FLAT CELTIC FAIL TO FIND A SPARK
Perfect home record punctured but Lennon points out his players are ‘running on fumes’
NINE years ago, Neil Lennon commenced his first reign as Celtic manager with a promise to bring the thunder back to Parkhead. The occasion of his homecoming was conspicuous for its lack of electrical charge.
Nevertheless, the interim manager last night absolved his players of any blame for losing their perfect home Premiership record for the season.
Describing his team as physically and emotionally drained after a fraught fortnight that kicked off with Brendan Rodgers’ sudden departure for Leicester City, Lennon insisted there was no need for panic after this scoreless draw with an Aberdeen side that has been mining a rich seam of away form.
With Rangers dropping points against Hibs on Friday night, this stalemate with the Dons maintained the champions’ eight-point lead at the top of the table.
‘Perspective is important,’ said a philosophical Lennon. ‘They’re human beings, not robots. I went in and thanked them for their performance because they gave everything, but you could see they dropped a little. That’s fine, though.
‘We’re still eight points clear. I’d have loved to have won and been 10 points clear but we can’t have everything, so I’m not going to whip them for that performance today.’
Although Celtic had actually enjoyed the luxury of their first free midweek since the winter break, Lennon insists there was always likely to be a reaction to the previous week which saw him take over from Rodgers on the eve of two hard-won matches in Edinburgh.
‘It felt a little bit flat and leggy but I understand that,’ said Lennon. ‘They didn’t have time to adjust last week and it always felt there would be a bit of a lull. You saw that here.
‘It was more psychological than anything. They just lacked that bit of pizzazz in the final third.
‘It could have been better, no question, but these players are giving me everything. Some of them are running on fumes.’
Derek McInnes’ men had won each of their seven previous away fixtures. This was an industrious, organised performance that sets Aberdeen up nicely for Tuesday’s Scottish Cup quarter-final replay against Rangers at Ibrox.
Their inclination to keep something in reserve for midweek was understandable but there was a similar lack of urgency from Celtic. Too often their play was ponderous.
Nir Bitton, not long back from a year’s absence through injury, stepped up admirably during Lennon’s first two games but here the Israeli’s presence seemed like an unnecessary luxury. The absence of injured midfield creators Callum McGregor, Ryan Christie and Tom Rogic was felt acutely.
‘Any team would miss those players,’ said Lennon. ‘They’re top-class midfielders. But Scott Brown and Nir Bitton have done absolutely fine. We just lacked a bit of creativity, our final ball was a little lacking and we didn’t work Joe Lewis well enough.
‘But you have to give Aberdeen credit as well. They’re a tough nut to crack at times.’
It said a lot that Celtic’s main attacking thrust in the opening period was provided by a central defender. Kristoffer Ajer started his career as a midfielder and his long, athletic strides from the back can offer a fresh dimension to the team’s play.
He almost claimed a goal with the very first shot of the game, one of his lolloping forays forward ending in a crisp, low shot which Lewis tipped round the post. The clock showed nearly 30 minutes.
Ajer did get the ball in the net with a header from a Ewan Henderson free-kick but the flag from referee’s assistant Frank Connor was raised swiftly.
Henderson didn’t make it back out for the second half. He and an extremely subdued Scott Sinclair made way for Mikey Johnston and Odsonne Edouard at half-time.
McInnes made a change of his own with James Wilson also remaining indoors in favour of midfielder Dean Campbell.
The game opened up a little but it was the visitors who showed greater menace.
Ajer’s over-confidence resulted in Sam Cosgrove and Greg Stewart working the ball forward into an attack that eventually saw Dominic Ball work room for a low shot. Scott Bain saved with his legs.
Celtic nearly nabbed one on the counter when Jeremy Toljan drove down the right and combined with Edouard, whose quick feet took him into a shooting position. Lewis was equal to the task.
Lennon used his last available personnel change to introduce Timothy Weah for Oliver Burke and Celtic set up camp in the Aberdeen half.
‘Whatever Celtic threw at us today, we saw it off,’ said McInnes. ‘Our work rate, diligence and determination in one-versus-one situations was very good.
‘Max Lowe epitomised that. He is 20 years of age. He is up against James Forrest, one of the best players in the country. Second half, he is up against Oliver Burke.
‘Then he has to deal with the boy Weah, who is fresh and running around at all sorts of speeds. Max dealt with him, too.’
Johnston threatened a couple of times but it was Aberdeen who came closest to claiming a late winner. Lewis Ferguson’s powerful free-kick was beaten away by Bain before substitute Stevie May passed up the chance to settle the match.
Thrown on for a tired Stewart, May found himself unmarked eight yards out as Cosgrove climbed to head the impressive Ferguson’s cross back across goal.
‘Stevie’s movement is brilliant to get free... he has come from near post but he has just maybe not got the timing right,’ sighed McInnes.
‘From where I was standing, Ferguson’s free-kick was going in but Bain made a good save. Those two were probably the moments where we allowed ourselves to think we might win the game.’
With Cosgrove suspended for Ibrox, the Aberdeen boss will need to come up with something different in attack.
‘We will have a decision to make at centre-forward but, hopefully, Gary Mackay-Steven and Niall McGinn will come into things,’ said McInnes.
‘I actually feel we were quite relaxed coming into the game. People built up these two games in Glasgow but we see them as brilliant games to be involved in.
‘The intention now is to get the club into a semi-final.’