BHOY BAND IS NOT FOR BREAKING UP

Celtic’s showstoppers will stay to chart more big hits in the pursuit of honours, insists Lennon

I think we’re in a good position to fend off offers for the players we want to keep

FOR all the talk of improving national coefficients and potentially making future qualifying paths less arduous, Neil Lennon believes the glory of Celtic’s historic midweek win over Lazio will provide an even more immediate boost.

In his view, the promise of European football after Christmas will make the Scottish champions all the more attractive for signing targets in January, but, perhaps more importantly, lessen the chances of any of his gladiators from Rome being picked off by suitors from bigger leagues.

Odsonne Edouard is on the radar of a host of clubs, Kristoffer Ajer has already been linked with the likes of AC Milan and Callum McGregor was the subject of an enquiry from Brendan Rodgers at Leicester City in the summer.

Lennon is sure, though, that the prospect of taking further steps in the Europa League will be more than enough to keep them in Glasgow for the foreseeable future.

‘The team is confident, playing well and it is very rare that clubs spend big money in January,’ he said. ‘I think we are in a good position to fend off any offers, really, for the players that we want to keep.

‘In that aspect, without tempting fate, we can be going into January in a very strong position.

‘I think we will be quite relaxed about it (the January market). You have got European football after January, for a start, and an opportunity to win trophies.

‘For January, it will be a carrot, I think, for attracting players in. It is excellent.’

With Leigh Griffiths not quite back in the shake-up and Vakoun Issouf Bayo injured, looking for options up front is likely to be a priority. If Lennon needs an advertisement to show any prospective signings how life at Celtic can revitalise a career, he need only cite the example of Mohamed Elyounoussi.

Frozen out at Southampton in the wake of the £16million move that took him from Swiss club Basle in the summer of 2018, the Norwegian international arrived on loan in August, short of belief and fitness. Lennon believes his performance in Thursday’s 2-1 win over Lazio in Rome showed how far he has come in just 11 appearances.

‘In Europe, you are not going to dominate the ball, but you still saw what he brings to the team with his movement,’ said Lennon. ‘His link-up play with Odsonne was great, as was his vision at times.

‘There were a couple of passes around the 15-20 minute mark where he missed it, but he rattles that one into Jamesy (Forrest) for the goal.

‘He doesn’t get too disappointed now if things aren’t coming off for him because he knows he might get another bite at it.

‘He is just a player playing with a lot of confidence in a team playing with a lot of confidence. I think it shows in his performances.

‘He is in a good place and there is no question he has made us better — whether it be from a central position or coming in off the wing.

‘It has worked both ways. It’s been great for us and I think we have been good for him so far.’

Celtic have been good for Edouard, too. That attention he is drawing from across the continent is a strong reflection of his performances.

As Lennon points out, there will soon be a need to take him out of the firing line for his own good.

‘You forget he’s 21,’ said the Celtic boss. ‘Again, he did a multitude of work on Thursday night, on and off the ball, so he’s not going to play every game from here to the end of January. That’s for sure.’

What will please Lennon is that there is now a goal threat throughout his entire team — going right back to Christopher Jullien in defence.

The £7m signing from French side Toulouse apologised to supporters via social media earlier this season for his nervy performance in a 2-0 league loss to Livingston. Lennon believes he showed his true self in Rome’s Stadio Olimpico this week, though, and has again challenged him to study the way Virgil van Dijk used his time at Parkhead as a springboard to Champions League glory with Liverpool.

‘I felt he was colossal for us,’ said Lennon (left). ‘I don’t know how many interceptions, clearances he made or

aerial challenges he won and he is a threat in the other box as well.

‘We missed that. For a while, the set-play deliveries weren’t great, so we tried to work on that and now we have players who can go and attack the ball in good areas. It’s a facet of the game that’s really important.

‘What we are seeing now is everything we thought he would turn into and he’s got leadership qualities as well. He was a dominant header of the ball, which was something I thought we lacked.

‘Van Dijk is Van Dijk, but I want Jullien to use him as a benchmark to try and get as far up the football scale as he possibly can.’

In addition, Lennon hopes wins such as that earned against Lazio will keep Celtic at the top table when it comes to the discussions ongoing at the highest level over future changes to European competition.

There are teams from the bigger leagues keen to ringfence Champions League places in the longer term. Lennon believes Celtic have shown they deserve to be part of those conversations.

‘We see ourselves as a big club, so, if these clubs aren’t happy about the Champions League, we are in the same boat because our qualification map is a lot more difficult than many other countries,’ he said. ‘I think it is very unfair we have to play eight games to qualify. If they are thinking about changing it, we want to be in the mix. No question.

‘Nights like Thursday don’t do the club any harm. What we are doing in the Europa League is important in terms of trying to minimise the qualification for next year.’

To be back in the mix for the Champions League, Celtic must see off the challenge of a resurgent Rangers for the title. Next up is Motherwell at Parkhead today — with Lennon admitting he has been impressed by the job performed at Fir Park by Stephen Robinson.

‘He has had them in cup finals and he has had to keep evolving the team because he sells his best players every year,’ said Lennon. ‘You think of (Louis) Moult going and people like (Cedric) Kipre. We were going to take (David) Turnbull and they lost him through injury, so he has done a brilliant job.

‘They gave Rangers plenty to think about a couple of weeks ago. The game again is going to be one for us to think about.’