I’ve written about the infamous Ferencvaros press conference on a couple of occasions now. But I’ve never heard this version of events and it really is a remarkable account of why some of the players seemed to turn on the manager.
Reporter, Mark Guidi, let the cat out the bag on The Go Radio Football Show where he claimed that one of the reasons some of the players, allegedly, threw the toys out of the pram was because of Leigh Griffith’s conduct, “Another thing that was doing the rounds too around August, September time when Neil Lennon had a go at the players after the Ferencvaros game and he thought maybe one or two had downed tools.
“By all accounts, one or two were unhappy at the preferential treatment that Leigh Griffiths was being given.
Host of the show, Paul Cooney’s reaction was priceless as he interrupted Guidi with a dumbfounded “Really?!“, as Guidi continued, “That was doing the rounds. Because of the fact that he was welcomed back into the fold again. Neil Lennon said I’m going to give him another chance because the fact that he didn’t go to pre season.
“But then he welcomed him back into the fold, but in terms of, not because it was left out of the squad, because they felt that his lack of professionalism and that condition that he turned up in the players were sating ‘Wait a minute, we’ve all been doing it, why should he not?‘”.
If that really was the case it is understandable why the players reacted the way they did. Whilst I will never condone the way they threw the title away and the rest of the silverware last season, if this story does have some legs in it Lennon really has a damn cheek not only calling out the players but to then try and justify the teams capitulation with the barrage of attacks in last weeks press will surely only sours his relationship with the fans further?