Post by Admin on Oct 2, 2011 17:19:35 GMT
Neil Lennon says his Celtic players must show more consistency if they are to get their title hopes back on track following their 2-0 defeat to Hearts.
The defeat at Tynecastle is the club’s third SPL loss of the campaign, leaving them ten points behind league leaders Rangers and a point behind Motherwell with a game in hand.
Goals from Rudi Skacel and Ryan Stevenson put the Hoops to the sword, with Kris Commons sent off on his return to the team.
And after losing at home to St Johnstone and going down 4-2 in the Old Firm derby at Ibrox, Lennon knows he can’t afford many more slip ups.
Speaking about his team’s championship chances, Lennon said: “It is a concern, obviously.
“We have a game in hand but we have to win that game and cut it to seven and eat away at it.
“But we have to find more consistency in our performances.
“We have lost three games already this season and last season we lost four.
“It is a difficult position that I am in but I understand that position.
“The players are going to have to turn it around, and I am going to have to turn it around.
“A few players have to look at themselves and ask if they are doing enough at the minute.
“There are six, seven months of the season to go and we have to find consistency.”
The Parkhead boss was also unhappy at his strikers’ display, adding: “My biggest bugbear about today is the amount of chances we missed," continued the Irishman.
“We missed some really good chances in the first half.
“We were wasteful in front of goal and away from home, the longer the game is goalless, you give the opposition encouragement.
“If we had got a goal we might have gone on to win the game comfortably but the first goal changed the nature of the game.
“I am getting 100% from the players but certainly not form.
“The heads dropped after the sending off, which was disappointing and there was a lack of belief that we could get back in the game.
“I said to them afterwards that a draw wouldn't have been the worst result in the world.
“But we weren't clinical enough and that was the biggest disappointment.”
The Northern Irishman was also critical of Kris Commons, who saw red for a challenge on Adrian Mrowiec.
He said: “One player lost his discipline and let us down badly.
“I didn't get a good look at it but from what I can gather it was a lunge and it is high.
“He came in and held his hand up but it is too late.
“We are disappointed, he let himself down and let us down so he will be dealt with accordingly in-house.”
The defeat at Tynecastle is the club’s third SPL loss of the campaign, leaving them ten points behind league leaders Rangers and a point behind Motherwell with a game in hand.
Goals from Rudi Skacel and Ryan Stevenson put the Hoops to the sword, with Kris Commons sent off on his return to the team.
And after losing at home to St Johnstone and going down 4-2 in the Old Firm derby at Ibrox, Lennon knows he can’t afford many more slip ups.
Speaking about his team’s championship chances, Lennon said: “It is a concern, obviously.
“We have a game in hand but we have to win that game and cut it to seven and eat away at it.
“But we have to find more consistency in our performances.
“We have lost three games already this season and last season we lost four.
“It is a difficult position that I am in but I understand that position.
“The players are going to have to turn it around, and I am going to have to turn it around.
“A few players have to look at themselves and ask if they are doing enough at the minute.
“There are six, seven months of the season to go and we have to find consistency.”
The Parkhead boss was also unhappy at his strikers’ display, adding: “My biggest bugbear about today is the amount of chances we missed," continued the Irishman.
“We missed some really good chances in the first half.
“We were wasteful in front of goal and away from home, the longer the game is goalless, you give the opposition encouragement.
“If we had got a goal we might have gone on to win the game comfortably but the first goal changed the nature of the game.
“I am getting 100% from the players but certainly not form.
“The heads dropped after the sending off, which was disappointing and there was a lack of belief that we could get back in the game.
“I said to them afterwards that a draw wouldn't have been the worst result in the world.
“But we weren't clinical enough and that was the biggest disappointment.”
The Northern Irishman was also critical of Kris Commons, who saw red for a challenge on Adrian Mrowiec.
He said: “One player lost his discipline and let us down badly.
“I didn't get a good look at it but from what I can gather it was a lunge and it is high.
“He came in and held his hand up but it is too late.
“We are disappointed, he let himself down and let us down so he will be dealt with accordingly in-house.”