Neil Lennon shares the strong message he told Celtic players, including note about his future

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Celtic lost 2-0 away at Rangers on Sunday afternoon.

Celtic interim boss Neil Lennon has told the Glasgow Evening Times that he gave his players a real warning about their performance levels on Sunday afternoon.

The Bhoys tied up the league title last weekend, but faced a big game on Sunday as they played the final Old Firm game of the season against bitter rivals Rangers.

Celtic lost at Ibrox back in December before beating Rangers at Parkhead in March, but another trip to Ibrox ended in another defeat for the Bhoys.

James Tavernier’s free kick put Rangers in front inside two minutes, and Scott Arfield pounced after the hour mark to secure a 2-0 win for the Gers.

Yes, Celtic have the league title sewn up, and Rangers will finish at least three points adrift no matter what. But the manner of the defeat was troubling, as Celtic managed just three shots on goal and one on target in 90 minutes of an Old Firm clash.

That’s simply not good enough, and such a dismal showing may just be used as a major reason to move on from Lennon and look for a new permanent manager.

After the game, Lennon admitted that he told his players that their performance was nowhere near good enough, noting that his future doesn’t matter in this regard, as no matter whether he’s manager or not, they have to improve in Old Firm derbies.

“It’s very important we don’t let anything get in the way from that [the upcoming Scottish Cup final],” said Lennon. “But I had to tell the players, whether I’m here or not next year, that performance is just not good enough for a derby,” he added.