Celtic: Alan Thompson has faith in Lennon effect

NEW Celtic coach Alan Thompson hopes the Neil Lennon era will have the same immediate impact his former boss Martin O'Neill enjoyed at Parkhead.

Thompson was confirmed as part of Lennon's backroom staff yesterday, as the former skipper prepares for his first season at the helm after being named as permanent manager last week.

They now face the task of wresting the Clydesdale Bank Premier League title back from Rangers following a period of dominance by their bitter rivals – just like O'Neill had to do a decade ago.

Asked how long he thinks the new management team will take to turn things around, Thompson said: "Hopefully quite quickly.

"When I first came in, we had lost the league the season before to Rangers by 14 or 15 points.

"Martin came in and changed that around quite quickly. We have to try and do the same.

"We have to be positive about it. There is no point coming in if we don't believe we can do it. Neil, Johan Mjallby and myself are people who have been used to winning games and trophies in our careers so that's what we have got to try to instil in the squad."