NEIL Lennon last night made an impassioned defence of his managerial record in the face of growing dissent from a section of Celtic supporters who want someone else as the club's permanent manager.

The Northern Irishman is in his second interim period in a job he held from 2010 to 2014, a period which saw him win five trophies and enjoy some success in Europe including the famous win over Barcelona.

Lennon is not immune to the chat outside of Celtic. Despite his record since coming back being an impressive one, he’s lost only once, the title has been won and they are in the Scottish Cup final, there is strong feelings in some quarters that the 48-year-old should be moved out after May and replaced with a ‘high profile’ coach.

Asked if he felt frustrated by having to justify is record in management, Lennon said: “Yes. You are always looking to prove something to yourself every year or every time you go out there but the level of doubt surprises me.

“I won three titles in a row not so long ago, I got to the last 16 of the Champions League not so long ago. I won a Championship with Hibs, got the highest points total last year. Last year, not like ten years ago.

“I got them into Europe, got them through two rounds for the first time since the seventies (1970/71). I think I can do the job alright. If people want to have an opinion that’s fine, the evidence is there to the contrary.

“It’s the new age, the new breed. I’ve been here since 2000 and we’ve won 14 league titles and I’ve been involved in ten whether it be as a player, coach or manager. We won them all comfortably. And I lost four and they all went to the last day.

“So there’s no reason for me to sit here, or anyone else for that matter, and think that I can’t do the job going forward because the evidence is there that I quite plainly can. But if there are doubts there they are the ones with the doubts, not me.

“But there is a new breed of fan on social networks, it’s not the real world. It’s not my world. I deal in the real world and theirs is a knee-jerk world of unrealistic expectations.”

There has been a clamour for the club to push the boat out for a marquee manager with the likes of Rafa Benitez being excitedly mention on various social media platforms, with Slaven Bilic claiming an interest in the job.

Lennon admitted: “They want the glamour name, a lot of them. Whether that would guarantee success is another matter. Rangers brought in a big name this year and they’ve got no trophies to show for it so it doesn’t guarantee it.”

And added: “I know the culture here. The culture is changing, there has definitely been a sea change since I left the club and a culture within the younger support as well. So I’ve had to adapt to that a little bit more.

“I find that a little bit different but in the main I have really enjoyed it. I enjoyed winning the league and I’m looking forward to the next ten games. I'm very calm.”

Lennon knows full well that even if he delivers the Scottish Cup and a third successive Treble, the Celtic board may well turn to someone else in their quest for ten in a row and progress in Europe.

What is in the former captain’s favour is that Dermot Desmond, Celtic’s majority shareholder and the one who will make the final decision, will not be swayed by any public opinion.

Lennon said: “Of course they won’t. They might have another person in mind which is absolutely fine, I’m totally comfortable with it.

"I’m here until the 31st of May, we’ll maybe sit down after the cup final and discuss my position or what the future holds for me. Until then I’m doing the job I’ve been entrusted with.”

Lennon insisted it wouldn’t be strange to him if Desmond and the board didn’t offer him a deal.

He said: “I can absolutely imagine that. It’s their club. It’s the fans’ club, it’s not mine. It’s not about me.

“This is the world we’re living in at the minute. Barcelona could win the double but a lot of their fans are calling for Ernesto Valverde’s head because they got knocked out of the semi-finals of the Champions League.

"Expectations, whatever you want to call it, are sometimes unrealistic.

“But it’s the modern-day fan. It’s fast-food stuff, they want the next thing very, very quickly and it’s not the real world."

Lennon will be without several key players for Sunday's final league match against Hearts at Celtic Park.

Once again, Kieran Tierney and James Forrest will sit out but the manager believes his key men will be available for the Scottish Cup final next Saturday when they again face the Tynecastle outfit.

Lennon said: "They (Tierney and Forrest) won’t be available this weekend. They will do some conditioning week over the next couple of days and they’ll then come into the fold on Monday or Tuesday. Kieran and James should be fir for the cup final. I’m very confident about that.

“Odsonne Edouard, Johnny Hayes and Mikael Lustig all have tight hamstrings, which is a thing here at the moment, and we won’t take any chances with them. They will be back in training at the start of the week.”

Lennon is considering giving 16-year-old Karamoko Dembele could make first-team debut on Sunday, which would make him Celtic's youngest ever player.