Neil Lennon and Paulo Sergio - friends in high places meet again

By ANDREW SMITH
Published on Sunday 5 February 2012 00:00

THE idea of Neil Lennon and Paulo Sergio chomping down on a couple of cigars in their post-match confab on Wednesday night might seem bizarre.

But the Celtic manager presents the scenario as entirely possible thanks to him having developed an unlikely friendship with his Hearts counterpart.

“He likes of a puff, doesn’t he?” says Lennon – whose nicotine intake tends to come in the form of chewing tobacco pushed into his gum – of the Portuguese. “He’s a good lad, a really good lad. A good sense of humour, as well. I guess you need one working for him [Vladimir Romanov].

“I’m looking forward to the game because I have so much time for Paulo. He’s been very good to me and I admire the job he’s done there. We chat generally.”

Sergio was the last man to guide a Scottish team to victory against Celtic, the 2-0 defeat in the teams’ October Tynecastle meeting appearing to put a major dent in the championship prospects of Lennon’s men. But that seems an age ago, with the Glasgow club having now won their past 12 SPL league encounters.

“I know we were written off then and now it’s ‘you should win the title’. If we don’t then everyone should be sacked according to one eminent broadcaster [Craig Burley],” says the Celtic manager.

“It’s funny how the game changes, but I’m very pleased with the players in how they’ve turned things around. It’s testament to the squad we’ve built here that we’re in this position.”

Lennon rejects the notion that Celtic failed to perform in their last visit to Gorgie. “Was it a poor performance? I thought we were all right in the first half. We had good chances. The majority fell to Kris [Commons] that day. In games that tight it’s crucial to take the lead.

“I wasn’t that unhappy with how we played. [Rudi] Skacel got the first goal when we didn’t deal with a loopy ball. The second goal [came when] were chasing the game and got caught on the break.

“But we’re a far better team now than we were then, there’s no doubt about that. The players are aware that it’s a huge game in the context of the season and one that will lift us if we win.”

The surprise is that most of the Hearts squad who contributed to the win will be in maroon colours again this week. The supposed January fire sale did not materialise and, even if it makes his job more difficult in midweek, Lennon says he is happy about that fact because of his affection for Sergio.

“Ryan Stevenson’s gone to Ipswich. They lost Eggert Jonsson and John Sutton, but it could have been seven or eight who left. I don’t know how much football those guys who did go had played for them in this good run lately, when, probably after us, they were the best team in the country before being beaten by Inverness [Caledonian Thistle].

“So maybe they looked at it and decided they didn’t need them.

“They signed Skacel on a new contract. That seems to be his home there. It’s probably been the most productive spell in his career and he has been in good form again this season.”