Neil Lennon's players will know what they are in for when they come back for pre-season training. The uncertainty over who would be in charge has been removed and they will not have to get used to a new regime. However, that does not mean they will have an easy time of it. Lennon is determined to bring Celtic back to where they belong with entertaining football and a will to win attitude. The resilience shown by Lennon and the squad to bounce back after the disappointment of losing the Scottish Cup semi-final to Ross County should be used as a foundation for the challenges before them in the season ahead. Football is not just about using your feet. You also have to use your head to deal with the mental side of the game and be prepared for the occasional set-back that will inevitably come along. Standards have been set high at Parkhead over the years and the current crop of players will have to work hard to earn the right to pull on the Hoops jersey on a regular basis.
Lennon said: “ I think after the Ross County game, every game I had to win to stand any chance of being in contention. So I need to thank the players for their efforts as, if I hadn’t been for them, I wouldn’t have been in this position. It’s encouraging for me and for them. They know they can do it. They know they didn’t do themselves justice last year. There were too many times where they showed a softness. And now I can look forward to next season. They know me and what I expect from them, and they know that I will be trying to bring in new additions to strengthen the squad. You need a mentality to play for Celtic, you have to come close to winning every game and perform every week to a consistent level. It’s a hard thing winning football games as there is 11,12, 13, 14 players out there trying to stop you winning every week. They have to overcome that, whatever changes or tactics are thrown at them - they have to believe they are good enough and overcome that"
Having been a player and captain at Parkhead, Lennon knows he will be in the spotlight 24 hours a day. He has shown, over the period since March, that he has developed the attitude and style to deal with the near constant media interest and intrusion into his work and home life. The opportunity to manage a club he served as a player for seven years means a lot to Lennon and he has not intentions of letting anybody down. He said: “It’s a wonderful feeling and something I have worked for since I retired from playing the game. I feel really lucky and humble. At the same time it’s a wonderful opportunity and a huge responsibility. But I am ready for it. I think as a player you were under immense pressure. I know this is different as you are under a little bit more scrutiny. I will just try and use the experience I had as a captain and a player when you were in spotlight all the time. You were open to criticism and a lot of time you took the fall if the team didn’t do so well. So I am ready for that. I understand the nature of the beast in Glasgow. The one thing you can’t do is please people all the time. You are open for criticism and I have been well-versed to that over the years.”
Neil Lennon's players will know what they are in for when they come back for pre-season training. The uncertainty over who would be in charge has been removed and they will not have to get used to a new regime. However, that does not mean they will have an easy time of it. Lennon is determined to bring Celtic back to where they belong with entertaining football and a will to win attitude. The resilience shown by Lennon and the squad to bounce back after the disappointment of losing the Scottish Cup semi-final to Ross County should be used as a foundation for the challenges before them in the season ahead. Football is not just about using your feet. You also have to use your head to deal with the mental side of the game and be prepared for the occasional set-back that will inevitably come along. Standards have been set high at Parkhead over the years and the current crop of players will have to work hard to earn the right to pull on the Hoops jersey on a regular basis.