Neil Lennon has rubbished suggestions that winning another treble could somehow become tedious, insisting Celtic’s relentless success should be celebrated, not downplayed. The Dunfermline manager and Celtic legend also addressed talk of increased investment at Rangers, making it clear he believes Celtic will rise to meet any challenge thrown their way.
Speaking to PLZ Soccer, Lennon scoffed at the notion that a treble could ever lose its shine: “A tedious Treble? I’ve never heard something so ridiculous in all my life. I think it’s very, very special to win a Treble. This is the standard that Celtic have set now.”
He added: “People get disappointed if they don’t win a Treble, that’s how good they are. For people to come out with those sort of comments, you’re disingenuous. You don’t realise the lengths, studying, preparation and the sacrifices that managers, players and staff have to make to achieve all that.”
While Celtic still have a major hurdle to clear with a Scottish Cup Final against Aberdeen looming, Lennon turned his attention to the bigger picture, where noise around Rangers’ potential financial backing has begun to grow. He made it clear Celtic would meet any such challenge head-on.
“I would say Celtic will relish the challenge,” Lennon said. “I think it will make them better and even more motivated and determined to go again.”
Lennon believes that if Rangers were to invest heavily to close the gap, Celtic would not only match it but surpass it under Brendan Rodgers’ leadership. “It’s always important to freshen the squad up every year with new blood and freshness coming in. That’s exactly what I think Brendan will look to do, so I think there’s more exciting times ahead,” he added.
Lennon was keen to point out that the club’s European performances this season also bode well for the future, highlighting the squad’s ability to compete at the highest level.
He stressed that the suggestion of a lack of competition is no excuse for rivals: “People might say there’s a lack of competition but that’s not on Celtic, it’s on the rest to compete and make it really difficult for them. And it is difficult. Every team raises the game when they play against Celtic week in, week out.”
With silverware in their sights again, and a manager ready to drive standards even higher, Lennon made it clear Celtic’s appetite for success is far from waning — especially if the challenge from across the city intensifies.
