Former Celtic boss takes swipe at star man and tells fans they are wrong about 'Mr Desmond' and the board

The Japan international was substituted at half-time after a dismal first-half showing against Red Star Belgrade in the Europa League on Wednesday, with his replacement, Kelechi Iheanacho scoring the opener and making a notable difference to the Celtic frontline as the team returned from Serbia with a credible 1-1 draw.

Maeda revealed while on international duty earlier this month that he expected to leave Celtic during the summer transfer window but the club refused to sanction his exit after failing to secure a replacement. The 27-year-old has so far struggled to hit the heights of last term, where he registered 35 goals and 12 assists to be crowned both PFA Scotland and Scottish Football Writers’ Player of the Year.

Lennon has detected a drop in his performance levels with statistics showing that Maeda touched the ball only eight times during his 45 minutes on the park in Belgrade.

"The question was rightly asked about his performance because he's miles away from where he was last season," Lennon told Premier Sports Ireland. "He was the Player of the Year in Scotland, scored 30-odd goals, and was absolutely dynamite.

"So if he's playing up a little bit because he didn't get his move, that's poor from him. I would be really disappointed in him because he's brought a lot to Celtic since he's been here and has improved a lot. And I think he owes Celtic a lot.

"So he didn't get the move, knuckle down son, get on with it until you do get the move, and show everyone what a good player you are. I didn't see any of that [against Red Star]. His whole body language, offside all the time, didn't lead the line. And that's far removed from the performances we saw from him last year."

Board not to blame for recruitment woes

Lennon also addressed the ongoing campaign of protests from Celtic supporters against the board of directors. Fan groups have united to call for the removal of the likes of majority shareholder Dermot Desmond, chairman Peter Lawwell and chief executive Michael Nicholson over the perceived failures in the transfer market. Lennon, however, feels the fans are wrong to pin the full blame on the board.

"I know the fans are very discontent with the board," he said. "I don't necessarily agree with that. I don't put it all on the board. The team that Brendan had was good enough over two games to beat Kairat, and I'm pretty sure the board would have been working away in the background to try and get deals done to get players over the line.

"I know for a fact that some of the players didn't come early, they've come now, like Tounekti, for example. Celtic were in for him very, very early. The flip side of that is they spent a lot of money last year because they were guaranteed the Champions League. £30m on [Arne] Engles, [Auston] Trusty, Adam Idah. These players aren't playing at the minute. This year, with not having the guarantee of the Champions League, it's hard to attract players to Scotland without that carrot of being in the Champions League. Especially with the amount of money that they are prepared to spend on the players."

Pressed on whether he can understand the fans' frustration, Lennon, who has had two spells as Celtic manager, continued: "I can, it's their club, and they are entitled to voice their opinion any way they want. Celtic fans have been amazing over the course.

"But there's a realism about this, and a sustainability that the club have to plan, not just for this season but for years to come. If you're spending £10-£12m on a player on top of the wages, it eats a lot into the money the club have earned over the years. And they can't spend that kind of money without the Champions League money on top of that to plan the club going forward. I understand the discontent and frustration, but it's not all on the board either. 

"There has to be a unity at the club. The club has been so successful under the stewardship of the board and Mr Desmond at the helm. The success he's brought since 2000 has been unparalleled. I worked with these people, they are class operators. They know the environment and culture of European football and they do look ahead. Celtic is such a well run club. But I understand that people want instant success constantly, it doesn't always come around that way. I still do think the team is good enough to get through and then build on that."