Glasgow: Celtic star Efe Ambrose has urged the Parkhead club’s supporters to lay off manager Neil Lennon ahead of today’s trip to Tynecastle to take on Hearts in the Scottish Premier League.
The Nigerian defender was left shocked after the Celtic manager stated on Saturday he would walk away from the club if the fans wanted him out following an angry confrontation with a section of supporters during their shock 1-0 home defeat to Inverness Caledonian Thistle.
Celtic sit top of the Scottish Premier League - a point above Aberdeen and Hibernian with a game in hand - and Lennon has led the club to the brink of qualifying for the last 16 of the Champions League thanks to a memorable run in the group stages which included a famous win over Barcelona earlier this month.
But domestically the club have struggled with the Hoops dropping 17 points in 14 game , 12 of them after Champions League matches and 10 at home, as they have made the worst start to any title campaign since 1998.
Following the defeat to Inverness, the Highland club’s first ever win at Parkhead, Lennon said he’d do the “honourable thing” if the club’s fans want him to leave. But Ambrose reckons the critics are wrong and fans should stick with the boss and his team as patience will see them rewarded.
“I believe these things come with desperation,” the defender said.
“The fans want us to win but when we cannot win, you see the other side of them, the ugly side.
“But this is football. I believe with patience, everything works out better than they think.
“The team is just building up and injuries coming along do not help. It’s affecting the team a bit. When the team is back, you are going to see a better Celtic.
“The fans should stay behind us and stick with us. They are here to see what this team can do but we are just starting out and have not even reached our second stage.
“We believe in ourselves and we’ll work extra hard to do it.”
His thoughts were echoed by captain Scott Brown, who pointed to Lennon’s achievements since taking charge two years ago.
“The gaffer has been great with every single player here and the club has made a lot of progress since he has been in charge,” the Scotland midfielder said.
“We are possibly only one game away from reaching the knockout stage of the Champions League, we have won away from home for the first time in the competition and we have managed to defeat Barcelona.
“The players know that we need to start picking up more points in the league, especially at home, but the manager has built a good enough team, brought players in from nowhere and made them an important part of the team and that is to his credit.
Elsewhere, Hibernian, who are just a point behind the Hoops, will look to end a two-match losing run when they travel to McDiarmid Park to take on St Johnstone.AFP
