Lennon blames Boli for Champions League exit

fmp

Well-Known Member
https://www.heraldscotland.com/spor...y-cost-celtic-champions-league-qualification/


LAST Christmas, Celtic released a festive charity song including the immortal line ‘Holy Moly Bolingoli’. Whether Neil Lennon’s words towards the defender were fit for a children's Christmas carol when Bolingoli flouted lockdown restrictions to place Celtic’s season into temporary suspension is doubtful, but the sentiment would have been the same. Particularly as Celtic, in his opinion, are now counting the cost of his actions in a major way.

The postponement of two matches which followed for Celtic so early in their season was, according to Lennon, a major contributory factor in their Champions League qualifying exit to Ferencvaros, with his players lacking in match sharpness.


Time has perhaps simmered Lennon’s anger towards Bolingoli down a little, wishing the defender well after dispatching him to Turkey for a loan spell with Istanbul Basaksehir, but clearly some resentment still remains over what has turned out to be the most expensive package holiday to Spain in history.

“It was very disruptive to our plans and our preparations,” Lennon said.
“We missed out on two games that, one, would have maybe put us in a better position than we found ourselves in the league, and two, we would have been two games fitter.
“The players would have had two more games in their legs, and we would have been up to speed more.
“Of course it could have [assisted our Champions League campaign], it would have been a huge benefit going into those games and that’s what we had planned for.
“What happened was totally unforeseen, it could have been avoided, but to lose those two games was a massive disruption to what we were doing.
“We went into the Ferencvaros game undercooked and hadn’t played a game in 10 days.
“It’s done and he has made a mistake. He’s a human being, it’s a human error and it cost us at the time.
“It was a couple of games we are now endeavouring to make up. He has a new challenge now in his career, a loan with an option to buy.

“I never got the chance to see him, because of what’s going on. But obviously we will be keeping an eye on his progress.”
The fragility of the football season has of course been exemplified over the last week or so, with three St Mirren goalkeepers testing positive for coronavirus ahead of the weekend loss to Hibernian, and three more players from Hamilton testing positive just yesterday, none of whom are suggested to have acted in a manner as reckless as Bolingoli.
Lennon has huge sympathy for all of those involved, particularly St Mirren boss Jim Goodwin, who will send out emergency loan signing Bobby Zlamal in goals again tonight when Celtic make the short trip to Paisley.
“It’s a worry,” he said. “People are sometimes going to get this virus whether they are doing the right things or not, I think.
“You just have to have contingency plans in place. I’m not saying St Mirren didn’t, but that’s totally out of the blue what happened to them. What happened to us was out of the blue.
“Everyone is learning as we go along with this thing, whether it is football clubs, boards, associations or governments.
“Things can change all the time, whether that’s the virus itself or the conditions you to live under and abide by.”
The point on associations dealing with the pandemic on the hop may prove a salient one, with Lennon fearing a second Covid-19 wave may prompt the SPFL to call the league early once again.

“I don’t think that’s what anybody wants,” he said.
“To do it once probably wasn’t satisfactory to anyone, but for it to happen again would be unpalatable and not good for the game.
“You want to avoid it, but in my own view, we’ll probably get a second spike of this in society, because it seems to be the way these things pan out.
“We’re just going to have to try and live with it the best we can.
“People have got to try, for me, to get back to as normal a life as possible, even though things aren’t normal, without being reckless with it.”
Lennon, meanwhile, may make changes for tonight’s game against St Mirren after the thumping defeat of Ross County on Sunday, a scoreline that he feels masked a few deficiencies in their overall showing.
“We had a few creases to iron out after the first-half performance,” he said. “But to come away with a 5-0 win was great.
“It was also five different goalscorers which was great to see. We have another important game now on Wednesday night so I’m hoping for improvement again in the level of performance. And I still hope we score at will.
“We have some real good strikers in the building and I’m hoping we’ll score from other areas as well, which augurs well for the future.”
 
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with Lennon fearing a second Covid-19 wave may prompt the SPFL to call the league early once again.

“I don’t think that’s what anybody wants,” he said.
“To do it once probably wasn’t satisfactory to anyone, but for it to happen again would be unpalatable and not good for the game.


Treacle teeth was calling for the league to be called the moment we went into lockdown.
 
Never bothered to read the article as it involved them, but going by the headline if they don't see TLB as the problem and wish to blame someone else for getting humped in Europe then I'm delighted.
 
he point on associations dealing with the pandemic on the hop may prove a salient one, with Lennon fearing a second Covid-19 wave may prompt the SPFL to call the league early once again.

“I don’t think that’s what anybody wants,” he said.
“To do it once probably wasn’t satisfactory to anyone, but for it to happen again would be unpalatable and not good for the game.

"They done it once "we benefited" we cant do it again because "we" wont benefit this time!"

That's what the whole piece is about. Remember it was that unsatisfactory they called for the title on 12th march, before any lockdown.
 
We all know if it had been a first team regular who went on the jolly to Spain it would have been forgiven and forgotten, never mind being blamed for their hilarious CL qualifier exit.
 
Is that the number 6 bus Neil, quick get as many folk under it as you can.

What a horrible individual he really is, a guy Who just loves playing the victim managing a club who also love the victim card
 
Maybe ‘lenny’ should’ve stepped in when he was telling everyone at his barbers that he was going abroad...I mean celtic are the leading super club in managing this crisis. We should allow them to play at full-capacity home games all season because of how progressive they are.
 
Wee horrible cuunt never accepts any responsibility for his tactics and team selection that night

Selected a team with no striker yet had 2 strikers on the bench but Lurgan Flopp picked the team that got beat and out of the CL qualifying game

Typical mhedia not pushing him to take part of the blame

He’s a despicable whanker
 
A very convenient way to deflect attention away from his own obvious failings.
An honest manager would have put his hands up and accepted the blame for losing out on £30m.
 
So why did you bring him on for ....(how many minutes ? Was it less than 10? ) in a match ya tool ?

Seems to me Lemmon's the real culptrit here - but we all know he'd never take the blame for anything
 
This is good, the car park faithful fru and fru will suddenly think, its Bolis fault, the gaffers correct. Nothing to do with not playing our £40 mill striker and bizarre thinking, let's get behind him
 
Was it not Lennons call that let the player have enough time off to go on a jolly in Europe?

I'm sure I heard that he gave them a couple of days off after their first game at Hamilton.

Get it up them.
 
Lennon has a easy ride in his job.
If his team drop points then he knows Lieswell will deploy his men in black, Clancy, Collum, Madden, Dallas, Beaton to lay the groundwork to weaken Rangers by whatever means is possible.
Corrupt to the core
 
He's a lying reptile. The only game cancelled was vs Aberdeen,caused by the Aberdeen 8. The filth never had a match cancelled due to bolingoli . There is still mystery attached to the length of his visit to Spain, They lost to ferencvaros due to his inept management,leaving two forwards on the bench,and none on the pitch. As mentioned above,a half decent journo would have tied him in knots with this interview.
 
He's a lying reptile. The only game cancelled was vs Aberdeen,caused by the Aberdeen 8. The filth never had a match cancelled for to bolingoli . There is still mystery attached to the length of his visit to Spain, They lost to ferencvaros due to his inept management,leaving two forwards on the bench,and none on the pitch. As mentioned above,a half decent journo would have tied him in knots with this interview.
Their game against St Mirren, scheduled for tonight, was cancelled as a result of the failure of Celtc to control their players. As was the sheep game, though both were guilty parties obviously.
 
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