Celtic boss Neil Lennon has explained the return of three key players.
Speaking to BBC Radio Scotland [17/02, 17:38], the Bhoys’ boss talked about Ismaila Soro, Albian Ajeti and Stephen Welsh’s comebacks, with the boss rotating the squad during a busy run-in.
Lennon said:
“[We’re] just freshening it up a little bit. We were playing quite well, but obviously with the volume of games we’ve had, the likes of Soro’s had a good rest. Albian had a rest at the weekend.
“Obviously Stephen’s come back in, he hadn’t done anything wrong, and thankfully he’s just missed the one game.
“It’s important that we keep the squad motivated and keep the players as fresh as we possibly can.”
Celtic boss Neil Lennon talks groove
Lennon sounded relatively chipper ahead of the mid-week clash with Aberdeen. Full of praise for his opposition, led by under-fire Derek McInnes, the Celtic boss was keen to build momentum. The Celtic boss praised some of his players, claiming that they’d found “a real groove”.
The Celtic boss claimed:
“I just want us to do that [win 5 games in a row], keep it going and find that level of performance we’ve shown over the last few weeks. The confidence is starting to come back. Our energy’s better, the sharpness in our attacking play is a lot better as well. Just looking for more of the same really, against a very competitive, experienced Aberdeen team.
“[Winning games] always helps. Confidence is a fragile thing sometimes. Where we are at the minute, it’s great to see players playing better, showing their talent and ability that we know they’re capable of.
“I think this season of all seasons there’s been pressure on every game. This one’s no different, really. They’re under the spotlight all the time. I just think some of them have found a real groove and a real sort of momentum in the way they play.”
Supporters were delighted to see Welsh and Soro return, in particular. Both have established themselves as fan favourites in a relatively short time, with fans wondering whether or not they should’ve been in the team sooner.
Coming into this match, Aberdeen have failed to score in 5 outings. Meanwhile, Celtic are chasing a 5th consecutive win.
Solid performances all-round
Stephen Welsh is looking particularly accomplished on his return from injury. The central defender, ever comfortable on the ball, showed his range of passing while Celtic enjoyed possession. Ahead of him, Soro was full of tricks and flicks, taking the ball on with incredible precociousness and keeping the tempo up for the Bhoys.
Albian Ajeti, meanwhile, makes such a difference to Celtic’s attacking play. Alongside Odsonne Edouard, he pressed the Aberdeen goalkeeper out of possession. When the Bhoys were attacking, he was able to distract defenders and create space for Edouard and, notably, Turnbull. The ex-Motherwell man needed little encouragement to shoot from distance, with Ajeti dragging centre-backs wider.
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