Down But Still United

Having heard rumours of Neil Lennon losing the backing of the Celtic dressing room, it would appear strange (to me anyway), that the players in that squad have been so vocal in their support of him.

I have taken note of a few of these (all from the past couple of weeks, with the exception of Common’s quote taken from Twitter towards the end of September after he was dropped for the Rangers game) and charted them below.

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Fraser Forster
“The manager has been absolutely fantastic with me ever since I walked through the door. I can’t thank him enough”



Mark Wilson
“We're firmly behind the manager and we love working under him and the coaching staff. It's up to us to repay his faith in us. We've not done it this season”



Charlie Mulgrew
“The manager has shown faith in a lot of boys here and everybody wants to win the title for him. We are all right behind him and working to repay his faith.
We feel we owe him so everybody is concentrating on doing the club and the manager a turn”



Daniel Majstorovic
“It is important for all players that the coach believes in you. I am always motivated. I don’t think about anything else. I feel really good here. I really like the club and I just need to be focused and deliver on the pitch.”



Thomas Rogne
“We have let the manager down too many times now and haven't done him justice. We are desperate to turn it around for him, for the fans, for the club — everyone.

I can stand here, though, and talk to you about every player wanting to turn it around but we have to show it on the pitch. But we have to step our game up and be united as a group as we have been and believe in ourselves.”



Adam Matthews
“Every single player in that dressing room plays for the manager and respects the manager. There is no doubt that every player is playing for him. All the boys are really close and they are close to the management staff as well.”



Victor Wanyama
“The manager spoke but the players were involved in it as well. We all agreed with what was being said so it was positive.

The Celtic squad's like a family. The players help one another and that's helped me. As players we want to help one another. The manager is part of that — we all are."



Ki Sung Yueng
“I'm young and I'm very happy with these players and the manager. I'm very pleased with this club. I just want to help the team win the league.”



Beram Kayal
“I will do everything for the club and the manager to achieve success. It was the manager who wanted me here and I want to achieve things for him, the club and all our supporters.

The gaffer gives everything for the players and every one of us wants to give everything back to the gaffer. For me, he's not just the manager. He gave me everything, he always believed in me. When he speaks to me, he gives me energy. It is especially good that he played in my position, because always he gives me tips during the games. Every time he tells me to do something in a game, if I do it, I have success.

I left my family to come here and I feel that all the club, not just the gaffer but the coaches and players are my family now. The gaffer has a bond not just with me. He has a bond with all the players.

We just want to win games for him."



Joe Ledley
"We want him to stay, he's a great manager and we all want to try to win things for him and ourselves. We just have to keep working hard and try to get back on track. He is one of the greatest managers I have worked with and we want to keep him here.
We want to keep him here because he is a great manager and everyone believes in him."



James Forrest
"It's just nonsense to suggest the manager has lost the dressing room. The players are right behind him.

I've known the gaffer since he was in charge of the reserve side and he was the one who gave me my chance in the first team. If you ask the players they'll tell you he's good to work under but we are the ones who have to show him what we can do.”



Kris Commons
“Celtic is the best club I've ever played for and Lenny is no doubt the best manager I've worked under.”


Anthony Stokes
“We are all right behind the gaffer. It is up to us as players to show that we are good enough here. We are desperate to bring success to the club, and the manager is the man to do that.”




Johan Mjallby
“If I was a player I would be happy to have Neil Lennon as a manager and I would be fighting for him”



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Obviously backed into a corner under questioning, an employee is hardly going to get stuck into their current boss; however the majority of the quotes from the players have come in post match interviews, or questions about the clubs form, rather than directly about Lennon’s ability, future, or indeed popularity.

Given the players could have avoided the subject on almost all of the above, I think it shows that whatever is causing Celtic’s poor form, a lack of support for Neil Lennon amongst his players, is not the reason.