It was a tough test for Neil Lennon to continue from where Brendan Rodgers left off prior to his sudden move to Leicester City midway through the previous term. But he accepted the challenge and guided his former club to claim a historic treble ‘treble’ despite Rangers’ resurgence under Steven Gerrard.
The gaffer, having earned the managerial role permanently for the second occasion, is now set to make a few significant changes to Celtic’s gameplan. While Rodgers was known for his passing and attacking football, Lennon is likely to prefer the traditional approach with more focus on the defensive game and implementing a counter-attacking strategy.
The Change Lennon Wants To Introduce at Parkhead
Custodian Scott Bain has revealed the same in a recent interview as he has been asked not to invite pressure and try to ‘look a bit longer in terms of distribution’ from the last line of defence.
“We’re still finding our feet but the games have been good for me because I knew what my new role would be. I can look into the second and third lines, longer passes, that take the pressure off the boys and get them playing further up the pitch. That’s another aspect of the game I enjoy.”
Added the Scotsman (as quoted by Football Scotland) who seems to have replaced veteran Craig Gordon as the Hoops’ ‘number 1’.
Why Rodgers’ Tactics Suit The Hoops More
Rodgers, on the other hand, allowed his keepers to play it out from the back, retain possession and continue the passing game until the opponents made mistakes by opening up space in the defensive third. This patient build-up enables the players to have control of the flow and orchestrate the tempo throughout.
The ex-Liverpool boss injected it perfectly soon after plying his trade in Parkhead and roped in players who would adapt his gameplan successfully in one of Europe’s most attacking as well as aggressive football leagues. Rodgers’ regime made the fans euphoric of their eye-catching football which, however, might get compromised if Lennon sticks to his strategy that Bain has highlighted.
In football, three points and silverware are all that matters. Fans will forget everything if the Bhoys continue their supremacy and keep winning against their Old Firm rivals. But the scenario would alter drastically if things start falling apart and Lennon, therefore, must analyse his decisions rationally before applying it in the forthcoming future.
