Watch as Neil Lennon is outed backing Lawwell’s nightmare transfer policy

Chris Sutton and Neil Lennon were involved in a fiery exchange over Celtic’s recruitment issues ahead of the dismal 0-0 draw at Ibrox.

In truth there was more life, excitement and passion in the exchange between the former team-mates than the ‘action’ that followed which involved a combined two shots at goal.

Jack Butland held both of them comfortably with Kasper Schmeichel barely troubled despite the home side having eight corners, all taken by the recalled Captain Disappointed.

Lennon and Sutton were integral parts of Martin O’Neill’s success at Celtic at the turn of the century, in recent years their relationship has become increasingly strained.

That came to a head during the disastrous 20/21 season, as things disintegrated inside Celtic Sutton called it out while Lennon dug deeper into denial, blaming everything for an incredible implosion that has never been fully explained.

Lennon might have expected the backing of his former team-mates, he got the benefit of the doubt for a while but Sutton, John Hartson and Stan Petrov were left with no option but to call out the role of the manager as Celtic’s season crashed and burned during the autumn.

Celtic ordered a managerial review in December, a typical deflection tactic, things got worse during a ‘training trip’ to Dubai in January with the inevitable happening in February after another defeat to Ross County.

Lennon remains very much the company man, criticising the group that twice appointed him as Celtic manager is impossible for him to do despite being handicapped while bringing success to the club.

Post Celtic Lennon has managed Bolton and Hibs followed by Omonia Nicosia (29 matches), Rpid Bucharest (6 matches) and now Dunfermline, no-one else has the belief in him that Peter Lawwell has shown.

Lennon:

Maybe the players that Brendan’s wanted of that quality, the ones who can take the club from the knockout rounds to the last 16 or even the quarters, they cost money. They’re quality players, but they’re not coming to Scotland unless it’s Champions League football.

But if I’m an agent of a player Celtic wanted, and he’s worth £12-15 million, I could take him to La Liga, or maybe Serie A. I can take him to Scotland, but the carrot in Scotland is Champions League football. Glasgow can be a hard sell.

There are plenty of players that aren’t demanding Champions League football in return for the misery of life in Glasgow led by Ben Nygren and Michel-Ange Balikwisha. Over the last few years Jota, Joe Hart, Josip Jranovic, Matt O’Riley, Kyogo Furuhashi, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Giorgos Giakoumakis and Liel Abada have joined Celtic without guaranteed Champions League football,

Sutton hit back with:

Neil, you’re making excuses. No, you’re making excuses. The bottom line is Celtic had to get replacements in for these players. Other clubs get it done, and it’s just too easy to say, well, let’s just wait and see.

Other clubs get it done. To lose Kyogo and not replace him… who knows? Had Celtic kept Kyogo, they could have won the cup final.

To actually sell Kyogo while still in the Champions League, was that the right thing to do? That’s where supporters question the club hierarchy’s ambition.

It’s not just enough to stay ahead of Rangers. The supporters want more than that.

Kris Boyd’s only contribution was to repeat the Engels/Idah/Trusty cost £26m and were a complete waste of money. Those three players made 21 starting appearances and nine off the bench in Celtic’s most successful Champions League campaign in more than a decade. Idah scored three goals and set up the YB Bern own goal that took Celtic into the Last 16 Play Off against Bayern Munich.