Celtic manager threatens to drop players after defeat at St Johnstone

Celtic boss Neil Lennon says the attitude of his players in the 2-1 defeat to St Johnstone could have cost them a place for their Champions League group opener against Benfica.

Saints came back to take all three points after Kris Commons had given the Hoops the lead after three minutes.

Goals from Gregory Tade and Rowan Vine handed the reigning SPL champions their first league defeat of the campaign.

And afterwards an angry Lennon hit out at his players’ lack of focus.

He said: "There was a softness that I haven't seen and subconsciously it was with Wednesday night in mind.

"A lot of them had half an eye on Wednesday night and it is making me re-think my team in terms of their attitude.

"If they are being complacent or cruising through games they won't play, that's not what they are paid for. That performance was unacceptable.

"I am very disappointed. It was a poor performance from us. After getting off to a good start we let the game drift away from us.

"It was a needless performance, it was unacceptable. We could have been beaten by anybody today.

"We had so many stray passes, we played like strangers at times.

"We conceded no goals in three of the four Champions League qualifiers and we have conceded seven in five league games so there is definitely a mindset there that we need to change very quickly.

"They have a lot of good publicity but the game can bite you very quickly and it has bit them today and I hope they have been brought back down to earth with a crunch."

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