Mikael Lustig: Neil Lennon told us winning the league was his one job

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Celtic right-back Mikael Lustig has revealed what Neil Lennon told the squad about his remit when he arrived.

After Brendan Rodgers’ departure in February, Lennon answered the call to take the Celtic job. Away matches against Hearts and Hibernian followed swiftly, with Lennon negotiating both in impressive fashion.

In a sense, those two matches helped propel Celtic to the potential success they’re closing in on. Victory this Saturday against Hearts at Hampden Stadium will seal the treble treble. It’s a feat never done before in Scottish football, and it would be yet another first from the Hoops.

But speaking to the Celtic View this week (Volume 54, Issue 43, Page 12) Lustig has revealed that the cup wasn’t a big focus of Lennon’s when he arrived.

“I have so much respect for Neil Lennon and I’m really close to him. I have a lot to be thankful for with regards to Neil. He’s a true Celt, he loves the club and it means so much to him.

“When he came in, he was honest. He said he had one job and that was to get us over the line in the league. He’s done that and now we have a cup final to look forward to.

“You need to stay focused to set aside everything else and focus on the football. Uncertainty is part of football. So there was a lot of emotion in my goal against Aberdeen the day we clinched the title.”

Job done then

Nobody truly knows the details of Lennon’s remit. Only the Celtic board, Lennon, and perhaps even the playing staff are aware of his true goals. But if it was as straightforward as guiding Celtic to the title, then nobody can argue about the job the Northern Irishman has done.

It hasn’t been convincing at times. Lennon has won just six of his 10 league games in charge, for example. But at the end of the day, he can only be judged on his remit. Did the board tell him to win the league via impressive performances? Was a convincing, attractive brand of football also required by the beaks at Parkhead?

It feels unlikely, but nobody truly knows. But this is perhaps why Lennon feels so defensive about his credentials for the job (Celtic TV). Any other working man or woman would if you were meeting your targets yet being told you weren’t good enough. Lennon is no different in that respect.

And it would hardly be a surprise if the league alone was Lennon’s only remit. As great and historical as trebles are, keeping 10-in-a-row on track will forever be the holy grail until it’s achieved. Considering the uncertainty around the club three months ago, winning the title at the expense of the Scottish Cup wouldn’t have been disastrous.

Winning a double to complete the treble, however, would be a real feather in Lennon’s cap. So performances may not have been great under him, but is he even being judged of that? According to Lustig, his one goal was to win the title. It’ll be interesting to see where this takes him.