Neil Lennon has backed Dunfermline to kick on again next season – if the club correctly manages a summer of transition.
Despite losing the Scottish Cup Final to Celtic and exiting the play-offs to Partick Thistle at the semi-final stage, the Fife outfit have enjoyed a resoundingly successful campaign.
With the East End Park club now in the hands of American-based owners, there’s a renewed optimism within the town that it can go from strength to strength.
Lennon is optimistic that will now happen but has warned that the inevitable departure of several players must first be addressed.
‘In terms of the team, we have a major rebuild coming up, a lot of these players will not be here next year,’ he said.
‘We’ve offered them contracts and they’ve stalled so I’m assuming they’re going to go elsewhere.
Neil Lennon acknowledges Martin O’Neill at full-time at Hampden
Josh Cooper (left) scored a consolation goal as Dunfermline lost 3-1 to Celtic in the final
‘A lot of players we’ve given free transfers to already before this final.
‘It’s not going to be the team that we saw today. There’s going to be a lot of changes.
‘Hopefully, we can build on the nucleus of the squad that we have.’
Despite the work that awaits him and his recruitment team over the summer, Lennon feels the club can continue an upward trajectory.
‘I’m positive about the future? Yeah, of course I am,’ he added.
‘We’ve got a young, hungry squad that have excelled themselves this year. They’ve had a real taste of success. We’ve got to try and build on that, but there’s no guarantees.
‘We’ve got to get recruitment right and build on what we achieved this year.
‘It’s been an exciting season, there’s no question.
‘I’ve got to pay tribute to the supporters today, there was a hell of a turnout.
‘It was magnificent. I’m glad they got to see a goal at the end of it.”
Neil Lennon was proud of his Pars but admits some players may leave in the summer
Despite coming up short against Martin O’Neill’s side, Lennon feels those Dunfermline players who remain at the club will be better for the experience.
‘I see a lot of pundits speaking about wins, every club loses titles and cups,’ he stated.
‘I lost a Cup Final in the last minute to Tottenham, I have lost Cup Finals at Hampden.
‘If you have got the right attitude you want to come back for more. I believe in what I am doing.
‘All the great managers have had incredible highs and incredible lows, but they keep coming back for more.
‘That is because it (winning) is the best feeling in the world. It just makes you so proud for everyone associated with the club.
‘I hate losing. Even at 54. I am quite mellow at the minute, but the dog is in trouble when I get home!
‘I have got to take a lot of positives from this season. We have got to a cup final and to the playoffs but just come up short.’
Lennon had no issue with the outcome of the game, but felt his side briefly lost their way once Daizen Maeda put Celtic ahead.
Kelechi Iheanacho wheels away after scoring the third goal that killed off Dunfermline’s hopes
‘I thought we started okay,’ he reflected.
‘Once Celtic scored, we got a little bit discombobulated. I didn’t think we were brave enough on the ball.
‘Mentally we sank a little bit in terms of our aggression dropped off and we were a little bit dispirited. We changed at half-time.
‘I told them you’ve got to be braver, you’re going to have to play a lot more aggressively. To be fair, we played particularly well in the second half.
‘I think we deserved the goal.
‘The quality was with Celtic. We just lacked that quality today.’
Lennon was asked about Celtic supporters singing his name at time up.
‘They weren’t singing it five years ago,’ he smiled.
