Don't do it for me, win it for yourselves urges Neil Lennon

But when Motherwell face off against Celtic at Hampden this afternoon, the age-old realities of Scottish football will determine that it is the team who grabbed the famous silverware as recently as 2007 who are under the greatest strain to lift it once more.

As determined and desperate as Motherwell will be to make the most of their first Scottish Cup final appearance since their memorable triumph back in 1991, they approach it without the burden of expectancy which both Celtic and their Old Firm rivals Rangers must always bear on these occasions.

For Neil Lennon, who recognises that the price of failure for Celtic today could include his own role as manager, it is the latest challenge in a tenure which has thus far seen his team falter in the fixtures which have ultimately mattered most of all.

"The club haven't won any silverware since winning the League Cup in 2009, which is too long for Celtic," observed Lennon. "At a club like Celtic, you probably do need silverware to prove that you're good enough. That's what you are gauged on.

"At other clubs, a season like the one we've had would be one to savour for a long, long time. But, at Celtic and Rangers, you are judged predominantly on titles won and cups won.

"Our players, in my opinion, deserve to win the trophy. But you don't always get what you deserve in football, so we are going to have to play very, very well. I would accept that there's a greater pressure on us than Motherwell. There's always a greater pressure on Celtic.

"We will go into the game as heavy favourites in the context of the season. That's a reflection on the way we've played this season. But the players can handle that. They've had it for more or less every game this season and they've been pretty consistent.

"I could throw numbers at you but they're not relevant now. It's in the history books that Rangers won the league. That's to our chagrin, really. But tomorrow is an opportunity to win a trophy against a very highly motivated Motherwell team."

Even before his pre-match media briefing yesterday, the build-up to the final had been dominated by Lennon. Current Celtic players and ex-Celtic players have appeared to be queuing up to express the view that, after all of the difficulties he has faced off the pitch this season, this is a match the Parkhead club must "win for Lenny".But that is not the motivation Lennon believes should be prevalent among his squad, albeit while admitting he is relishing the potential personal significance of victory.

"I don't want the players to win it for me," he said. "I want them to win it for themselves. I won plenty as a player, you know. I played in five Scottish Cup finals for Celtic and won four.

"As a manager, if you win your first trophy, it's always special and one you will remember. I'm also looking forward to leading the team out. It will make a pleasant change. I will enjoy the moment but, obviously, the 90 or 120 minutes of football is what it's all about.

"When I was a player here, I wanted to win things. As a manager, I'm here to win too. If you are here, you are here to win and to do it with a bit of style, as well, if you can. I think that's important in the philosophy and tradition of the club, to do that. But, if you win in a crap way, you accept that as well."

Lennon appeared as relaxed as it is possible to be for a manager seeking a success which could determine his immediate job prospects. He was even able to find humour in the threats to his personal safety which have cast a dark cloud over Scottish football this season.

"I can clear my mind and get away from that stuff, no problem," he said. "I go and play a lot of golf. Mind you, it was funny yesterday. I played at Gleddoch House and it was a shotgun start - four heavies came out of the trees and jumped on me!

"Listen, I will get a break soon, but I really don't want this season to end. I've loved it and I've more or less enjoyed every minute of it, in the football sense. Obviously, there have been other things that have left a bad taste in the mouth. It has been very challenging but, at times, very rewarding as well.

"I never really seriously think about walking away from it. I owe it to the players I brought to the club to try to establish both myself and them at the club. To then have walked away and left them, when they had contributed so much to the club this season, would have been remiss of me.

"People wouldn't have said 'that's a selfish thing to do' and it had crossed my mind once or twice. But I love this job and you shouldn't have to give up your job for non-football reasons.

"I'm here for the football and I've enjoyed watching my team play on numerous occasions this season. There have been seven Old Firm games, a League Cup final, taking the SPL to the wire and now another cup final. If you can't enjoy that, then you shouldn't be in the game.

"Ultimately, you want to win. The huge disappointment is not winning the championship. That will probably sink in after another couple of weeks. At the minute, you don't have time to reflect on it because we still have a huge game to play at Hampden. It's the showpiece game of the season and one we are all looking forward to."We have played a lot of fast, free-flowing football. In the big games, there has been a good mentality about the team. I don't think the team has done that much wrong this season."

Among the big decisions Lennon must make for today's final is whether to recall 19-goal striker Anthony Stokes. The Irishman was dropped from the squad last week after breaching club discipline off the field.

"He has trained fine this week," said Lennon. "It's an internal matter which I felt I had to deal with. I was disappointed I had to deal with it in that way, but I felt I had no choice in the matter. But he's back with the squad now and has a chance of playing at Hampden."