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Lennon stands firm | 'I'm not...

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Lennon stands firm | 'I'm not everyone's cup of tea'


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Under-fire Celtic manager Neil Lennon insists that he has the backing of the club's CEO but has admitted he is not everybody's "cup of tea".

It's a huge season for the Glasgow giants but the ten-in-a-row league title chase is not going to plan with nine points already dropped leaving them 11 points behind leaders and arch-rivals Rangers who have played two more games in the Scottish Premiership.

The Hoops are also rooted to the bottom of their UEFA Europa League group with just one point from three games heading into Thursday night's match away to Sparta Prague.

"Obviously all of us are not happy with the way things are panning out at the minute," Lennon said on the eve of the game in the Czech capital.

"But there is a calmness about Peter (Lawell - CEO) and the board. There's no panic. We have been over the course and distance many times before.

"I speak to Peter every day. He is very, very supportive, as he is with the players and my backroom team as well."

Some of the club's supporters have turned against the Celtic boss who has won back-to-back league titles, a Scottish Cup and League Cup to add to the three league titles and two Scottish Cups that he won in his first spell as manager at Parkhead.

Lennon accepts the criticism but believes that he has enough support at the club that will help get the team back to where they were.

"It is disappointing but fans are entitled to voice their opinion. Whether I agree with it or not is irrelevant, they have put it out there," he said.

"It's something that I am not really going to engage with. I've got a job to do here and I think I've done it pretty well since I came back in."

"I have sort of reconciled myself with the fact that maybe I am not going to be everyone's cup of tea.

"But it is a great privilege doing this job, the club means a lot to me and it has done for the last 20 years.

"I'm strong, I feel strong, my backroom team are strong and the players will only get better and more consistent as we go along.

"Since I've been back, we've won four trophies in a row, the team's won 11 in a row. We've got a chance of winning 12. We are going through a sticky patch, all teams do and good teams and managers come through that and that's what I firmly believe we'll do.

"So it is as you are, let's get improvement, let's get some wins, let's play the type of football we know we are capable of, which we showed in the last 20 minutes at Easter Road, and we will be absolutely OK."


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Celtic Europa League Neil Lennon Scottish Premiership

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