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Scottish Premiership | Gameweek 4
May 12, 2019 at 12pm UK
 
Celtic logo

2-0

Tavernier (2'), Arfield (63')
FT(HT: 1-0)

Lennon doubts 'very poor' derby display will affect Celtic job prospects

Lennon doubts 'very poor' derby display will affect Celtic job prospects
© Reuters
Rangers claimed a 2-0 victory in the final Old Firm game of the season thanks to goals from James Tavernier and Scott Arfield.

Neil Lennon insists he does not fear Celtic's lifeless display at Ibrox will cost him his chance of landing the Parkhead job permanently.

The champions had a day to forget against Rangers as they allowed Steven Gerrard's side to coast to a 2-0 win in the final Old Firm clash of the season.

Goals from James Tavernier and Scott Arfield sent the Light Blue fans into delirium – but the defeat could yet have consequences for Lennon.

Neil Lennon admits his side's performance at Ibrox as
Celtic interim boss Neil Lennon admits his side's performance at Ibrox as "very poor" (Andrew Milligan/PA)

The interim Hoops boss is still waiting to learn if he will be kept on beyond this month's William Hill Scottish Cup final.

The Northern Irishman was tasked with nudging the club's triple treble push over the line when he was brought back in the wake of Brendan Rodgers' Leicester switch.

His team have already wrapped up their eighth league title on the spin and can complete an historic third domestic clean sweep when they face Hearts at Hampden on May 25.

Lennon, though, was far from happy with his side's performance in the fourth derby contest of the campaign, accusing his players of failing to match Gers in the hunger stakes.

But asked if the display might sway the Hoops hierarchy's decision on whether he stays on after the summer, he replied: "I've no idea, I wouldn't have thought so.

"We have come through a lot of big games recently, meaningful games. I'm not saying this isn't meaningful, but quarter-finals, semi-finals, league games.

"We got the title won last weekend and have a cup final to look forward to. Then maybe I will know after that."

Lennon could not hide his disappointment with his side's performance.

"Poor – very poor," was his assessment. "Lacked energy and desire. And Lacked quality. The hungrier team won today and that's the biggest criticism I can lay at the players' feet.

"We looked flat and like we were just fulfilling the fixture today and that's obviously not good enough.

Rangers were deserved winners over Celtic at Ibrox
Rangers were deserved winners over Celtic at Ibrox (Jeff Holmes/PA)

"I had to tell the players, whether I'm here or not next year, that performance is just not good enough for a derby."

Lennon claimed before the game that Rangers had a "huge disciplinary problem" having had 12 players sent-off this year.

And he insisted they should have had another when Jon Flanagan thrust his arm into the face of Scott Brown early in the second half.

Lennon felt Jon Flanagan should have seen red rather than yellow following an incident involving Scott Brown
Lennon felt Jon Flanagan should have seen red rather than yellow following an incident involving Scott Brown (Jeff Holmes/PA)

The former Hibernian boss said: "It's a red card. Again. How the referee has not given that as a red card I don't know. It's an elbow into his face."

Rangers got off to a flying start when,Β  just two minutes in, Tavernier's free-kick was allowed to drift in at the back post by Scott Bain.

With the Hoops looking out of sorts, Rangers capitalised again after 65 minutes as Arfield pounced to prod home the second after brilliant work by Glen Kamara.

Steven Gerrard's Rangers have beaten Celtic twice at Ibrox this season
Steven Gerrard's Rangers have beaten Celtic twice at Ibrox this season (Jeff Holmes/PA)

The victory – which cuts Celtic's lead to six points – counts for little in the larger scheme of things but will renew belief among the blue half of Glasgow that they can finally halt their bitter rivals' era of domination after the summer.

And Gerrard, whose side have now both of their derby showdowns on home soil, agreed, saying: "We should take a lot of belief and confidence from this performance and this result.

"If you analyse the four derby games I think we've been more than a match. That hasn't been the area where we have fallen short.

"We have drawn too many games elsewhere. There has been one or two disappointing defeats within that as well.

"It is a huge challenge here. Just because we have won today and performed very well it doesn't make it any easier next season.

"Celtic aren't going to go away, they're going to improve. There's still a target for us which is to try and knock them off their perch.

"As I say, we are very respectful to the challenge and the opposition, but we have to take confidence and belief from games like this.

"At our best we have shown that we can compete and beat them, but we have to do it over a longer period of time. That is a bigger challenge."

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Neil Lennon celebrates Celtic's title win on May 4, 2019
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Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Celtic1514104444043
2Aberdeen16104230181234
3RangersRangers1510232791832
4Motherwell178272327-426
5Dundee UnitedDundee Utd166642519624
6St Mirren176382228-621
7Dundee165472729-219
8Kilmarnock184681935-1618
9Hibernian173682129-815
10Ross County173681333-2015
11St Johnstone1742112032-1214
12Hearts1734101826-813


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