Neil Lennon hits back at Leigh Griffiths’ claims that he gave him a ‘raw deal’ at Celtic
Neil Lennon hits again at Leigh Griffiths’ promises that he gave him a ‘raw deal’ at Celtic last expression, as the former Hoops boss states the striker was ‘totally unacceptable’ for reporting again to pre-time ‘completely out of condition’
- Leigh Griffiths struggled for playing time at Celtic for the duration of last time
- But former Celtic manager Neil Lennon was remaining fuming at the striker pre-time
- Lennon accused the striker of becoming way powering his group-mates’ physical fitness
- He claimed the striker experienced plenty of chance to coach at the club in lockdown
Neil Lennon has hit again at tips from Celtic striker Leigh Griffiths that he gave him a challenging time at the club for the duration of last time, following questioning the striker’s professionalism.
Griffiths is out of contract at Celtic Park this summer time and is hoping new manager Ange Postecoglou will provide him a new deal.
Lennon in the meantime departed as manager in February next a disastrous campaign that saw Celtic shed the league title to intense rivals Rangers, ending a operate of 9 consecutive seasons as champions.
Neil Lennon (ideal) and Leigh Griffiths (remaining) clashed for the duration of last time at Celtic
Griffiths not too long ago claimed he was offered a uncooked deal by Lennon, getting been diminished to a bit aspect function on the bench for considerably of the time, but the former Hoops boss insisted Griffiths only experienced himself to blame getting described again for pre-time in an unacceptable form.
‘He permit himself down,’ he informed BBC Scotland’s Euros Breakfast Exhibit. ‘He’s on entire spend for the a few months of lockdown and he arrives again, totally out of issue and a stone obese, when he could not manage to be simply because he hadn’t played considerably soccer in the previous 18 months to two many years.
‘We experienced labored genuinely tricky with him to get him again on track and ahead of lockdown, he was in the group and scoring plans and undertaking definitely wonderful.
Lennon was unsatisfied at the physical issue of Griffiths when he returned for pre-time
‘Then he arrives again absolutely out of issue, way, way powering any of the rest of them and for me, that was totally unacceptable.
‘During the lockdown, the a few months off, we opened the teaching floor. You could not occur into the creating but my physical fitness mentor established up physical fitness teaching for the gamers just about every day.
‘So you would occur in, in groups of two, and coach for an hour a day – physical fitness operate, just about every day.
‘Callum McGregor, Scott Brown, James Forrest, Greg Taylor, Jonny Hayes – all the lads that lived in Scotland arrived in. Leigh didn’t occur in just one day, not just one day for the duration of the lockdown. You can get a horse to water but you are unable to drive it to consume.
Griffiths is now hoping to generate a new deal with the club with his contract expiring this summer time
Even following Lennon remaining the club in February, Celtic’s caretaker John Kennedy did not provide Griffiths considerably playing time and Lennon wrote off the thirty-calendar year-aged as not displaying adequate to be picked for club nor state.
‘He’s saying, “I will establish persons erroneous” – he hasn’t proved any person erroneous. He is not at the amount of becoming a Champions League player, he didn’t get picked for Scotland – you have to request why.
‘He’ll say he didn’t participate in adequate games, in direction of the conclude of the time I wasn’t there, John (Kennedy) naturally felt that he wasn’t in the ideal body of mind or issue to participate in for Celtic, which is a quite substantial common and I don’t think Leigh got anywhere near individuals expectations about the last calendar year or so.’
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