Johann Mjallby keeps eyes on the prize amid turmoil

Published on Saturday 14 May 2011 13:54

Engaging and articulate, passionate about Celtic, and a man who has come from outside Scotland to play a central role as a successful player and then a tyro coach in the bear pit that is Scottish football.

Yes, Johann Mjallby has a lot in common with Neil Lennon, except that no one has been reported as trying to kill or injure Celtic's assistant manager, who was just feet away when "that" incident took place at Tynecastle on Wednesday night.

Mjallby said: "We scored and I was on the way back into the dugout and I didn't really see what happened. I've seen it on telly a few times and, thankfully, the person didn't have anything in his hand. The biggest disappointment is that, with all the fuss that has been going on this season, the least you expect is that the security should be a bit better."

The big Swedish defender, who captained his country at the 2002 World Cup, admits he fears a similar incident could happen again away from Celtic Park. "But you have to trust the police and the security," he added. "Sure, we were a bit shocked on Wednesday with this horrible thing that happened to Neil. It shouldn't happen, no matter what you do in life, and it's a disgrace, but we just want to focus on the team and the players have to focus on what they have to do. There is going to be an investigation and, hopefully, it is not going to happen again."

Mjallby rejects any suggestion that Lennon has brought ill-treatment upon himself because of his passion for Celtic. "He has always been passionate as a player and as a person," said Mjallby. "It's a horrible thing to say that he should be attacked just because he's a passionate man. Jose Mourinho is always an animated figure, he goes about his business as a passionate man, and I don't think anyone should attack him for that."

Lennon and Mjallby grew close in their days playing together under Martin O'Neill. Not the least of their shared experiences was Celtic's defeat by Porto in the UEFA Cup final in Seville in 2003, followed a few days later by the final matches of the SPL season when Celtic beat Kilmarnock 4-0 at Rugby Park, only for Rangers to beat Dunfermline 6-1 at Ibrox and win the title by a single goal.

"We were so disappointed coming back from Spain," said Mjallby. "It was a blessing in a way that we had this important game so soon after.

"It was quite easy to get fired up for the game. We knew we had to score an abundance of goals at Kilmarnock. Rugby Park isn't an easy place to go to, but we played really well that day and it's just a shame we missed a penalty and it wasn't to be.

"Afterwards you just feel empty. It was quite hard mentally to take these two blows in a short amount of time. The feeling is strange, you're disappointed and feel very lonely. We'd lost out by one goal. It's much harder to lose by a small margin than a dozen or so points when you can accept the other team are better."Given that Rangers have the advantage going into today's "helicopter Sunday"' shootout, Celtic - according to the bookmakers - will have to lift themselves after losing out on the title in time for the Scottish Cup Final against Motherwell next Saturday.

"The players know they have to win trophies here and no matter what happens on Sunday, it's our job to build them up for the Cup final," said Mjallby. "For some time, we were competing for a treble. We're still in two competitions. If it doesn't happen on Sunday we've still got one to compete for that's going to be very important for us."

The management team know they are also not guaranteed to be kept on by a club hungry for success, but Mjallby feels the Lennon-led crew have earned the chance to carry on.

"When we came in the confidence of the players was quite low," he said. "At first we just wanted to lift the spirit and try and make sure we won as many games as possible. Now this season, having a pre-season under the belt, we had the chance to bring in our own players and decide how we wanted to play the game."

Those signings have been the biggest source of contentment for Lennon, Mjallby and fellow coach Alan Thompson: "The most satisfying thing about new players coming in and doing well is that it proves you have been right in getting them and bringing them in. We have known all the time that they are good players in their own right, but you don't know if they are going to gel into the team and become superior players. That's why you are so satisfied when the likes of Beram Kayal and Emilio Izaguirre have been terrific for us."

Yes, mistakes were made - "even Sir Alex Ferguson makes mistakes now and again" - but Mjallby is confident that Lennon is the man to lead Celtic going forward: "I am surprised how quickly he has picked up how to motivate the team. He is a really good motivator. He speaks fantastically well and seems to have this magic thing to really fire up players and make sure they can go out and run through a brick wall for him.

"That is the way I felt for Martin O'Neill." In the Mjallby lexicon, there is no bigger compliment.