Neil Lennon has labelled Celtic’s opening goal in the 2-1 win over Hearts as “breathtaking”.
Celtic overcame Hearts at Tynecastle last night in Lennon’s first game in charge of the club.
The interim Hoops boss revealed before the game that John Kennedy had been preparing the team. Yet, despite that, Lennon still made his way into the dugout to oversee the match.
And, fittingly, Celtic took a massive step towards eight-in-a-row with the win. The three points kept the Hoops eight points clear of second-placed Rangers.
And Lennon, speaking to Celtic TV after the game, opened up on the moment that took his breath away.
“It was breathtaking (the opening goal). We need to get those three on the ball more (Sinclair, Burke, and Forrest). They can hurt teams.
“The awareness of Scott and awareness of Oli…the three of them on the counter-attack is fantastic. It’s a great weapon that we have. I think we need to utilise it a little bit more.
“It was difficult for them in the second half. The pitch is a little bit bigger, but we shot ourselves in the foot and we need to deal with that better.”
Lennon looking to make tweaks
It’s clear from his post-match interview that Lennon is looking to make some slight tweaks to Celtic’s play. One of the most important by far is the overplaying at the back.
Hearts’ goal last night came from Scott Bain’s pass that Kristoffer Ajer allowed to roll across him. It was one of the most frustrating aspects of the Brendan Rodgers regime, and Lennon simply must address it.
But the fact he’s wanting to get the front three on the ball a lot more is another huge boost. Too much of Celtic’s play often goes through the midfield at a laboured pace, with service to the likes of Burke too rare.
Burke in particular last night showed just how blistering he can be when he gets on the ball and runs at the opposition.
Even after one game, Lennon is connecting with the supporters more than Rodgers did and saying what many fans are thinking regarding the team’s play.
All of a sudden, things are looking brighter already.
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