Celtic boss Neil Lennon is now used to managing the Hoops in vital European ties. The latest will be when the Hoops take on Lazio in a vital Europa League clash on Thursday night.
He feels that he has improved as a manager in part due to the number of big games that he has managed the Hoops in during his two spells at the club.
Lennon believes his approach to games has changed for the better in the nine years since his first game as Hoops manager in Europe.
“European football has been massive for me as a coach” he said, as reported by the Scotsman.
“It is night and day”
“The tactical approach, the way the opposition approach the game. When I compare myself as a coach now with how I was for my first European game as manager it is night and day. I have so much more experience of tactics and trends of the game.”
It has to said that it is for the most part hard to argue with that. Some of Neil Lennon’s best results as Celtic manager have come in Europe.
Has achieved some big wins in Europe
The wins against Spartak Moscow and Barcelona for example. However, Lennon did manage to lose to Cluj earlier this season in a game that the Hoops should never have lost.
So perhaps at times, there are still lessons that can be learned from matches in Europe. It will be interesting to see how Lennon approaches the game against Lazio.
It is a game that Celtic should be confident of winning, but they can’t take any risks that don’t need to be taken. However, if Lennon gets his tactics right, it could be a successful night for the Hoops.
Receive a digest of our best Celtic content each week direct to your mailbox
