Celtic labelled title favourites over Hearts due to 'psychological lift' of Rangers Old Firm triumph
A former Celtic manager is convinced the defending champions are now in pole position to successfully retain the Premiership title
Neil Lennon reckons Celtic are now favourites to retain the Scottish Premiership title after a thrilling 3-1 victory over Rangers in the final Old Firm derby of the season moved them to within one point of leaders Hearts with two games left to play.
Following the Jambos 1-1 draw at Motherwell on Saturday evening, Martin O’Neill’ side seized their chance to make inroads at the top of the table by consigning their bitter city rivals to a third straight defeat since the split and end their faint hopes of silverware and Champions League football next season.
Celtic will travel to Fir Park on Wednesday before hosting Derek McInnes’ Hearts on the final weekend of the campaign, with the Edinburgh club facing Falkirk in midweek. And ex-Hoops boss Lennon believes his old side now have all the momentum going into the remaining fixtures after embarking on a six-match winning streak.
Summarising Celtic’s recent resurgence and the impact Sunday’s victory could have on O’Neill’s squad, Lennon said: “Well the overriding emotion at the minute will be relief and then happiness kicks in later on when you take it all in and you process it all. And then after a while you've got to think ‘right Motherwell on Wednesday night’, the job's not done yet, far from it.
“But this will give them a huge motivational lift, a psychological lift. They deserved it, they're starting to really show what they're all about at the business end of the season. Ian (Crocker) said in commentary they've lost eight games this season yet they've still got an opportunity to win the title, it's incredible really. But gradually, the Tierneys, the Maedas, the Engles’ are starting to find top form now and they look a good side.”
Asked by Sky Sports presenter Eilidh Barbour if on current form Celtic are now favourites to clinch the title with two games left to play, Lennon replied after a brief moments pause: “Yeah, I’d say so. I would put them as favourites just on current form. Obviously they have a really difficult game on Wednesday and then Hearts at home.
Lennon: ‘Are Celtic favourites? For me, they are’
“If you were going to say, ‘look you’ve got win a game for the title on the last day of the season, do you want it home or away?’ You would want it here. I said at the start these are three of the toughest games you could get in Scottish football, but they’ve negotiated one. It’s a two-horse race now.
“He (Martin O’Neill) looks really cool and calm, he’s handled the media brilliantly. Whether this is his last hurrah or not, he’ll want to go out by winning the title and his team is now responding to the level that we know they can.
“I thought they were great in the second half, dominated the game and deserved to win. That was psychologically massive for them because they haven’t shown that a lot this year. All of a sudden, momentum is with them and they’ll get a massive lift from that result today. It all rolls on to Wednesday now. Are they favourites? For me, they are.”
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