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 After this season, and especially Saturday's result, I am feeling totally reflective and for some reason I wish to depress
you all further! I thought it would be interesting to compare and contrast Neil Lennon's record with our 2 previous
managers(I'm not going to include Mowbray because I'm pretty sure his reign was a figment of my imagination)
Martin O'Neill's first 80 games in charge
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P 80
W 63 (79%)
D 7 (9%)
L 10 (12%)
F 194 2.43 Average goals per game
A 62 0.77 Average goals per game
GD +132
AFTER 80 games:
1/1 SPL title
1/1 Scottish Cup
1/1 CIS Cup
Qualified for 2000/01 UEFA Cup Round 1
Reached Round 2 before knocked out 3-2 on aggregate by Bordeaux
Qualified for 2001/02 Champions League group stage by Knocking out AJAX 3-2 on aggregate(including 3-1 win in Amsterdam)
In the 2001/02 group stage we gained 9 points, including a 4-3 win V Juventus and a 1-0 win V Porto
Desperately unlucky not to qualify for Last 16 for the first time in our history
In Round 3 of 2001/02 UEFA Cup, we went out on penalties to Valencia, after a 1-0 home win to make it 1-1 on aggregate
6 wins out of 7 games against Rangers - P7 W6 D0 L1 F18 A9 GD+9
After 80 games, Celtic were 12 points and 7 goals ahead of Rangers in 2001/02 and barring a miracle, 2/2 SPL titles under O'Neill.
Most back to back wins under O'Neill in this 80 game period = 12 (30th July 2000 to 23rd September 2000)
Top 5 wins after 80 games in charge
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1) Juventus 4-3 Home
2) Rangers 6-2 Home
3) Porto 1-0 Home
4) Ajax 3-1 Away
5) Rangers 3-0 Away
Gordon Strachan's first 80 games in charge
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P 80
W 58 (72%)
D 13 (17%)
L 9 (11%)
F 174 2.18 Average goals per game
A 76 0.95 Average goals per game
GD +98
After 80 games:
1/1 SPL title
0/1 Scottish Cup
1/1 CIS Cup
Failed to qualify for 2005/06 Champions league group stage
Failed to qualify for 2005/06 UEFA Cup group stage
Out of Europe before September 2005
QUALIFIED FOR 2006/07 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE GROUP STAGE
Whilst in the group stage we gained 9 points, including a 1-0 win V Manchester United and a 3-0 win V Benfica
Qualified for Last 16 for the first time in our history
Barring 2 Refereeing howlers in the San Siro, qualification for Quarter Finals of 2006/07 Champions League was certain
4 wins and 2 draws out of 7 games against Rangers - P7 W4 D2 L1 F10 A4 GD +6
After 80 games, Celtic were 19 points and 13 goals ahead of Rangers in 2006/07 and barring a miracle, 2/2 SPL titles under Strachan
Most back to back wins under Strachan in this 80 game period = 11 (1st February 2006 to 9th April 2006)
Top 5 wins after 80 games in charge
--------------------------------------------
1) Manchester United 1-0 Home
2) Benfica 3-0 Home
3) Rangers 3-0 Home
4) Rangers 1-0 Away
5) Copenhagen 1-0 Home
Neil Lennon's first 80 games in charge
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P 80
W 56 (70%)
D 11 (14%)
L 13 (16%)
F 168 2.10 Average goals per game
A 66 0.82 Average goals per game
GD +102
After 80 games:
0/1 SPL Title
1/2 Scottish Cups(Ross County in 2009/10 down to Lennon not Mowbray)
0/1 CIS Cup
Failed to qualify for 2010/11 Champions league group stage
Failed to qualify for 2010/11 Europa league group stage
Out of Europe before September 2010
Failed to qualify for 2011/12 Champions league group stage based on 2010/11 season; no CL qualifier for 2nd placed team
Qualified for 2011/12 Europa League Group Stage but only by default, in reality we lost 3-1 on aggregate to FC Sion
4 wins and 2 draws out of 9 against Rangers - P9 W4 D2 L3 F14 A12 GD +2
After 80 games, Celtic are 12 points and 11 goals behind Rangers in 2011/12(albeit a game in hand) and barring a miracle,
0/2 titles under Lennon and 4 in a row for Rangers
Most back to back wins under Lennon in this 80 game period = 7 (29th August 2010 to 17th October 2010)
Top 5 wins after 80 games in charge
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1) Rangers 3-0 Home
2) Rangers 2-0 Away
3) Rennes 1-1 Away
4) Motherwell 3-0 Hampden
5) Rangers 1-0 Home
Now, I have backed Neil all the very way, even after the Kilmarnock game but following the Hibs game enough is enough. Whether it's down to lack of backing from the board (Lawwell influencing transfers too much or Desmond not giving a toss...) or it's down to losing the dressing room, he simply has to resign before he loses his thoroughly deserved iconic and legendary status as a Celtic legend. 9 wins out of 19 this season and 2 wins out of the last 7 is unacceptable in any managerial standard, not least being the manager of Celtic Football Club. My very feeling on this issue is intensified when I read his quote in response to a question of him resigning:
""The only way I would leave the job this season is if I decide I am not taking the club forward or I am not getting the performances that the fans merit."
