Celtic manager Neil Lennon has targets beyond ten-in-a-row

It may be an obsession for the fans but Parkhead boss is looking at the bigger picture

New goalkeeper Vasilis Barkas needs ‘adaptation time’ says manager Neil Lennon, but will be an ‘deal replacement for Fraser Forster. Picture: SNS.

If there is a bigger picture than ten-in-a-row for Celtic this season, it’s unlikely any of their supporters will be able to see it.

But Neil Lennon is insistent he is duty-bound to look beyond the attempt on a new record of successive league titles which has become an obsession for his club’s 
followers.

While the Celtic manager is fully aware of the significance attached to the latest defence of their Premiership crown, he has other targets and longer-term aspirations for his club which he is determined won’t be overlooked.

“There has been ten-in-a-row chat for the last three or four years,” said Lennon ahead of tomorrow’s opening league fixture against Hamilton Accies at Celtic Park.

“When we won seven, people were talking about it. It’s no different. I’ll just do what I normally try to do and block it out, concentrate on the job in hand.

“It’s not just about this season. It’s about the seasons after that in terms of developing young players, integrating players into the squad and bringing new players in to add to the core we have already.

“This season, we are trying again to achieve Champions League group stage football which is going to be immensely difficult but not beyond us. Then, obviously, defending all the domestic trophies as robustly as we can.

“Of course I have to look at the bigger picture. Everything doesn’t just stop at the end of this season if we achieve it (ten-in-a-row). The club will go on and there are players here we want to bring through.

“The main focus is the league, as it is every season. The priority is to win the title but it doesn’t just stop with this season. We look to go on again. I’m trying very much to stay in the present.”

Lennon is relishing the prospect of the first competitive fixture at Celtic Park in five months, albeit behind closed doors as Scottish football re-emerges gingerly from its Covid-19 suspension.

“It’s been quite a while – 
7 March – since we played competitive football,” he said. “A lot has happened since then.

“We’ve had a longer pre-season than we are accustomed to and less games coming into the season, so that’s been different. And obviously also playing with no supporters.

“So there has been a lot of adaptation. We are all hoping the players will be focused and adapt to the new normal, if you want to call it that, as best as possible.

“We know the challenges which lie ahead of us and there has been a real sense of anticipation building over the last couple of days.

“It will be quite poignant when the games start but it will be even better if and when we can get supporters back in the stadiums. Looking at the English games, the novelty soon wears off after having one or two games without supporters there.

“Speaking to other coaches down there, the players have found it difficult at times. So that’s something we will have to keep an eye on. But in terms of just getting the game up and running again in as best a fashion as we possibly can, it’s fantastic.”

Those Celtic supporters who tune into TV coverage of Sunday’s match may have to wait a little longer for their first glimpse of Vasilis Barkas in action. Lennon says the 26-year-old Greek international goalkeeper, who completed his £4.5 million move from AEK Athens on Thursday, needs “adaptation time” but is sure he can prove an ideal replacement for Fraser Forster.

“He is a goalkeeper the club have liked for quite a while, going back to when we played AEK in the Champions League qualifiers a couple of years ago.

“Our goalkeeping coach Stevie Woods has been keeping his eye on him. He’s a good size, really composed, a good shot stopper and really good at coming for crosses.

“We are not going to compare him to Fraser – he’s been and gone, he made a huge contribution. But Barkas is a good age and hopefully he’ll make the same impact as some of the other goalkeepers we’ve had over the years.”

As well as failing to persuade Forster to return to the club, Celtic also lost Craig Gordon to Hearts this summer but Lennon doesn’t feel he needs to add another goalkeeper to his squad.

“I don’t think so,” he said. “Scott Bain is a very good goalkeeper. He may even start on Sunday. Then you’ve got Conor Hazard underneath. We’ll probably take a view on it as we go along but it’s not top of the priority list 
at the minute.”

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