NEIL Lennon last night admitted that he wants Dunfermline Athletic to challenge for promotion to the William Hill Premiership next season and entertain the supporters in the process after becoming the East End Park club’s permanent manager.
Celtic great Lennon helped the struggling Fife outfit to avoid relegation from the Championship after taking over from Michael Tidser for the final seven league games of the 2024/25 campaign.
The Northern Irishman, who brought in former Parkhead centre-half Victor Wanyama and oversaw wins over Livingston and Queen’s Park during his brief spell in charge, has now signed a two year deal.
He acknowledged that, with both Ross County and St Johnstone both dropping down a division, that going up will be challenging. However, he remains determined to lead Dunfermline back into the top flight for the first since 2012 next term.
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“I more or less agreed things with the owner towards the end of the season,” he said. “Obviously, there was negotiations going on with the contract and that, but he was true to his word and I've been true to my word. We've got a good relationship, which is really important.
“The same is true of the people around the club, David [chairman and chief executive Cook] is obviously important in that aspect as is John [advisor Colquhoun]. We know there's a lot of work that needs to be done. That's a real challenge for me and one that I'm looking forward to.
“I don't like making predictions. But I would like us to be challenging around the top. That's going to take a lot when you consider that two Premiership teams have come down into the division.
“Allied to that, you've got Ayr United and Partick Thistle, Raith Rovers finished the season really strongly, Morton are consistent. So it’s an attritional nutritional league. But we have to find the players that will give us the edge in games. If not, they will then be difficult to beat, but also consistent. We need more consistency in our performances.”
“We came in at a difficult time and some of the performances were good, solid,” he said. “But we weren't spectacular by any means, so I want to change that. We only scored 28 goals in 36 games. That's something that has to be changed overall.
“The players were good, their attitude was good. We liked it, we enjoyed it. We enjoyed the challenge, but now this is a different challenge. We want to start looking up the table rather than over our shoulders. There's rebuilding work that needs to be done, but we want to do that incrementally.”
Lennon added, “We've been working away in the background on a number of players, it's a slow process. There are already players who have signed new contracts from last season.
“There are players who have obviously left the club and their own players have come back to their parent clubs. We've got a small platform to build from in terms of the squad of players so far.
“Recruitment is going to be important. Getting the right players in the right positions and obviously with the right mindset as well. There were things that didn't please me over the six or seven weeks I was there. We just want to change a little bit of the culture around the place as well.
“I want more attacking players. That's always been my way. The bottom line is football is an entertainment business and you want to entertain. I think sometimes it gets lost in all the analytics and the coaching side of things.
“We have good support here. They rock up. They love the club and they want to see a team perform. Yes, full of commitment, that's non-negotiable, but with quality as well.”
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Cook commented, "This is an important moment for Dunfermline. Confirming the appointment of Neil is a clear statement of our intent to build something meaningful and competitive.
“His leadership during the latter part of last season was outstanding, and he brings a wealth of experience, professionalism, and presence that has already made a significant impact around the club.
“None of this would be possible without the ongoing support of James and Evan[co-owners Bord and Sofer]. It would be remiss of me not to highlight their passion for moving the club forward.
“We know the past few seasons have been challenging on and off the pitch. Entertainment has been in short supply, but our supporters have stuck with us through some difficult times. We aim to repay their loyal backing by competing at the right end of the Championship, giving them a team to be proud of.”
