celtic Huddle podcast: “I was impressed when I worked with him. He’s been through a lot in his playing and management career at Celtic.



Of course I have sympathy with him because he is under enormous pressure and has such a heavy workload.


But on the other hand, there is no other place Neil Lennon would rather be.

He breathes Celtic. I think he loves this challenge, I really do.

“It’s a chance to make history.”

Lennon has copped flak for his tactics but Mjallby knows first hand how much plotting the manager puts in behind the scenes.

The former assistant boss – who was on board for the first four titles of the nine – said: “I think he works more tactically now than he used to. He knows today’s generation really need to be pinpointed what to do.

“They don’t want any responsibility. That’s not a criticism, that’s just they way it is.

“They need to be told exactly what to do. It’s a bit new to Neil but he learns and takes it on. He’s certainly not a dinosaur.


The years I worked with him, he was tactically spot on.


He had a lot of great ideas he didn’t always use, but was great during games, whether it was attack or defence.”

Mjallby accepts the criticism comes with the job but he believes Celtic need key men back firing – and they need to deal with the lack of backing from the fans during the closed doors games.

He said: “That (criticism) is the way it is at Celtic. Nowadays people think being a manager is like the PlayStation.

“That’s not how it is. You have a gameplan but when you cross the white line the players need to gear themselves and perform.


They know what to do. I know the club is handicapped by having no supporters but you need to show the badge means something to you.

“I think it does affect them. When you get used to it, it’s the best place in the world.

“Some players don’t love it when the pressure is on, it can be like a boiler, you need to win things or you won’t be long lived.

"You can see they miss the supporters. Every game I have watched has been like practise games, and I am sure some players have the same feeling I have.”

Mjallby believes Lennon will get it right and he is on board with the boss’ backing of captain Scott Brown, who has also taken criticism this season.


He said: “I am a big fan of Scott Brown, he is very important and he still has a lot to give.

“He’s a big leader in the dressing room and on the pitch. I don’t see too many recognised leaders in this team, and that is going to be important in a season like this when they are trying to make history.

“If he loses his form and doesn’t perform as well as he normally does then Neil has something to think about.

“But I think Neil has been right to back his skipper because they don’t have too many leaders there.

“You can rest him now and again, but he’s one of the fittest players around.”

Shane Duffy was rested in Sunday’s 4-1 win at Motherwell and Mjallby reckons the big defender is still struggling to adapt to the Scottish game.

He said: “They won the game and didn’t struggle too much defensively, they were solid.


Duffy has a lot of good qualities, he’s a leader at the back, he’s good in the air and physically strong.

“Sometimes domestically the game won’t suit him because Shane will be at his best when they sit a bit deeper.

“At home they will get forward and have the ball a lot.

“That’s the tricky thing. When you are a defender at Celtic you are expected to be attack minded, but you also have to be on your toes to defend the counter attack.

“Performance-wise Celtic haven’t been as strong as they were at the end of last season.

“There’s no need to panic yet. Yes I can see we are way too open defensively and the balance is not really right all of the time.

But at the same time, a lot of the really strong players, like Odsonne Edouard and Chris Jullien, have had their problems and not been in the team all season.

“We need to give it a bit of time.”

 

Hes absolutely spot on here. Always been one of my favourite pundits aswell

 

Still no word of a new manager ,pathetic

 

Neils not going anywhere. He shouldn't walk nor should he be sacked as things stand

 

Really????? Come on.

 

Get a life.

 

NL: "Thankfully we’ve no fresh injuries from the internationals which is great. They’re all buoyant, everyone had a touch of success when away and we’re really pleased to have them back in good spirits."

NL: "I’m delighted for Scotland. It’s been a long wait. It gives the game here more credibility. Everyone’s now really looking forward to the Euros."

NL: "For our players in the squad it’s a great incentive in the second half of the season. Not just in domestic football but a major tournament which hasn’t happened in a generation."

NL on : Jullien Maybe not fit for tomorrow but definitely this week, whether it be Sparta or Ross County. He’s started training and feeling good but tomorrow’s too soon for him."



NL on
@JeremieFrimpong
: "He’s fine, there's no ligament damage and he's been back training for a few weeks now."

NL on #HIBCEL: "We’ve got a massive run of games now. It’s good to have a healthy squad, and introduce some players back. If we can pick up where we left off, I’ll be pleased. Tomorrow’s important and it’s a game we’re looking forward to."


NL: "We’ve got four competitions coming up. It’s what we want to challenge in and we want the players to sample that experience. It’s important we get consistency from individuals, and performances from the team."


NL: "We're focusing on being consistent, playing well and winning games. If we get that right we’ll start making inroads."

 

"Pick up where we left off"

2 wins out of 7 Lennon, I * hope we do not continue on that run!
Seriously still deluded if he believes everything is fine again after 1 victory against a mid table SPFL side!

Hibs, Prague, Ross County, Milan - one win in that lot is my expectations at this stage and he is not doing or saying much to convince me the side is going to be any better for it.

 

Have a day off mate. Let’s see how it goes at the weekend and take it from there.

 

Hear that since August Sean, all for trying to get behind the side and by * they need it. But the fans are not there to do it on the day, we need the manager to do that for us (should be anyway) and he is not showing any signs of actually doing this.

 

He’s also clearly not going anywhere so raging yourself into an aneurysm repeating yourself over and over isn’t going to change anything.

 

Need to all get behind him and the team now. The opportunity for change was over the past few weeks and, for better or worse, we didn’t take it.

Can only back him from here on in. The only way he leaves mid-season is if the league is out of sight, imo.

 

Here you go again.

Try getting behind the team instead of moaning like a child on here all the time.

 

He isn't going anywhere, and rightfully so. People on here would have you believe the league is lost. Still a lot to play for

 

Unfortunately some people cant get their head round the concept that supporting the players and manager will help us win 10 in a row instead of the continual negativity and whining that is getting us nowhere. Neil Lennon is the man who will be in charge for our title bid this season whether certain people like it or not, for Christ sake get behind the man. We are potentially only 3 points behind the huns our season is far from over. Its all to play for and Neil Lennon is more than capable of emerging at the end of this season with our tenth Title in a row in the bag.

 

Showed signs in the last game at Motherwell

 

I still don't think he should be here and I think we will wait til it's too late to make a change I hope and pray I'm wrong but I have lost all confidence in him at the moment even in games where we are playing well we still look really shaky defensively

 

My thoughts exactly.

Obviously I hope he proves me wrong. He is stubborn as * though man, rarely admits when he gets it wrong. We have a lot of work to do defensively and up top, particularly from set pieces! Needing to be creating a hella lot more chances than we are. So many games this season weve barely had a shot on goal, and some games we could have been playing for 5 hours and not be through on goal. Seems so flat, and out of ideas all the time. It's okay to blame the players and they need to be taking responsibility also, but the manager ultimately is at fault here imo when tactically nothing is working for most of the season.

Pressure is certainly on him, and if he is to drop points tomorrow hes out the door for me