Lennon won’t accept complacency and says Celtic will go ‘full throttle’
An unscheduled week off has presented Celtic with a rare chance to rest and reflect. It evidently still grates on Neil Lennon that his side won’t be involved when European football recommences – the manager’s brow furrows as he speaks of his “bitter disappointment” at the exit to Copenhagen in the last 32 of the Europa League – but the break will surely serve his squad well ahead of the business end of the campaign.
Not that Lennon believes his players are really in need of one. His more reliable foot soldiers – Scott Brown, Callum Mcgregor and James Forrest – will have made more than 60 appearances by the time the season draws to a close, with those still involved in international football having additional miles in the legs.
With Celtic likely to have the league title wrapped up prior to the Scottish Cup final on the earlier-than-normal date of 9 May, there would seem to be an opportunity to take a breather at that point.
Lennon, though, wouldn’t even countenance the idea. Rather than easing off the gas, he wants his players to give it
“full throttle” as they motor towards a fourth consecutive domestic treble.
“I’m not really worried about the players,” he said. “They’re showing no signs of their batteries running out, that’s for sure. Browny missed the
Kilmarnock game and I think Callum has only missed two games all season.
“Jamesie is one that you do have to keep an eye on a little bit with the volume of games and some of the hits he takes as well. But he bounces back and his form has been fantastic over the last month or so.
“I want to go full throttle. I want to win the league and the cup. We’ve still got so much to play for.”
With Rangers toiling, Celtic could even afford the occasional stumble and still sail through to a ninth consecutive league title. Lennon seems a far more mellow figure these days but he is evidently agitated about the idea that it is done and dusted already.
“Everyone is talking about the league already being over but I’m not,” he added. “We have to keep going until it’s mathematically impossible to get caught. Complacency can be your enemy sometimes. They players have been well warned about that.”
While Rangers face Bayer Leverkusen on Thursday, Lennon has a free week to prepare for the Old Firm game at Ibrox. “February was hectic. But now we’re heading into the Rangers game and I want to get the build-up the best we can.”