NEIL LENNON believes in the appliance of compliance.
The Celtic boss just thinks the SFA need to sit down with the country’s top managers to thrash out a better way to implement it.
Clare Whyte has enraged many within the football fraternity with her recent decision-making.
The fall-out from last month’s Old Firm game is never-ending with Celtic furious at the three-game ban handed out to Ryan Christie.
Rangers claim they’re being judged by a different set of rules to the rest of the clubs in Scotland.
And other Premiership chiefs are now ready to get behind a revamp of the way the SFA cites players and officials — with Lennon backing plans to sit around the table.
He said: “I would be in favour of getting together.
“There’s too much confusion and controversy.
“I look at the Ryan Christie incident and it still bewilders me how he got a three-game ban for that. There is no consistency to it.
“If that means the heads of clubs getting together and getting some sort of clarity, some kind of straight line of dealing with these things quickly as possible, then all the better.
“The longer it lingers, there’s confusion and debate; then there is anger. There are stories that aren’t true and players, managers and everyone else gets angry.
“It’s a difficult job for the SFA and the compliance officer but we need to simplify it. Make it more straightforward.
“The managers should have an input, too. I’ve been at a few meetings in my time. We had the one last season in Perth but the main talking point was about VAR.
“As managers, we have a better understanding of it. We’re talking about inconsistencies when we see something happen and yet it goes unpunished when a similar thing happens and it is punished.
“We then say to ourselves, ‘We don’t get it’. It’s the inconsistency of it all.
“With the Christie incident I’ve lost a good player for three games for something we think was totally innocuous and accidental.
“And yet it’s been described by people as an act of brutality. Where that comes from, I don’t know.
“Ryan is not that type of player and we’re without him for three games. We just find it bewildering.”
But Lennon insists the SFA have to employ a compliance officer, adding: “There has to be somebody who looks at things and says, ‘That’s not right and within the laws of the game’.
“If there is a punishment to be given out — for inciting crowds and that sort of stuff — then so be it.
“Obviously we want order within the game but we want common sense as well.
“There are laws which come in to it, which is a world away from my world, but we would like it a little bit more straightforward.
“In terms of suspensions and the changes in the way things are done, there was a lot of debate about that but there’s still a bit of unrest.”
Celtic visit Rugby Park for a vital clash with Kilmarnock and Lennon is hoping his side can lift the negativity surrounding their displays.
He added: “There seems to be a bit of doom and gloom around the place. Certainly not here — but elsewhere.
“We’ve got to ignore that and just come out of the blocks and be as strong as we possibly can. People say we staggered to a win at the weekend. I thought we were very comfortable.
“I think after a defeat there is a bit of gloom lingering around the place. Not here, but in general.
“It’s probably a modern-day phenomenon and you are only as good as your next game. I thought we did well against Thistle, difficult opponents and a difficult pitch.
“I thought we should have won by more and I am looking for the same at Kilmarnock.”
Leigh Griffiths will start against Killie and Lennon is delighted to see him back scoring goals again.
He added: “I think he is feeling good about himself, but I think we need to take it week by week and not think he is going to be the player he was two years ago tomorrow night. We just let that happen naturally. The more he trains, and the more fit he stays, the more chance he has of getting back to top form again.
“I thought he did pretty well for the 65 or 70 minutes he was on at Firhill. But he is a fighter. He is a wee street fighter and has the rascal in him at times.
“I like that he has a wee bit of devil in him. Most importantly he knows how to play centre-forward.
“It will do him good to start games and he’s got a good chance of starting again tomorrow night.
“Leigh is 29 now and his experience and his goal record is as good as anyone’s. We want him to be a team player but we want him to do what he does best — scoring goals.
“He’s got more maturity about him but he’s not lost that will to win.
“There’s a quietness about him now and he just wants to get on with his business.”
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Celts have been boosted with the news that right-back Hatem Elhamed could return to action next month. Mohamed Elyounoussi is also battling his way back to fitness.
Lennon added: “Mo should be fit by the end of the month.
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“He’s out on the grass now doing some fitness work. It’s been a long one for him after coming back a little bit early for the cup final.
“He has a stress reaction on his foot and after the cup final is flared up again. It’s not been able to settle but hopefully he’ll be OK by the end of the month.”
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