NORMALITY NOW ON THE HORIZON
Lennon can’t wait for supporters to return to stadia and insists everyone will benefit
IT may be new but it will never be normal. As Neil Lennon prepares for the latest encounter of the closed-door kind at Tannadice this evening, his fervent hope is that a return to football as we know it is now more than a dot on the horizon.
With fans provisionally allowed to return to stadiums in restricted numbers from September 14, Celtic are ‘collaborating with the government’ over the possibility of next weekend’s home match with Motherwell being a test match — with up to 1,000 supporters permitted inside.
As welcome as the return to competitive action has been, it’s been a strangely joyless experience for those on the front line. One the Celtic boss would rather consign to history — just as soon as it’s deemed safe enough to do so.
‘It is surreal,’ said Lennon. ‘It is really important that we start games well but it is sometimes difficult when you are not walking out to the same atmosphere.
‘We don’t want this to be the norm. We want this to be a short time. The club is looking at testing, in collaboration with the government, at the Motherwell game next week, hopefully getting some supporters into the stadium and then building on that.
‘The sooner we can get fans back in, the better for all involved in the game. Not just coaches but players and, obviously, supporters.’
Any fears that Celtic’s traditional home advantage would be undermined have so far been unfounded.
They put five past Hamilton on day one of the league and six past KR Reykjavik on Tuesday.
Lennon’s satisfaction was heightened by the contributions of those who came in from the cold. As a consequence, Nir Bitton and Hatem Abd Elhamed will not be far away from a start at Tannadice.
Asked if they had done enough to keep their places, he replied: ‘They might have done. I was really pleased with the team, pleased with the boys who came in.
‘They’ve been training really well so have earned the right to play. I was delighted with everyone.
‘Obviously some players have still to hit their top form but you’d expect that to come over the up and coming games.
‘Tuesday was important to get 90 minutes and a good morale-boosting win going into a tricky week.
‘There’s Dundee United, then Ferencvaros and Motherwell, so we’re looking forward to it.’
Firstly, Celtic return to Tannadice for the first time since January 2016, a game that saw Ronny Deila and Mixu Paatelainen go head-to-head.
That 4-1 away win came not long before both managers departed the scene — the Norwegian for losing to Rangers in the Scottish Cup semi-final and the Finn for being relegated.
While Celtic immediately got their house in order, it took United until May to secure a passage back to the top flight. Lennon feels the Premiership is the better for it.
‘Dundee United have made a pretty impressive start,’ he said. ‘They’ve not won at home but they’ve had two very good away wins at Motherwell and Ross County.
‘There’s an energy about them. They’ll be a good addition to the division — no question.
‘They’ve got a good stadium, a good playing surface and they try and play.
‘They are a big club with a great history. We’re very much looking forward to the freshness — different opposition and a different style of play.
‘Micky (Mellon) has come in and it seems to have been a seamless takeover. They’re playing some nice football. We’re expecting a good examination.’
Lennon was in his early playing days with Crewe when he last crossed swords with Mellon but the Paisley man’s subsequent achievements have not gone unnoticed.
‘I played against him when he was at Blackpool. He was a good player,’ he recalled. ‘Blackpool, one season, won promotion when big Sam Allardyce was manager.
‘Micky’s had a very good career in management. If you look at his stats, they’ve been excellent. He did a great job at Fleetwood, Shrewsbury and Tranmere.’
Leigh Griffiths and Mikey Johnston remained sidelined but, even with Ferencvaros to come on Wednesday in the latest Champions League qualifier, there is no chance of Lennon resting others.
‘We will go very strong on Saturday and we will be very strong on Wednesday,’ he said.
‘It is really good to get back to domestic duties. It has been a couple of weeks now since the Kilmarnock game and we really want to start hitting the ground running in the league.’
That should mean Odsonne Edouard retains his place. With the Frenchman’s best position the subject of debate between Gordon Strachan and John Hartson in midweek, Lennon is just happy to be able to throw him a jersey.
‘He’s a centre-forward, so he can play at both nine and ten,’ he said, diplomatically. ‘One thing I do know is that he’s an outstanding footballer and we’re delighted to have him whether he plays up front on his own or in a two.
‘He’s in a great place at the minute and I’m delighted he’s fit and healthy and ready to go again.’