Neil Lennon has refused to resign as Celtic manager despite a 2-0 home defeat to Ross County in the Betfred Cup, which sparked angry protests from around 200 fans outside Parkhead. The loss ended a 35-game unbeaten run in domestic cup competitions for the SPFL champions.
Goals from Ross Stewart and Alex Iacovitti secured Ross County's place in the quarter-finals, while Celtic have now won only two of their last ten games in all competitions. After the match, a group of supporters gathered outside the main stand, with some masked individuals attempting to break through a police cordon to reach the players.
Lennon stated he believes he can still turn the team's form around, saying: 'It's too soon for that. We've lost one trophy, that's gone. Our priority, as we know, is the league.' He added that he had spoken to major shareholder Dermot Desmond and chief executive Peter Lawwell on Friday about finding solutions to the club's problems.
Celtic directors are reportedly considering Lennon's position, with the team now 11 points behind Rangers in the Scottish Premiership. Lennon, who is due a year's salary if dismissed, made clear he will not resign, saying: 'I believe in myself. I am not always going to harp on about what I have done in the past.'
The defeat comes ahead of the Scottish Cup final against Hearts on December 20, where Celtic could extend their run of consecutive trophies to 12. Lennon insisted he deserves more time to turn things around, but acknowledged: 'The results don't help those chances.'
