Neil Lennon Celtic Champions League FC Shakhter poor tactics

Sceala Philosopher Location: Glasgow

Neil Lennon is to blame for the shambles tonight.

This was the Celtic team Lennon picked tonight: Forster, van Dijk, Mouyokolo, Mulgrew, Izaguirre, Lustig, Brown, Commons, Forrest, Samaras, Ledley. Subs: Zaluska, Matthews, Ambrose, Stokes, Balde, Rogic, Kayal.

Lennon picks to play in one of the most important games Celtic will play this year, two Center backs who have never played together before.
Mouyokolo who has barely played a game for 2 years is handed a start.
Van Dijk who looks a class player, is handed a start even though he has just come back from injury and he is clearly not match fit.

Lennon had options he chose from a inconsistent mixture of naivety, arrogance and plain stubbornness.

He picks Samaras as a striker, even though every Celtic fan, even the born blind Celtic fans, know that Samaras is not a central striker.
Samaras was trying to wander out to his one effective position all night, on the Left wing.

What does Stokes have to do to get a run of games with this stubborn manager?
What is Lennon doing, denying Stokes match time when Stokes is a genuine striker who can and does score goals?
If as many Celtic fans suspect, this issue is personal, then it is Lennon who is out of order and not up to task, he after all is supposed to be the man manager and get the best out of players.

Anyone can sideline those who do not kiss their a$$, but good managers, really good managers, make and get the best of problem players.

Lennon failed Celtic big time tonight, making the same type of illogical choices he made as a raw rookie over two seasons ago.
Making the sort of choices that lost Celtic a title at Inverness, that witnessed Celtic knocked out of Scottish cups by mediocre to poor defensive sides.

FC Shakhter are not a good side, they were scared of celtic, teriffied for the first 15 minutes, a Celtic side, any side, with a striker would have been at least a goal up to the good. A good Celtic side with the likes of Hooper or Stokes would have been 2- o up inside 15 minutes.
When the hoofers of FC Shakhter realized that Celtic never had a central striker on the pitch, and that Celtic had no real attacking width from Samaras or the hot and cold Forrest, when they realized that Lennon had picked a defensive duo who had no experience or fitness, FC Shakhter started to believe.

FC Shakhter a poor side by European standards, got confidence that a good opponent manager would never have offered them by such strange illogical choices. FC Shakhter hoofers were able to apply and make work, hump it and see football tactics. That they could do that highlights Lennon is far from a good manager.
We all love Lennon because he is a genuine Celtic fan, because he is Irish and had to endure all that evil bigotry from Orange reared low life Bigots.
However, none of that Orange lodge inspired thug ignorance that Lennon had to endure never did make him a good or great coach or tactics manager.

It was no surprise, that FC Shakhter were able to apply pressure to a defensive duo who had no experience or match fitness.
Why did Lennon choose to play them? Why did he stick with it when it was obvious that Van Dijk was blowing like a cart horse in the last half hour and before the second goal. If Lennon watches the highlights he will see this, how did he or his staff not notice it at the time and substitute him?
Lennon had choices!

Like most Celtic fans happy overall with Lennon and support him, we appreciate he is a Celtic fan, and has had some real evil to put up with from Sevco dirtbags.
Lennon has our Celtic fans support, but he is not a good manager yet, just been a very lucky fan, given a top job despite his actual credentials and lack of experience.

What is so annoying is, that in 2013 Lennon should by now have the experience to not be so naive or stubborn, he should have known that tonight would happen. He also needs to mature and get the best out of Stokes, a player that saved Neil Lennon's job when 3-0 down at Kilmarnock.

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Perhaps this is what Lennon's problem really is, insecure, Stokes reminds him how lucky he has been as a Celtic manager!

"Stokes scored twice in six minutes to help Celtic get a 3–3 draw against Kilmarnock. Celtic had been 3–0 down at half-time and Stokes' two goals, one a long-range shot and one a free-kick, were vital in bringing them back into he game. Manager Neil Lennon later admitted that if Celtic had lost that match he might have had to resign. The comeback was also credited by assistant Johan Mjällby as being the turning point in Celtic's season as they went from being 15 point behind Rangers to winning the league"

Short memories it seems!

Stokes (that some Celtic fans have been encouraged by Lennon's OTT love-in with Hooper, to forget) was neck and neck all the way with Hooper in their first season together to 20 + goal each.
Stokes is clearly a striker, one who is much better than Lennon is often able to admit or sense, a striker he appears to not be able to get the best out of, or remember the benefit of for very long!

What ever personal problem Lennon has with Stokes, not good enough for Celtic fans that he is left out of the starting line all too frequently and bizarrely, often just after scoring in a previous match!

Stokes is clearly the best Striker Celtic have at the moment.
Samaras is not a central striker and never has been.

This is not exactly the first time Neil Lennon's tactics and choices have been very poor and made look amateur.
Neil Lennon is now years into the Celtic job.

Neil Lennon cupping ears to anti Irish racism in Scotland
What did McCoist say to Neil Lennon
Neil Lennon sent parcel bombs. Celtic FC fans targets of IED
Hearts fan attack on Neil lennon Hearts V Celtic
Facebook shoot Neil Lennon page still live on facebook.

Also do not like the way Lennon (and especially fatcat lawell) appears to use the Green Brigade when ever it suits their personal needs! When ever they or Celtic are under any kind of pressure, then they just cant get enough!
But the pair and club have done sweet FA to protect the fans rights or from unfair media nonsense attacks. Celtic PLC do not even actively protect the fans basic civil right to declare their Irish culture, in the fans own way.
They had best understand that we are not going to conform to some Celtic PLC media friendly approved version for anyone, not any of the big share holders, not the PLC, not UEFA, not the SFA or any other BS we pay for!
The fans main area was not once called the Jungle for nothing.

Celtic is nothing without the fans, literally nothing but a big fish in a very small (as insignificant as FAI) pond. Celtic would be just a Scottish club in a very small national league without the Irish diaspora.
Even former Rangers chief have stated that is why the old Rangers club could never financially compete with Celtic on a fair level ground, because of the tens of millions of the Irish emigrant global community.

If Celtic PLC ever forget that Irish fact, or try and make the Irish connection some approved version or tame it, it will be to their loss, especially financial!

Our natural support for Neil lennon is there, but he has to play his part by picking the best players available, and not stick to his stubborn bias on certain players.

I think Celtic can turn the match around in the return leg, if not just because the Khazak team FC Shakhter are crude and will probably have at least one player sent off. They will be tugging the shirts of Celtic forwards again, but this time the refs will be embarrassed into action.

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Neil Lennon Celtic Champions League FC Shakhter poor tactics

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