Lennon hails 'excellent' Hoops

17 July 2010 09:13
Celtic manager Neil Lennon praised his players despite their 3-1 defeat to Manchester United in Toronto on Friday evening.[LNB] Substitute Georgios Samaras equalised from the penalty spot but Manchester United went on to win 3-1 at the Rogers Centre in Toronto thanks to goals from Dimitar Berbatov, Danny Welbeck and Tom Cleverley.[LNB]Celtic also lost to Philadelphia Union on Wednesday but Lennon was happy with what he saw in Canada.[LNB]He said: "It was really pleasing tonight. I thought the level of performance was excellent. There were a number of positives to take out of the game.[LNB]"There was a lot of good football played out there and the players enjoyed the atmosphere and the experience.[LNB]"The second goal came probably after our best spell in the game. I was really pleased with the response of the players, particularly in the second half. Samaras made a difference when he came on."[LNB]Lennon is pleased with the options available to him in midfield, with Joe Ledley having another run-out following his move from Cardiff.[LNB]In addition Shaun Maloney is getting closer to full fitness after the injuries which have blighted a promising career.[LNB]Lennon added: "There were a lot of substitutions near the end as people like Shaun Maloney have not played for a long time.[LNB]"Joe Ledley was starting to feel a bit tired. In the first half against United he was tremendous."

Source: Team_Talk