Actions speak louder than words I'm afraid, Neil. |
Comments
However unlikely the outcome of Celtic winning the title this year seems, do you think we would have a better chance if Lennon departed now, or remained until at least the end of season?
Don't you think leaving out the stats from Mowbray's tenure hampers your argument in that it looks as if you've omitted that information because it detracts from the overall point you're trying to make?
This article looks as if was written in the immediate aftermath of Hibs at home the other week. Have the last two results brightened your hopes any, or do you see it as just delaying the inevitable?
its funny, but sometimes i just
get on with it,dont buy a good center back Celtic ,it would
knock them off there perch
I obviously typed this up straight after the Hibs game so I'm not so 'Lennon out' now but like I've said before, if our board had any ambition and would get Martin O'Neill, or someone of his ilk, and give him the £20million it would take to wipe out the mediocrity(2 shareholders that are worth a combined £4 billion or so, £20million = 0.5% of that), then I'd still sack Lennon but that won't be the case.
As for leaving out Mowbray's stats, the only reason I did that was because it's not relevant in terms of comparison to successful Celtic managers as Mowbray was...an out and out failure(perhaps I should have stated in the article that last season was a massive improvement from the Mowbray era)
I hope so but I have no confidence in this team going on a consistent winning run, hope I'm wrong.
Secondly, in MON's first 80 games he had CL group games against the likes of Juve, Porto and Ajax. Who has Lennon faced in that time?
So even more damning evidence about how poor we've been under Lennon.
Someone asked me a few weeks ago to write an article on what is wrong at Celtic just now. If people cannot see it for themselves, then a few hundred words from me is not going to change their minds.
Your point doesn't really tell the full story. Martin O'Neill had an embarrassment of riches at his disposal including one of the greatest who ever wore the jersey. In Strachan's first season which you mention, we had a spine of Boruc, Balde, Petrov and Hartson playing the best football of their careers as well as an on form Maloney and Nakamura. Lennon got such a raw deal compared to this. Having to sell his two best players and build a makeshift team of free transfers and experiments, with one or two medium priced prospects. This policy is flawed, as was Lennon's appointment, but you have to look past Lennon to the real problems, and acknowledge that Lennon managed remarkably under the circumstances last year, while unfortunately, it has started to unravel this year. Sacking him won't solve anything at this point.
The Thinker, to even imagine that O'Neill would ever manage Celtic under these conditions is ludicrous. £20 Million?
Chalk and Cheese my friend.
MON had the finances (and Larsson), WGS had a good spine of a team to work with while he downsized the wage bill.
Neil - a rookie manager - has had to take over from the debacle of the Mowbray appointment, and rebuild a whole new team with a very modest budget. And while the huns are finacially hamstrung at the moment they still dished out top dollar for Lafferty an Jelavic (christ knows how, or the Taxman ;o)
And who would we replace Neil with? You can forget MON thats for sure. We would be lucky to get Levein! (ok maybe not lucky but the shortlist would be dreadful)
I like many others, despaired after the hibs game, but it aint over yet. Keep the Faith
The analogy of football being a team game is applicable also to Lennon's situation. If the support isn't there behind him,what can we as fans truly expect of him? Is it solely down to Lennon the fact we have high earning players not consistently performing or are they being affected by other developments at the club? Mr. Lawwell has previous in how he views the members of our squad. They are commodities, nothing more. There to be bought and sold on for profit and damn the consequences. There are more than enough examples of this that I don't need to start reeling them off but one which did come back to seriously haunt us was Kenny Miller.
Short term profit never, ever makes for long term gain Mr. Lawwell!
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