System Reboot
Lenny loving opportunity to get new-look Celts playing in his preferred 3-5-2 set-up once again
But it wasn’t the return of fans to a Scottish Premiership match for the first time since lockdown arrived which delighted his eye.
It was the sight of his much-feted 3-5-2 set-up as opposed to peering across at 300 punters opposite him.
Too much is made too often about formations and systems these days.
Supporters and even some coaches get tied up in jargon when everyone knows, first and foremost, it’s players who win and lose you games.
But there is no question deploying them in a suitable manner is a key part of the manager’s job.
And Lennon’s switch to that formula in the middle of last term was crucial to nine-in-a-row.
With injuries, lack of application from Leigh Griffiths and failure to get bodies into the club in time at both ends of the park, it wasn’t open to him in the first six games of this term.
But with Albian Ajeti fit enough to start alongside Odsonne Edouard and Shane Duffy signed to give him the third centre-back with Christopher Jullien and Kris Ajer, the manager’s preferred pathway opened up again.
The first signs from it were deeply pleasurable for Lennon. Equally ominous for the rest.
Actually, that’s not strictly true. The first offensive signs were terrific with Edouard and Ajeti on the mark almost immediately, one winning and scoring a penalty and the other bagging the type of sniffer’s finish he was signed to provide. But it took longer for the defensive side to gel. Duffy, Ajer and Jullien had to work harder at it.
Yet even that had a silver lining for Lennon as, with County making more chances than he’d have liked, keeper Vasilis Barkas came up with the type of saves which the fans have craved since his arrival.
Barkas needed the woodwork to preserve his clean sheet twice, after free-kicks by Iain Vigurs and sub Oli Shaw beat him, but he earned his luck and the rearguard eventually sorted out their teething troubles.
First-half, Jullien rifled a ball back to the keeper when he’d already slipped over, he and Duffy didn’t communicate as Billy Mckay almost sneaked in and the trio yelled for him to claim the Vigurs free-kick which he left and it hit a post. But the second-half unit was what Lennon wants. Powerful and better organised. Duffy was commanding. Even though he fell over again trying to usher one ball back to Barkas late on, Jullien took a lead and was sharper. Ajer used the insurance to step out regularly and make passes. Duffy and Ajer even scored and almost everything slotted into place when you looked at the back-up plans. When Ajeti came off, Patryk Klimala came on and scored, albeit after missing a sitter first.
Mohamed Elyounoussi set him up after taking over from Edouard.
Olivier Ntcham had Ryan Christie as an automatic replacement.
Celtic won 5-0 over St Mirren the last time they used the 3-5-2 system from the start and they won 5-0 again half a year later when it was hauled back out of the kit hamper.
To most folk, that says it all, but
Lennon will know better than anyone it’s a bit more complex. There are still issues to iron out.
The keeper and back three will be top picks. So will the front two. And the midfield anchor duo.
It’s how Lennon fits the rest of the pieces into the jigsaw which is the intriguing part.
Such is the reliability and talent of James Forrest, he surely has to play.
Once again in Dingwall he took the hit by playing an unnatural role for the sake of the team and did it well.
Typically, he’ll be the one for the right- hand side with Jeremie Frimpong as the back-up. It’s the
other side where Lennon might have to add. Greg Taylor sat Dingwall out as Forrest started on his side.
The former Kilmarnock ace played the left wing-back role successfully in the final two months of last term after the system switch but it must be remembered that Elyounoussi was injured for that time.
The system doesn’t seem to naturally fit the Norwegian’s game unless the boss feels he has the defensive part in his locker. Or that he doesn’t need it domestically.
One thing is likely. The £16million man didn’t return on the premise of regularly sitting on the bench. Resting him on Saturday was sensible after his international exertions but it won’t be so simple in future.
Same goes for Christie, who had two games with Scotland.
His No.10 position is also a talker. Ntcham had the type of performance in Dingwall which summed up his Celtic career.
Frustratingly ineffective before half-time. Dynamic, silky and superb in the second. Is it him or is it Christie as chief playmaker? Is it even Tom Rogic if he stays?
Of course, with the international boys having more than 60 games in a season should Celtic make the
Europa League group stage, the manager is going to need all of these various options.
The chances of having everyone available for even 50 per cent of those games is extremely slim, sometimes decisions will make themselves.
But one thing seems clear from now on.
Provided the manager feels he’s got two strikers he can trust to start, it appears the rest will have to fit the system and not the other way around.
Given the evidence pre and post lockdown, it’s obvious to all it’s the pattern that most pleases Lennon’s eye. And works the best.