NEIL LENNON promised not to change too much during his first Celtic interview back as the man in the Parkhead hot seat, but you are naive to think that’s actually true.

Neil had a say on subs at Tynecastle but that team was already trained and picked by John Kennedy on the Tuesday before the game. Lennon’s most notable sub was bringing on his old pal Mikael Lustig with minutes to go in the game at Tynecastle. The Irishman followed that up by naming Lustig in the starting XI for the Hibernian game with Dortmund loanee Jeremy Toljan dropping down to the bench.

We also saw the return of some more direct play, Neil given the ammunition he needed to stop constantly building from the back in Edinburgh when Bain’s miscue to Ajer caused a penalty. The notion he won’t change a winning side too much is just so untrue, Lennon knows he’s under the spotlight and will get the job on not Rodgers decisions but his own.

The Celtic manager has been in this place before, only he inherited a much weaker team when Tony Mowbray was sacked, which is why the Irishman still got the job after the Ross County Hampden humbling.

There will be no room for error this time, if Neil doesn’t bring home the treble he knows he could be on the outside looking in come the summer.

That’s why he is making changes, and that’s why Jeremy Toljan could be the first casualty of Lenny’s reign. We will see on Saturday for sure what the manager is thinking.

Jeremy has blown hot and cold but has been caught out on a number of occasions in precarious positions. The player is only in for the rest of the season before heading back to Germany.

9 COMMENTS

  1. If Neil does start playing Lustig over Toljan this would be a worrying sign he’s more interested in the old boys network than choosing the best players.

  2. I like Neil Lennon, but if he is going to reinstate lustig, then the sooner he’s gone the better.
    Lustig has been done for over a year.
    Toljan is an excellent player, and is fitting in well. I’d like to see him in on a permanent deal. My concern is Lennon might want to offer lustig an extension.

  3. Walking a fine line here as Toljan looks class but will not be here next season and paying his wages so should be involved…Lustig has his moments but knows whats needed and expected so could well be in the shop window for any future deal

  4. Lustig has cost us time and time again, we are out of CL because of Lustig. Toljan needs time to get up to speed, Dembele took a while to get going.
    Remember McGinn stated on TV that Lenny told his Hibs team to target Lustig.

  5. Up against a speedy winger, Lustig is done say what you like about sevco but Kent tore him a new one in last Derby game

  6. Toljan didn’t play at all the 1st half of the season and had a fairly grueling start to his Celtic career so I felt he looked fatigued vs Hearts. I’m fine with Lustig coming in to give him a rest but I think he is way too slow at this point in his career to be an effective fullback. If Celtic is playing a team with a lot of height and not much speed then I’d play Lustig, otherwise it should be Toljan.

  7. Today’s game is a lot faster and the speed that some younger players go past defenders is awesome at times, You see it time and time again not only at our own club, But other clubs at home and abroad, Our very own KT Is the right type of defender and is at the right age then you look along the to the same line and we have ML, They do say that experience comes with age, But when you see younger players from other teams fly past you, You say to yourself (WTF) Then not only yourself start to realise this, But your manager and supporters say the same thing as you have just said (WTF) “Yes” Loyalty & Friendship is a fantastic thing to behold “But” In today’s game I am sorry to say their comes a time when loyalty and friendship has to take a back seat and bring in fresher younger more eager type of player that shall fill this position, I feel we already have a player in that role and given time he would settle in to the full back position, “IF” Given the chance and given the opportunity young Ralston, On his day and with the backing of the manager and his coaching staff this would also save the club excess financial constraint and could help and assist to bring other players in as and when required !!!

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