Classy Edouard is only going to get better, says Lennon

THERE is Neil Lennon the football manager, a much calmer figure these days, and Lenny the fiery character for whom old age will never change.

He showed both sides at Ibrox and on a self-confessed perfect day for his club, these two traits formed as one perfectly.

As a tactician, motivator and decision-maker, Lennon was spot-on with every decision he had to make. After the game, Lenny addressed the media room with relish.

He felt his team have been written off – from within the Celtic support as well – and this was his time to remind everyone who were the eightin-a-row champions. The Northern Irishman had some things to say after what was as good a day as he has had in both spells as manager of the club.

When asked if he felt the players felt extra purpose given what had been said and written, he said: “We’ve always got a bit of purpose. Listen, you’re the ones writing the stories. You’re the ones, the so-called experts and pundits, who are giving your opinions on radio, on TV, in the papers. You want us to fail. Because we have been so dominant.

“But we’re not prepared to give up our title just yet. And neither are the players. And neither are the board.”

To stick up for my own profession for a second, there isn’t a willingness for Celtic to fail – which obviously means Rangers to do well.

However, Lennon is correct in a sense that there was a feeling in the run-up to this game, from bookies to pundits to those who call into the radio shows, that it was Steven Gerrard who had the better team and that Rangers were favourites.

Even Sky couldn’t get it right, as their reporter Charles Paterson copped one.

Lennon said: “Even in Sky’s promo for the game, there was no picture of me, it was all about Steven. I feel like Brooks Koepka here.”

For non-golf fans, this is a reference to the American, the best player in the world by far, and yet the attention tends to fall on others

The spotlight remains on Rangers and their manager right enough. But for all the wrong reasons. This was Celtic’s day. Even with 34 games to go, they will take some stopping. Celtic have better players than Rangers. That showed yesterday.

Lennon said: “When Olivier Ntcham came on, he showed how special a player he can be. But Mikey Johnston, Odsonne Edouard, Ryan Christie, Scott Brown and Callum McGregor - there are some amazing players for this club. I don’t want to wax too lyrical about them but they did a top quality job today.

“Edouard is an outstanding centreforward. And he’s only going to get better. He still had a bit of work to do to beat McGregor but he took it brilliantly. He was the coolest man in the stadium at that point. It’s always important to have a really good centre forward. And he’s up there with any of them at the minute.”