Lennon says mellow turn is paying off
IT is a little under six years since Neil Lennon’s first spell as Celtic manager came to an end, but in terms of how both he and the job have changed, it seems to him like a lifetime ago.
The old-school approach to management, with teacups flying and dressing-room doors being kicked off their hinges, is now a thing of the ancient past according to the 48-year-old.
Lennon has had to gradually adapt in order to successfully lead a new generation of footballer – and soften his approach in order to get a tune from a group of young men who have responded to his leadership brilliantly.
So much so that he picked up the Ladbrokes manager of the month award for February yesterday, although he may argue that the 13-point gap his team have opened up at the top of the table is a more vivid illustration of how effective his mellower style has been.
“I think it’s the right way to do it now,” Lennon said. “[It is a ] different generation. I was a bit of a firebrand in those days and part of my management now is that I have learned a lot from that.
“They are a great bunch of players who give me everything. They are going to make mistakes here and there, they are humans at the end of the day, but they have been very few and far between.
“It’s different times. They are socially different, they are brought up differently, they are culturally different.
“My management style has definitely changed over the years. I think it’s a gradual evolution. When I look back at some of the occasions early on in my career, you think: ‘Was that the right way?’ It was the way I was brought up on it. You look at them now and think: ‘No, it wasn’t.’ You pick your moments. Again, they have been very few and far between.
“Whether they have learned from me, I have learned from them as well. I’ve learnt from them over the past year or so. I’ve never really had to raise my voice. I may say a bit, John [Kennedy] may say a bit, that’s it really.”
Lennon is very much a convert to the mantra of not getting too high when his team are doing well, and not getting too low when they suffer a setback, an approach that seems to have seeped onto the pitch.
“I hope so,” he said. “I’ve got great support from my backroom team. I’ve got some really experienced players in there who know how to drive the team on. They are all responding in the right manner so far.
“I do let them manage the dressing room. I don’t really get involved unless there is a really major issue that needs addressing. Apart from that, the players are a good group. A lot of them have been together a long time and they know what is best.
“If there’s a major problem, I’ll speak with Browny [captain Scott Brown] about it but, in the main, it’s been pretty seamless from that point of view.”
Lennon is looking for his players to maintain their recent high level of domestic performance when St Mirren come calling to Celtic Park this afternoon.
“I’m not taking any opponent lightly,” he said. “We’re still at full throttle at the minute. I want us to get better, I want us to keep pushing.
“There are places up for grabs, we have a semi-final to think about and there’s obviously a big game [against Rangers] next week as well.
“St Mirren have proven to be a difficult team to break down at times, so I’m looking for a strong performance.”