‘Neil Lennon has thrown off the Shackles’ says Niall J, ‘it could be a Magical Ride’

I HAVE heard some compare the journey to Neil Lennon’s employment akin to the road map to Chernobyl. No really I did. Something to do with missing obvious road signs.

I heard some say the sophistication may be lacking in the style of play somewhat, like Guardiola has the monopoly on football performance. Only decreasing gradients are appropriate steps in proportion to your own footballing environment of course.

I heard others say it is merely just a backward step to appoint the man who won the first three of the eight. What about a Benitez or Mourinho? Like Moonbeams were no longer exclusive to Govan. Like we’d outgrown Neil Lennon, we now had moved up the footballing food chain. We were now mingling in more refined circles.

Some compared the appointment to Martin O’Neill, like a European final was somehow now passé when compared to a bottle of Dom Perignon and a tactical analysis from the books of Michael Calvin.

As an aside anyone reading Calvin’s ‘Living on the Volcano’ might now trust that author’s judgement over our own when it came to analysing the character of a manager. Read the undertones on Brendan Rodgers. We may have been forewarned by more than disgruntled Liverpool fans. The benefit of hindsight and all that.

Since Neil Lennon’s appointment we have seen four consecutive European wins for the first time since? Well that would be Neil Lennon.

It has been done before him of course. Yes by Martin O’Neill.

We’ve had 4 straight wins. Thank Goodness we avoided The Red Imps. We’d scored 12 and conceded 2 as well as a comfortable unbeaten pre-season.

And on to Flag Day. What can you say? As a team reaches for nine on the day they unfurled the flag to celebrate the eight they hit seven past their first game opponents. Not a bad start Mr Lennon. Not bad at all.

I’m being somewhat facetious of course I’m more than aware that Neil Lennon hasn’t won the War he’s merely won the initial battles with style. Yes with panache over the assumed pragmatism. Pace and variation in play over death by a thousand passes or long diagonal balls to Samaras. It would seem we may have landed somewhere in between.

Could it be Neil Lennon may already get this league? Could our manager knows what is required? Has he learned and developed himself from past experiences? Is he just a hand fitting perfectly in a glove for Celtic?

Victory over St Johnstone gave everyone food for thought. Every single detractor who was already changing their mind as of course is their wont and everyone who was in support but still slightly reticent deep down saw a display at Celtic Park that simply took the breath away.

Be you someone who’d have preferred an alternative or someone who believed wholeheartedly that Lenny was just what was needed, none of us expected a start to the season with such style, guile, tactical nous and individual freedom. It was a joy to behold.

Imagine just for a moment as difficult as it may be that you were a disciple of Govan. A believer in the Gerrard revolution. You’ve yet to kick a domestic football and by the time you do you’re playing catch up to the tune of three points and seven goals. I did just take a moment to actually envisage that and it was nice.

We saw a back four in total control yet in all likelihood only one will be first choice by the time the Scottish transfer window closes. Food for thought. We experienced full backs overlapping yet relatively disciplined in their core responsibilities. We saw central defenders moving forward to break defensive lines in turn, yet they’ve played together less than a handful of occasions outside of training.

We witnessed the perfectly balanced central midfield partnership of McGregor and Brown staring to look like they’ve been working in tandem since the invention of the game.

Further forward we saw a hat trick hero in Ryan Christie sending a message to those on the periphery or in the care of the medical team that he’s going to take some shifting and Forrest and Johnston playing like they feel the breath of competing dragons on their necks.

And what about Odsonne Edouard? Immense. This lad has grown just as a thoroughbred in an Arab horseracing stable winters. Already a jewel in the Celtic crown French Eddy is now linking play like the scoring of goals is now just natural, like the hitting the net will come with such ease that he has other strings to his bow he intends to fire off just to show how much he has improved.

Add to that those who came from the subs bench. Olivier Ntcham. If he wants away he intends to show his wares, if he’s changed his mind and wishes now to stay he’s giving Neil Lennon a headache as to how to fit him into a starting eleven. He strolls on to replace Christie the three goal man of the match then scores a magical goal within moments and pulls some strings in support of the frontline like replacing a hero is no sweat to him at all. Like he believes he’s better.

Then there is Leigh Griffiths. Being nursed back to full speed by the coaching staff he’s clearly champing at the bit. In his cameo he sets up French Eddy for the goal then proceeds to score one of those goals only he and Tom Rogic produce on a regular basis. No back lift. No idea it’s coming for the opposition defence and delivered with such verve and accuracy that no-one can react. Make no mistake Griffiths is back and he’s not even a starter. Not yet.

In short this was a simply wonderful start to the season. Mikey Johnston scored a beautiful early opener that left his full back Wallace Duffy actually drilled it into the turf such was the wizardry. Ryan Christie scored 2 exquisite goals and one that left Zander Clark looking like that Scotland call up may be some time off. French Eddy and Griffiths scored the goals that indicate a new striker may not be as important as some may have believed and all after Olivier Ntcham scored a goal that on any other day would have made headline news such was the quality.

Not against the Saints though. Celtic produced seven goals all of them fine strikes, none conceded and a sign of intent sent out across Scotland.

Neil Lennon has thrown off the shackles. This team will win or lose on his terms.

On the evidence of our opening encounter it could be a magical ride.

Niall J

Here are the goals from Celtic 7 St Johnstone 0

Also on The Celtic Star…

Watch Rod Stewart singing ‘Here we Go, Ten in a Row’ at Paradise today…see HERE.

‘Ryan Christie who is the best player around. Anyone disagree?’ David Potter…see HERE.

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About Author

The Celtic Star founder and editor, who has edited numerous Celtic books over the past decade or so including several from Lisbon Lions, Willie Wallace, Tommy Gemmell and Jim Craig. Earliest Celtic memories include a win over East Fife at Celtic Park and the 4-1 League Cup loss to Partick Thistle as a 6 year old. Best game? Easy 4-2, 1979 when Ten Men Won the League. Email editor@thecelticstar.co.uk

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