Rangers v Celtic: Neil Lennon dismisses his taunts as 'just a bit of fun'
Celtic manager Neil Lennon simply couldn't help himself. At the end of a week when it was revealed “viable” bombs had been addressed to him and at the conclusion of a match during which he had been jeered relentlessly, he cupped his hands to his ears as he turned to his detractors before strutting off the pitch.
Hear we go: Celtic manager Neil Lennon cups his ears to taunt Rangers fans Photo: ACTION IMAGES
By Ewing Grahame 9:12PM BST 24 Apr 2011
Comments
To an extent, his response was understandable. Goodness knows the 39-year-old, approaching the business end of his first season in management, has been under intolerable pressure on and off the pitch.
In recent times, no public figure in the United Kingdom, with the possible exception of Salman Rushdie, has been subjected to the same vilification and threats of physical harm as Lennon has had to contend with.
At the final whistle on Sunday, having achieved a result which makes it likely he will win the championship at the first time of asking, the temptation to respond must have been well nigh irresistible...but it should have been resisted. He let himself down.
When asked about it afterwards, the Irishman believed the incident was not worthy of mention. “Don't ask me about that – it's called humour, all right? So don't distract from the team's performance, don't even write about it.
“You'll have the photographs, I'm sure, tomorrow: it's just a bit of fun. If people think otherwise then that's their problem. Don't ask me about it again.”
“My team were men today, real men. They stood up to everything that Rangers threw at them and came back for more.
“I was apprehensive about the game because it's always difficult coming here but I've done it three times now and left unbeaten. It could have been better but I'm pleased. Our midfield got stronger as the game went on.
“I'm glad that the Old Firm thing is now over for the season and that I don't have to go through all the hype that surrounds it again. Seven times: that's plenty for one season.”
Lennon admitted to feeling drained by the unprecedented pressure placed on him during the build-up to the match and is looking forward to moving out of the spotlight, albeit briefly.
“The players will now have some time of and I need a couple of days just to get my mind away from things,” he said.
“We have a free week for the first time in a while so I'll go away and reflect on things and clear my head.”
Lennon also dismissed Walter Smith's claim that the awarding of Celtic's penalty kick was a culmination of the club's war of attrition with the Scottish Football Association this season.
“That's nonsense, absolute nonsense,” he said. “Have they not had penalties against us when the referee wasn't even looking? Where's his argument there?
“I feel a sense of satisfaction with our performance because there had been question marks over some of our players but the fact that their goalkeeper was the Man of the Match says a lot.
“Samaras is disappointed but, to be fair to Allan McGregor, it was a fantastic save. Sometimes you just have to give the goalkeeper credit.
“If it had been poorly struck then I'd have criticised Georgios but he scored with one in the earlier fixture here and we wouldn't be in the position we're in now if it hadn't been for his efforts that day.”
Six years ago on Sunday Lennon was a member of Martin O'Neill's side which left Ibrox with a 2-1 victory, courtesy of goals from Stilian Petrov and Craig Bellamy.
That victory put Celtic five points clear of Alex McLeish's side with only four matches remaining but two goals from Motherwell's Scott McDonald in the final three minutes of the campaign saw the championship snatched away from them.
“Every game is a cup final now because every other team wants our scalp,” said Lennon. “There are no guarantees that we'll win the league but, equally, there was no doubting our mentality and our quality out there today.”
From jeers to jeers - Lennon's lively day at Ibrox
11.15: Neil Lennon steps off the team bus outside the stadium, to be greeted by a volley of abuse but, thankfully, no threats. Many of the Rangers fans call his name to attract his attention as they attempt to take his photograph.
12.09: Lennon marches on to the field of play to observe his players as they warmed up for what was to come. His arrival was the catalyst for jeers from three sides of the ground and rapturous applause from those in the Broomloan Stand, who unfurled a banner featuring a portrait of the Irishman during his playing days at the club, bearing the legend: Neil Lennon – Celtic to the core. Another read: We stand behind our leader.
12.41: The match was nine minutes old before the first “If you hate Neil Lennon clap your hands” was heard from the home fans. In Glasgow, that qualifies as restraint.
12.50: As they had done at Kilmarnock in midweek, the Celtic supporters applauded Lennon en masse in the 18th minute (18 was his shirt number as a player): the manager acknowledges the gesture and returns the applause.
13.40: A blue balloon drifted into Celtic's technical area. Lennon caught it and then burst it by stamping on it.
14.13: Lennon crouches on the touchline, barely able to watch as Allan McGregor saves Georgios Samaras' penalty. After the miss, he turns and calmly walks back to the Celtic bench.
14.24: Lennon shakes hands with Walter Smith, Ally McCoist and Kenny MacDowall before jogging on to the pitch to salute the visiting fans, console Samaras and congratulate the rest of his players. He leaves the field, waving a clenched fist at Celtic's supporters and then cupping his ears to taunt the home crowd, who are jeering him for all they are worth.
15.00: He tells reporters not to write about that incident, claiming it was “just a bit of fun.”
salman rushdie, neil lennon, photo action, vilification, business end, physical harm, bit of fun, irishman, real men, detractors, taunts, midfield, ewing, 12pm, whistle, celtic, goodness, bombs, ears, three times
No comments:
Post a Comment