Lennon warns players to forget Champions League

Neil Lennon has warned his Celtic players to ignore the prospect of Champions League glory for now to concentrate on domestic duties.

A 1-0 home defeat by Inverness on Saturday meant the Hoops have dropped 17 points from 14 Clydesdale Bank Premier League games, only four less than they did in the whole of last season.

One theory for their lacklustre display is that the Parkhead players are thinking too much about the Champions League Group G decider with Spartak Moscow on December 5.

However, boss Lennon, who threatened to quit following an altercation with angry fans during the game in which Billy McKay grabbed a second-half winner for the visitors, said: “Well, if it is then they’ll not play.

“I’m fed up talking about Champions League games when we are playing domestic games.

“I know it’s all new to them, and I know there is a big game looming on the horizon.

“But I can’t accept players thinking that way, because they won’t play.

“They can’t waste games, they can’t think of other games when they’re playing against decent SPL teams, which Inverness are.”

Explaining his altercation with angry fans, Lennon said: “They are frustrated. I disagreed with them, I didn’t like what they said about the team.

“Look, if they are not happy with what I am doing and they want me to go, I will.

“If the fans make it clear that they are not happy and they want me out then that’s okay, I will do the honourable thing.’’

CELTIC: Forster, Lustig, Ambrose, Mulgrew, Matthews (Brown 69), Commons, Wanyama, Kayal, Samaras, Watt (McCourt 65), Hooper (Nouioui 76).

INVERNESS CT: Reguero, Raven, Meekings, Warren, Graeme Shinnie, Tudur Jones, Foran, Doran, Andrew Shinnie, Roberts (Pepper 90), McKay (Sutherland 84).

Referee: Calum Murray (Scotland).