Lennon must stick with the winning formula and leave skipper out, says Mjallby

NEIL LENNON faces tough decisions this afternoon, none tougher than the one Johan Mjallby believes he has to make: Leaving Scott Brown out of his Cup Final team.

The Celtic support have watched the powers of a captain who has inspired them to the last 11 domestic trophies dwindle this season in a team struggling for discipline and direction.

These qualities, however, have returned in his absence, driven by the fresh purpose of Ismaila Soro in wins over Lille and Kilmarnock.

The 22-year-old Ivorian, alongside David Turnbull, has been at the heart of a revitalising of their ailing season, and it’s why Mjallby, Lennon’s No2 in his first stint in the Celtic dugout, believes he has to keep his place — even if it’s at the expense of a legend and the sentiment attached to a quadruple Treble.

‘It’s a tricky one,’ admitted the Swede, ‘because we love Scott Brown, not only for what he has been doing on the pitch but off it as well.

‘He is a true Celtic legend and has been a tremendous leader — but at the same time I think Neil will stick with Soro after two games. He has shown so much energy and the ability to win the ball back.

It’s good for the team to have more competition now from Soro playing really well — you need to give Callum McGregor a rest now and then as well, you know. ‘How will Scott react if he is left out? With him, I can guarantee it is

Celtic first, himself second. As a professional I can’t expect him to be laughing happy to miss out on a final.

‘He’s a clever boy, though, he’s been through most things, and he would understand Neil sticking with a team that’s been winning.

‘The problem has been, lately, that they’ve not been doing that.

If the manager now sticks with the same team, I think everyone can understand it.’

Mjallby has seen Lennon stare down dark times before as Celtic manager and come through them, but he admits things are different this time around with the pressure of being a supposedly superior force, rather then the underdogs they were in 2012 when he came within a game of losing his job.

‘I sympathise with Neil, obviously,’ said the Swede, who won two and lost two of the four Scottish Cup finals he played in six seasons with Celtic as a player.

‘He is under a lot of pressure but that is his job. He is the boss, he has the finance but at the same time I feel for him as a person. I know how much he loves Celtic. There is no other club he really wants to manage.

‘Still, we all understand results need to improve otherwise you run the risk of losing your job.’