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Daily Record
Daily Record
Sport
Mark McDougall

Chris Sutton savages 'gutless' Celtic as Hoops legend admits 'real problem' for Neil Lennon

Chris Sutton has savaged the Celtic squad and insists it was one of the most 'gutless' displays he's ever seen from the club.

And he's accused the players of 'chucking it' during the defeat to Sparta Prague as they crashed to a 4-1 defeat at Celtic Park and reckons it could put Neil Lennon under huge pressure.

The Hoops legend was fizzing with his old side as they struggled to get into the game and they're now sit bottom of the group, with just one point from their three games.

Lukas Julis got a hat-trick for Sparta Prague and Celtic really struggled against their Czech opposition.

It's now just one win in six games for Celtic as they struggle to hit any form in recent weeks.

Celtic FC v Sparta Prague 05/11/2020; Celtic manager Neil Lennon (Daily Record)

And Sutton didn't hold back as he said: "That was one of the most gutless displays I’ve ever seen from a Celtic team with what was at stake tonight.

"I know Celtic fans are saying ‘Europe doesn’t matter this year’. I’m sorry, it absolutely does. You play for Celtic, you want to compete in Europe.

"Celtic, quite frankly, did not compete in any way shape or form. It’s a dressing room this season where you have to question a lot of the players. A lot of the character of the players.

"We see Leigh Griffiths come on the pitch and get his goal but I look at his attitude, I look at his attitude all season. A fit Leigh Griffiths is a brilliant option for Neil Lennon. He can’t be bothered to get himself fit.

(Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

"He sums the Celtic dressing room up at this moment in time. I think they chucked it tonight.

"They were patchy in the first half, had a little spell in the first half where they were okay, but that wasn’t enough in the end.

"The knock on effect, Neil Lennon will find himself under pressure. You can’t get humiliated like this, from a team - with the greatest of respect - is a good team but a team Celtic, the board, the manager, the players would expect to beat.

"That, quite frankly, isn’t good enough. There’s a way to lose the game. Teams feel they can get at Celtic and this Sparta Prague team absolutely battered them.

"Pathetic. Pathetic. I haven’t seen a display like that in a long time. It was bad enough against Rangers but this was a step down if at all possible.

"Let’s look at the season as a whole, I’ve seen players say they have taken undeserved criticism. Go out and prove it on the pitch. In Lille they did it, they played well at the weekend against Aberdeen but it’s been few and far between.

"They let themselves down badly tonight. They know that. That is totally, totally unacceptable tonight. Neil Lennon will know it, but ultimately he carries the can.

"This is the type of result that is going to cause Neil Lennon a real problem, and I don't say that lightly."

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