'Underdogs bite' - Dunfermline boss Lennon warns Celtic
Neil Lennon warns former club Celtic that "underdogs bite" as his Dunfermline Athletic side aim to cause a Scottish Cup shock in Saturday's final.
[SNS] Neil Lennon has warned former club Celtic that "underdogs bite" as his Dunfermline Athletic side aim to cause a Scottish Cup shock in Saturday's final. The former Celtic captain and manager says some have pedalled a "disrespectful" narrative in the build-up to this weekend's showpiece occasion at Hampden. The Championship side have beaten top-flight Hibernian, Aberdeen and Falkirk on their way to the final, which Lennon believes has fuelled an "inner belief".
"It's not a day out for us," the 54-year-old says. "I've seen a lot of comments this week about Martin [O'Neill] picking up the trophy with Callum McGregor and if he'd have been here earlier in the season, he would have been winning a treble. "I wouldn't dismiss us.
We're the underdogs, but underdogs bite. " Dunfermline go into the final on the back of having their Premiership promotion hopes ended by a play-off semi-final defeat by Partick Thistle last week. Asked if he was annoyed by those who he feels have written his side off, Lennon added: "Yes.
It just adds fuel for me, so it's great. It's disrespectful, which again, I don't mind. "We will come - I wouldn't say brimming full of confidence - but with an inner belief that we can achieve something here.