uneasydaz
Well-Known Member
MARTIN O'Neill has called recent social media criticism of Neil Lennon 'entirely unwarranted' and questioned whether it represents the majority of the opinion of Celtic fans.
The Northern Irishman - a key cog in O'Neill's successful Parkhead squad in the early noughties - has been responding amid increasing calls for the Celtic board to sack his former player after a off-colour start to the season.
While it is believed Lennon retains the support of the Parkhead boardroom, the Hoops have won just two of their last eight matches in all competitions as Rangers have racked up an early season lead in the Scottish Premiership.
Things haven't been much better in the European arena, where they were knocked out of Champions League qualifying contention by Ferencvaros then embarrassed at home by Sparta Prague.
Those two sides meet again in the Czech Republic tomorrow and O'Neill reckons that Lennon is being treated unfairly considering what he has achieved in his various spells at the club.
His comments which chime with an exclusive interview which the Northern Irishman did recently with the Scottish Sun.
O'Neill told the Daily Mail, the Herald and the Daily Record: "If I had walked back into Celtic Park for a second spell after a manager had just left and there was a Treble Treble at stake, if I had delivered it and then stood on the cusp of delivering another one and he is just one game away from that, I would be asking myself: 'Just where is this pressure coming from?'
"It is shocking.
The pressure he is under right now is entirely unwarranted for the success that Celtic have had and the part he has played in that.
"Anyone can head onto social media and stick up a poll.
"I can have 25 people all agree with me and the percentages would look fantastic but is some of the vitriol that has been put in his direction really reflective of the majority?'"
O'Neill believes that the 'panic' in some fans has been stirred by the thought of losing the chance to record a historic tenth title in a row.
He said: “This is the first time in years that there has been a proper threat from Rangers.
"You can’t always be on top all of the time. Rangers were never going to stay in the doldrums forever – no matter what Celtic did or didn’t so.
“At some point Rangers were always going to come out swinging and this is it.
"If this wasn’t a season that has so much at stake in terms of a tenth successive title I don’t think you would see this panic from the support.
"If this was a fourth title then I am sure they would be a bit more patience.
“Rangers have invested in the squad and they have backed their manager.
"In a way it is all good because this makes the league stronger.
"Now the challenge is for Celtic to show that they can cope with adversity. That they can cope with questions being asked of them and they can come out and show the same mentality that has made them the most successful side in the country for so long.”
The Northern Irishman - a key cog in O'Neill's successful Parkhead squad in the early noughties - has been responding amid increasing calls for the Celtic board to sack his former player after a off-colour start to the season.
While it is believed Lennon retains the support of the Parkhead boardroom, the Hoops have won just two of their last eight matches in all competitions as Rangers have racked up an early season lead in the Scottish Premiership.
Things haven't been much better in the European arena, where they were knocked out of Champions League qualifying contention by Ferencvaros then embarrassed at home by Sparta Prague.
Those two sides meet again in the Czech Republic tomorrow and O'Neill reckons that Lennon is being treated unfairly considering what he has achieved in his various spells at the club.
His comments which chime with an exclusive interview which the Northern Irishman did recently with the Scottish Sun.
O'Neill told the Daily Mail, the Herald and the Daily Record: "If I had walked back into Celtic Park for a second spell after a manager had just left and there was a Treble Treble at stake, if I had delivered it and then stood on the cusp of delivering another one and he is just one game away from that, I would be asking myself: 'Just where is this pressure coming from?'
"It is shocking.
The pressure he is under right now is entirely unwarranted for the success that Celtic have had and the part he has played in that.
"Anyone can head onto social media and stick up a poll.
"I can have 25 people all agree with me and the percentages would look fantastic but is some of the vitriol that has been put in his direction really reflective of the majority?'"
O'Neill believes that the 'panic' in some fans has been stirred by the thought of losing the chance to record a historic tenth title in a row.
He said: “This is the first time in years that there has been a proper threat from Rangers.
"You can’t always be on top all of the time. Rangers were never going to stay in the doldrums forever – no matter what Celtic did or didn’t so.
“At some point Rangers were always going to come out swinging and this is it.
"If this wasn’t a season that has so much at stake in terms of a tenth successive title I don’t think you would see this panic from the support.
"If this was a fourth title then I am sure they would be a bit more patience.
“Rangers have invested in the squad and they have backed their manager.
"In a way it is all good because this makes the league stronger.
"Now the challenge is for Celtic to show that they can cope with adversity. That they can cope with questions being asked of them and they can come out and show the same mentality that has made them the most successful side in the country for so long.”
