Lenny will pick himself up off the deck quicker than that roly-poly goalie Dida
SAYS PAUL HARTLEY
NEIL LENNON has taken a pounding in the wake of the Old Firm loss at the weekend.
But Paul Hartley reckons it’s just as well the Hoops boss has a far stronger chin than old Milan drama queen Dida.
The champions are gearing up to face the Serie A giants again in the Europa League on Thursday on the back of a sore one delivered from their fierce rivals Rangers.
Hartley was part of the Celtic side that shocked the reigning Champions League winners at Parkhead 13 years ago.
It’s a night remembered for Scott McDonald’s last-minute winner – and the OTT reaction from the Milan keeper when he got brushed on the face by a fan celebrating on the pitch.
Dida hit the deck like he’d been hit by a sniper but it has been nothing compared to the brickbats bashing Lennon following Saturday’s 2-0 defeat to Gers.
Hartley has fond memories of that Champions League epic in 2007 and he is also convinced the Hoops boss won’t be doing a Dida and staying on the floor for too long.
The Cove Rangers gaffer said: “We saw the keeper lying down at the time but it wasn’t until after the game you realised he’d hardly been touched.
“It was more of a tickle than a slap but he made a heck of a meal of it for a guy at 6ft 5in.
“They were at it afterwards and were trying to get the points back. The fan was a bit excited but he went down like a deck of cards. It was mental!”
The same could be said about some of the reaction to Celtic losing at the weekend. Hartley reckons Lennon will know he has to take the hits but the manager has the experience and know how to get off the canvas.
He said: “Celtic and Neil have taken a battering since the weekend but they have shown in the past they can bounce back.
“I know what it’s like to win Old Firm games and I’ve been on the other side as well. It’s not great, let me tell you.
“You don’t want to read any papers or watch the sports news. You just want to get the head down and get back on the training ground.
“Celtic did it last year. The league was over at Christmas according to some and they got a doing for the entire winter break. That would have been tough but you saw the response.
“You don’t become bad players overnight and you don’t become a bad manager overnight either.
“Celtic underperformed but it’s not an excuse to say they were missing key players and there’s a long way to go.
“Lenny knows the course. He’s been there and done it and he’ll know you have to take your medicine.”
Lennon has copped it for his formation against Gers – but it’s a system that delivered the league last season.
Hartley said: “Formations and systems are great when you are winning. It wasn’t long ago everyone was saying 3-5-2 was working a dream, now all of a sudden you lose a game and it’s needing ripped up.
“It’s players who make systems, not the other way around. If they don’t perform then you can’t point the finger at the system.
“I’m sure Lenny will know more than most what needs to be done.”
Celtic could do with the mood being lifted by a repeat of the 2007 heroics against Milan.
Hartley teed up Stephen McManus for the opener for Gordon Strachan’s side, Kaka levelled from the spot before McDonald pounced in the 90th minute to make it a Champions
League night to remember. Hartley said: “I remember sitting in the dressing room afterwards thinking we’d just beaten the reigning European champions.
“It was just one of the great nights. I managed to get Pirlo’s top after the final whistle – and he was the best player I ever played against.
“But they had quality all over the pitch, Kaka at his prime, Inzagi, Seedorf, Nesta, you name it.
“It was a magnificent result. We managed a few at home back then. The manager had a system that worked and we put in a lot of effort.
“You knew they had quality to go and punish you but it was about staying in the game and taking the chances when we got them.”
Hartley was blown away by the noise at Celtic Park back then and he admits the empty ground is proving hard going for the Hoops these days.
He said: “The atmosphere helped. The absence of fans is a hindrance to home teams right now – especially Celtic.
“The place was carnage that night. Some fans were heading for the exits when we scored at the death and the roof came off.
“It was like that all night though. It does give you a lift, gives you that extra yard and wills you on. If you are a goal behind or not playing that well, the fans get you on the front foot.
“I watched the game at the weekend and it just didn’t seem like an Old Firm game.
“In those games and in Europe you couldn’t hear the guy next to you never mind the shouts from the bench. Now it echoes around.
“It has been a harder adjustment for Celtic but they need to create their own intensity on Thursday.
“Milan may not be the side they were in 2007 but they still have plenty of quality.”