Neil Lennon believes that another Treble is on the cards, with Hibs standing in the way of a Scottish Cup run.
Neil Lennon understands what it is like to smell blood on the brutal Old Firm battlefield.
As a player, he won a treble in his debut season with Celtic and went on to win 12 major championships. As manager of the Hoops, he gained ten more major championships, including another complete sweep in 2019-20. Lennon endured a few bloody noses along the way, but it was his desire to achieve that kept him on the winning side of Scottish football’s toughest rivalry. Celtic are aiming for their ninth domestic Treble, but Rangers’ Scottish Cup dreams have already been dashed.
Lennon does not anticipate the Hoops to be knocked out for the second time in 15 days when his two former clubs face off in Sunday’s Scottish Cup quarterfinal. Rather, he feels Brendan Rodgers’ side will perceive an opportunity to throw another pounding marker to Scottish football, and deepen the “chasm” between them and their arch rivals across the city.
Sunday’s last-eight clash with Hibs at Parkhead is the pick of this weekend’s games, with David Gray’s team coming off a sensational 15-game unbeaten streak in all competitions. This includes last week’s stunning 2-1 victory over the champs at Easter Road.
However, Lennon believes that result would further fuel Celtic’s ambition to establish that they are the best team in Scotland. When asked if it’s impossible to look beyond another Hoops treble with his former club also 16 points ahead in the league, he replied: “With Rangers out of the competition early, Celtic will scent blood. You’d like to think so.
Lennon does not anticipate the Hoops to be knocked out for the second time in 15 days when his two former clubs face off in Sunday’s Scottish Cup quarterfinal. Rather, he feels Brendan Rodgers’ side will perceive an opportunity to throw another pounding marker to Scottish football, and deepen the “chasm” between them and their arch rivals across the city.
Sunday’s last-eight clash with Hibs at Parkhead is the pick of this weekend’s games, with David Gray’s team coming off a sensational 15-game unbeaten streak in all competitions. This includes last week’s stunning 2-1 victory over the champs at Easter Road.
However, Lennon believes that result would further fuel Celtic’s ambition to establish that they are the best team in Scotland. When asked if it’s impossible to look beyond another Hoops treble with his former club also 16 points ahead in the league, he replied: “With Rangers out of the competition early, Celtic will scent blood. You’d like to think so.
“In the final half hour, Celtic were just breathtaking. And he has the kind of rotation that he can deploy with good players. So it’ll be interesting to see what his starting line-up is.
“He seems to be set on a starting XI, like the one he started with in Munich. And then he substituted them second half against Hibs, started them again against Aberdeen. I would imagine that would be, in his mind, the strongest team at the minute.
“Although, Yang’s made a massive contribution. McCowan’s been great. So all these sort of parts all add up to what’s been a momentous season for them up until now. But this game is going to be a humdinger, I think.”
One player who has really impressed Lennon of late has been record signing Arne Engels. Arriving with the weight of an £11m price tag on his shoulders the 21-year-old struggled for consistency in his first few months in Glasgow.
Yang celebrates with Arne Engels
But Lennon has been blown away by the Belgian’s efforts over the last two months. And he believes that being willing to tackle both the ugly and the glamorous aspects of the game has made him a more complete player.
He stated, “He wasn’t doing that earlier in the season.” I believed he was struggling defensively at times, but it appears to be an area where he has improved. He made an excellent challenge in the second half against St Mirren, eating up the ground and getting across. His whole game is developing all the time.
“I thought he started well, but then there was a slump. In some of the games, Celtic played in tight spaces, and he struggled controlling the ball. But in the last six weeks, I believe he has flourished. I believe he has been outstanding.
“The European games offer him a tremendous… I felt he was decent at Villa, but I thought he was fantastic against Bayern Munich in both matches. I believe he gained a lot of confidence from that. His game at the moment is great.
“You saw him in full swing when he scored his second goal against Aberdeen. He raced 60-70 yards to join the counter-attack, received the ball, passed it back to Jota, who scored. But the run he did was incredible.
“That’s what he’s always had, and his football in tight spaces is improving as well. He has a terrific whip cross. He makes excellent crosses from broad locations. He simply takes it out of his feet and places it in that location. So his overall game is developing.
“Nothing seems to bother him. There is a serene assurance about him. He is a good speaker. He’s a bright boy. I believe he speaks three or four languages as well. But, in general, I believe his game has improved dramatically in the last few months, and he is a player who exudes confidence.”
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