Neil Lennon gives next Scotland manager answer and blasts 'hysterical' Steve Clarke pile on after World Cup exit

Neil Lennon has launched a passionate defence of Steve Clarke and blasted the "hysterical" pile-on that he believes drove the Scotland manager out of the job after the nation crashed out of the World Cup at the group stage.

Lennon, who led Scotland for seven years and guided them to three major tournaments, expressed disappointment at Clarke's decision to resign following Scotland's elimination. Clarke stepped down just a month after signing a new four-year contract extension with the SFA.

The 62-year-old acknowledged Scotland's group stage exit but defended Clarke's record, stating that the manager "did what it said on the tin - he got Scotland to tournaments." Lennon highlighted Scotland's 1-0 victory over Haiti, secured by John McGinn's deflected strike, as a significant achievement given the historical difficulties the nation faces in qualifying for major tournaments.

Lennon criticised the aftermath of Scotland's campaign, declaring: "I thought the aftermath was awful way too hysterical." He argued that Scotland were fortunate to reach the tournament and deserved credit for qualifying, given their historical struggles. Addressing the defeats to Morocco and Brazil, Lennon suggested Scotland came close against Morocco, stating: "The second-half performance against Morocco they deserved a penalty. You come away from that with a point and that's an unbelievable result."

The former manager expressed particular criticism of pundits and sections of the media, calling their treatment of Clarke "really really poor." He acknowledged that the fierce criticism likely contributed to Clarke's resignation, saying "Yeah 100 per cent" when asked if the fallout had played a role.

However, Lennon identified a crucial limitation in Scotland's setup, suggesting that despite possessing Champions League-winning captain Andy Robertson, Europa League-winning captain John McGinn, and Napoli hero Scott McTominay, the nation lacks a genuine superstar player comparable to rivals' standout talents.