Celtic are out of the Champions League after an abject showing at Parkhead last night against Romanian side CFR Cluj. After the match, Neil Lennon tried to explain how it all went so wrong for the Hoops.
“The first half we were so passive, no tempo, I don’t know where that came from. We weren’t physical or aggressive enough and certainly didn’t work hard enough to stop crosses, second balls. We got a warning beforehand and didn’t stop the cross and then we do the exact same thing again.
“The first goal you are thinking ‘right, wake-up call’, the second goal was an individual mistake, the third goal we had plenty of defenders back but we just let the guy run off us and get the shot away and should have done better with the rebound. The fourth goal is academic because we are trying to throw everything at them to get an equaliser. We had enough chances to win the game but we wasted 45 minutes. If we had played anywhere near as well in the first half as we did second half, we would have been through.”
Lennon was widely criticised for starting Callum McGregor at left back but in his post match interview, he explained the decision and refused to admit that this decision had anything to do with the result.
“Just to get Olivier Ntcham in midfield because he has been playing well and to have a couple of technicians on the field as well,” he said. “I don’t think that really affected the result. I mean he [McGregor] set up the first goal, played very well, and Ntcham had a fine game as well.”
Late last night on Twitter, the mood was extremely salty amongst Celtic fans.
Neil Lennon needs to sort this shit out ASAP. To play Callum McGregor at LB is nothing short of disgraceful. He would’ve seen what a disaster that move was from Rodgers at Ibrox last season. So why the fuck would you throw him in at LB again, especially in a CL qualifier?!
— L.67 (@Popes_11) August 13, 2019
Superb man management from Neil Lennon as in the space of 45 minutes he turns the entire Celtic support into Boli Bolingoli fans
— Oldfirmfacts (@Oldfirmfacts1) August 13, 2019
