NEIL LENNON has finally lifted the lid on what life was really like at the start of his second spell at the club. The Celtic manager was acting like a cool customer when he answered the call to replace Brendan Rodgers who done a midnight flitting to Leicester back in February.
However, the Irishman has spoken of the immense pressure he felt trying to get Celtic over the line and win the games that really mattered in his quest to be names the permanent Celtic boss.
The Irishman came into the club with a bit of work to do – there was three months of the season left and a quarter-final, semi-final and final of the Scottish Cup to negotiate where everyone was waiting on everything falling to pieces.
Celtic fans were still very raw from Brendan Rodgers departure and needed someone to get behind – Neil Lennon was that man but he was not universally welcomed back by the club and many were waiting for him to slip up. He never did – the only blemish against his name was a loss at Ibrox when the League was all but won.
Now sitting as the permanent Celtic manager after delivering the treble treble, the second time Celtic boss admits he can breathe a little easier this time around in cup competitions.
“I think that was more the case early on, going back to last season, when we won away to Hibs in the Scottish Cup and then had Aberdeen in the semi-final; then we obviously were trying to win the trophy.” Lennon told RecordSport.
The pressure at that stage was immense. It has sort of dissipated slightly. There is also pressure in this role when in a cup competition but I don’t feel the weight of pressure this time which I might have done three or four months ago.
“It’s lovely. I can breathe a little bit better.
“Every game last season, more or less, was a case of: ‘he’ll have to win this game if he wants the job, he has to win that game.’.
“It was Hibs, Rangers, Aberdeen, then winning the league, then the cup final. All those sort of aspects.
“The pressure was great and it was a hell of a challenge. It was one which made you feel a tinge of pride that I managed to steer them through it.”
