MX23RW : Friday, December 11 02:25:42| >> :120:10297:10297:

Neil Lennon confident Celtic backing won't change after latest slip-up

Neil Lennon confident Celtic backing won't change after latest slip-up
© Reuters
Neil Lennon's side have won just twice in 12 games.

Neil Lennon vowed to keep trying to spark Celtic back into life until told otherwise after their latest setback.

The champions fell 13 points behind Rangers on Sunday after the Scottish Premiership leaders won 4-0 against Ross County and St Johnstone drew 1-1 at Parkhead.

Celtic needed a Mohamed Elyounoussi header to rescue a point after Chris Kane had netted from close range to put Saints ahead.

The result made it two wins in 12 games for Celtic and heaped more pressure on Lennon, despite the club publicly backing him last week.

When asked if that support could change after the latest slip, Lennon said: "I don't think so and I don't want it to change, I want to keep working with good people behind me, we just need to get the players back at the levels they were at.

"Do we maybe look at the training? Do we look at our routines? Do we look at our set-ups? All these things, we have analysed it to death.

"The players have to look at themselves as well and say, 'We are better than this'. We need to find a solution as quickly as possible."

Zander Clark made several good stops from Odsonne Edouard, but Celtic again laboured at times in front of an organised St Johnstone defence.

"We lacked speed, we were tentative and playing far too slowly," Lennon said. "Again we tried to change it at half-time and get a bit more urgency in our play.

"And that's what was missing – urgency, penetration, not working the goalkeeper enough.

"We had good chances and we need one of them to go in. A (Tom) Rogic header, Odsonne was in, (Christopher) Jullien header. But we are not creating enough clear-cut chances and it's way too pedestrian from my liking.

"There is a lack of verve. We need more personality, more flair, more excitement in the team.

"Maybe sometimes you get that generated from the atmosphere but we haven't got that at the minute."

Once again some Celtic fans took their frustrations out on the streets, with a group gathering to call for change and footage emerging of some running after the team buses to express their anger.

Lennon said of their form: "It's hugely concerning, I am not going to shy away from that. It's hugely concerning we can't keep a clean sheet.

"We were very comfortable in the game and we have switched off again. We dealt with a long throw and then rush out and left people run in behind us. It's not good enough.

"And it's not good enough in the final third, we are taking far too long to work defences, we are playing everything in front. It's just not like us at all.

"While I don't want to be critical of the players, we need a spark, we need to find that fluency."

ID:425482:cQx

Click here for more stories about Neil Lennon

Click here for more stories about Celtic

Share this article now:
Did you know...?
Manchester United midfielder Jesse Lingard pictured in September 2020
Read Next:
Man Utd 'set to trigger Lingard extension'
>
Latest Sports Video
Sports Mole Logo
Enter your email address to subscribe to Sports Mole's free match previews newsletter! Updates are sent twice a week.

rhs 2.0
Todays Game Header Right
Tables
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1RangersRangers1614204534244
2Celtic1494135142131
3Hibernian168532416829
4Aberdeen158432117428
5Motherwell166372121021
6Dundee UnitedDundee Utd165561220-820
7Kilmarnock165291820-217
8St Johnstone164571420-617
9Livingston164391624-815
10Hamilton AcademicalHamilton1642101936-1714
11Ross County163491030-2013
12St Mirren15339822-1412

Subscribe to our Newsletter


Transfer Talk Daily
Match previews - twice weekly
Morning Briefing (7am UTC)
Ultra close-up image of Kevin De Bruyne [NOT FOR USE IN ARTICLES]Get the latest transfer news, match previews and news direct to your inbox!