Half-term report card, Celtic: Neil Lennon has a serious problem with Rangers

Celtic manager Neil Lennon has his eyes on the prize

A check of the Premiership table confirms the champions enjoyed a very strong first half to the season.

Played 20, Won 17, Drew 1, Lost 2 for 52 points and top place in the country’s top league.

It is an enviable record, especially considering they won the League Cup and progressed to the last-32 of the Europa League.

The problem, of course, is that Rangers have been ever-so-slightly better.

Win their game in hand at home to St Johnstone, and the Light Blues’ figures will read P20, W17, D2, L1 for 53 points, a tally which will see them leapfrog their rivals into pole position for the second- half of the season.

Which, given they have just beaten Celtic in their own backyard – after dominating them in the Betfred Cup Final without reward – is a serious problem for Neil Lennon.

It is all very well having players who have proved themselves, year in, year out, to be winners.

But if they are not producing it when going head-to-head with Rangers, then the fact they can see off the rest might not be enough.

STAR MAN

Callum McGregor has played more minutes than anyone in the world in the first half of the season, and has been consistently good.

But for sheer impact, it has to be Jeremie Frimpong.

The 19-year-old has been a revelation since breaking into the Hoops side, surprising even Lennon, who spotted his potential when watching him play for his former club, Manchester City, in a youth game.

The least-experienced of three right-backs – Hatem Elhamed and Moritz Bauer are the others, signed in the wake of Mikael Lustig’s departure – Frimpong was expected to spend the season with the development squad.

His pace, energy and enthusiasm saw that plan shelved, adding an extra dimension to Celtic’s attacking play.

It was significant that when they struggled to get through the packed Rangers’ lines in the defeat last Sunday, they repeatedly played the ball out to the teen in the hope he could make something happen.

Given his dramatic progress, it would not be a shock if Celtic were to receive bids for his services from English Premier League clubs in the current transfer window.

Jeremie Frimpong has been a revelation since arriving

PROSPECTS

The fact Celtic have four players in the top 10 of the world’s busiest footballers for the first half of the season tells its own story.

In addition to McGregor, Kristoffer Ajer, James Forrest and Scott Brown
have all played well in excess of 3,000 minutes.

As much as Lennon is a believer in the benefits of continuity of team selection, if he is to keep his favourites fresh, he will need to be prepared to rest them whenever the possibility allows.

He can do that through a combination of bringing in new faces – they remain hopeful of landing Slovan Bratislava striker, Andraz Sporar, and continue to be linked with Brazilian centre-half Fabricio Bruno – plus judicious use of the existing squad.

The Northern Irishman has enviable resources at his disposal, with Greg Taylor – a left-back who has played for Scotland yet has been hardly used at Celtic Park since switching from Kilmarnock – an obvious example of a player who would benefit from extra game time.

Mohammed Elyounoussi – like Fraser Forster, on loan from Southampton for the season – is another high-quality variation and, of course, there are the likes of Tom Rogic and Vakoun Bayo hovering on the fringes.

It is the star turns, though, who are likely to be most important.

If Lennon can revitalise Odsonne Edouard, James Forrest and Ryan Christie, three stand-out talents who were all extremely quiet in the derby, then he should have the attacking weapons to win the title.

If not, then by the time May rolls around, the dream of another nine-in-a-row could already be lying in tatters.