Celtic manager Neil Lennon has made an important admission as he stated that our performances against Rangers will have to change.
The Hoops boss has watched his side struggle in the last two games against our Ibrox foes. Celtic have been bossed in the middle of the park in the last couple of derby matches, and despite the fact we won the Betfred Cup at the start of December, the games have generally been frustrating viewing for the supporters.
It was even more bemusing when Lenny came out after the 2-1 loss at Parkhead and claimed we didn’t deserve to lose (Daily Record). Some supporters weren’t overly pleased with that statement, and no wonder.
However, after having time to reflect on the derby, it appears that Lenny is more aware that things need to change. Speaking in the Scottish Sun, he said the following:
“We need to analyse the Rangers game. It would be remiss not to. We can’t just say it was a blip and one of those days – We have to analyse it because we weren’t great in the Betfred Cup final either.
“There is definitely room for improvement there. Maybe we will need to change the way we play to accommodate the opposition. But we had a run of 12 wins in a row on the back of the previous defeat, before losing that big one.
“We’ll take time to refocus and regroup and get fresh again. We’ll see what the second half of the season brings.”
Lennon provides supporters with the right message
It’s essential that the supporters see their manager acknowledging that things went wrong against Rangers and that we have a problem. With 10-in-a-row so close for the Hoops, it’s important we don’t let arrogance become our downfall.
However, it’s probably fair to say we’ve only dominated one derby match since September 2018. Our 2-0 win at Ibrox back in September last year was a huge result. But that followed two poor defeats at Ibrox and a nervy 2-1 win at Parkhead against 10-men.
The recent two matches mean that we’ve effectively only controlled one of the last six derby matches. That’s a highly disappointing stat, and it shows we have to change up our approach against Rangers.
Back on December 29th, our midfield was worryingly out of the game. Scott Brown and Callum McGregor were hardly seen throughout the 90 minutes. We need more power and energy in there. Only after Olivier Ntcham came on did we start seriously upping the pressure levels.
January provides us with a unique opportunity to really strengthen in the areas we need to for the games against Rangers. Not having a plan B when Odsonne Edouard is off form is another issue that needs tackling.
However, it’s good to see Lennon come out and acknowledge that December 29th was no fluke. A realistic approach and cool heads will help put us in the best position possible for our return clash at Ibrox in March.
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