NEIL LENNON has praised the input from Celtic’s majority shareholder Dermot Desmond after he took part in an interview on Friday.
The silent Celtic backer spoke about the current football climate, Celtic teams of the past and the transition from Brendan Rodgers and Neil Lennon.
Now back in the hot seat, Neil Lennon has nothing but good things to say about his boss.
Neil confirms he talks with the majority shareholder before most games and he has his finger on the pulse. This is at odds with the perception among Celtic fans that Dermot takes a back seat and doesn’t get involved with the day to day of the club.
“It is great to have Dermot’s backing. He’s been so good to me, and for me.” Lennon told SunSport.
“We do talk on a regular basis, so he’s got his finger on the pulse of the club and the team.
“We talk at length the day before a game or we analyse the game now and again.
“He made it clear and we didn’t shy away from it, that he didn’t think the performance against Ross County was good. If you are open and honest with Dermot and straight, you get rewarded for that.
“He’s a very intelligent man and he’s done unbelievable things for the club.
“If you have him as a support or an ear then it gives you a lot of comfort, particularly in a heavily pressurised job like this.”
“And that has been forged over a long time. I’ve been at the club for 20 years.
“I was manager here for four years in my first period and now I’m into my third season.
“It’s not as if there’s a comfort there, he keeps you on your toes.
“He likes high standards and he likes high standards of performance from the players and staff.
“He doesn’t make unrealistic demands of you or unrealistic expectations.
“If you go through a bad period he’s the first one to pick up the phone and talk to you and support you and, likewise, when we have great results he’s there to congratulate you.
“If there’s something that he’s not happy with then we talk it through and look to improve on it.”
Celtic could go top on Saturday evening with a win over Livingston. Presumably, Dermot has already checked in with the Celtic manager before this important game.
We would have loved to hear the majority shareholder talk to the Celtic manager after the painful Champions League exit last month. Considering the failure to make the competition directly impacts the finances of the club, it couldn’t have been a pleasant phone call,.
