POSITIVE LENNY REVEALS HIS GOAL
NEIL LENNON is determined to deliver his forward-thinking objectives in the new season.
The Celtic manager is ready to impose himself on the champions’ style of play after running with Brendan Rogers’ more-cautious model when he took over in an interim capacity in February.
Lennon will order his players to be more aggressive going forward, more adventurous in their lead-up play and to concentrate on getting their opponents on the back foot during games.
The Irishman is no critic of the tactics preferred and adopted by his predecessor – far from it – but it is unlikely sweeper keepers Scott Bain and Craig Gordon can expect so many passbacks in the forthcoming campaign.
As well as being winners, it’s the comeback gaffer’s ambition to make the Hoops one of the game’s great entertainers once again.
Lennon, speaking to the Daily Record, said; “I will probably be more hands on now.
“In Damien Duff and John Kennedy, we have energy and good coaching. I can come and add my bit when needed.
“There will be personnel changes and I would also like to change the purpose of our play a bit more.
THE WINNER…Odsonne Edouard, watched by Scott Sinclair, clips in the Scottish Cup Final clincher against Hearts.
“The team liked to control games a certain way last season. I’d like it to be more attacking-minded from the off, really.
“The changes I want to make are hopefully to make the team better.
“Did we score enough goals last season? Can we get more? Can we be more purposeful in the attacking third?
“Defensively we were excellent, especially in the second half of the season and I want that to continue.
“But I would like us to be more prolific and create more chances.
“That is nothing to do with Brendan. He is an attack-minded coach.
“But you can be attack-minded in different ways.”
In his final two seasons in his first spell at Parkhead, Lennon’s teams scored 92 and 102 league goals respectively – while they managed just 77 last term which wasn’t even the best tally in the Premiership.
During his time in charge at Hibs, the former Hoops midfielder, who enjoyed playing alongside the likes of Henrik Larsson, Chris Sutton and John Hartson, was known to deploy two strikers in a 3-5-2 formation which was almost unknown during Rodgers’ admittedly-successful two-and-a-half years at the club.
Lennon added: “We had an attacking team in my first spell at Celtic. We had an attacking team at Hibs.
THE WINNER…a delighted Neil Lennon with the Scottish Cup.
“I want to bring that here. We have attacking players and I would maybe like to quicken the tempo at times.
“I want to get the ball forward into the strikers and wide men quicker, that’s all. I want us to create more excitement and goal chances, rather than control the game passively.
“I want us to be more purposeful in possession. You also need to be flexible. Maybe at different times, we will use different systems against certain opposition.
“That’s something I will look to work on in pre-season.
“It’s a matter of finding a formation that suits all the personnel.
“At Hibs, 3-5-2 worked really well with the midfield we had. But, mostly, I’d expect a back four.
“There will be times when I want to go with two strikers, there’s no question about that.”