Source: FOOTYMAD
Ready for the battle
Neil Lennon can take the taunts as long as his players concentrate Neil Lennon expects a warm reception when he stalks the Ibrox technical area during Sunday's Old Firm game against Rangers. Lennon is well aware he is not the Rangers fans favourite visitor from when he was Hoops captain and knows he is assured of a hot reception when he travels across the city as Celtic manager for the first time. Asked how he would deal with having Rangers supporters immediately behind him at the technical area, Lennon joked: "It depends if I come out of the dugout or not - I might have my tin hat on as well. Seriously, I won't behave any differently at all. I have to keep the players focused on a big 90 minutes for us. I am looking forward to it, I loved going to Ibrox and loved winning there as well. It was a cauldron of an atmosphere and I have some really good memories. We won 3-0 on my Old Firm debut and it was a great day." Celtic currently top the table by one point but Rangers have two games in hand. Lennon recognises the Gers go in to the game as favourites - but only because the game is at Ibrox. He said: "I wouldn't say they were big favourites, I would say they were favourites because of home advantage. They had a great performance and result in their last game against Motherwell but Old Firm predictions don't mean anything, it's all about what happens on the day. We have had a couple of decent results and performances and so we go in to the game with confidence. I will tell my players who are going there for the first time to play the game and not the occasion. Try not to get caught up in the atmosphere and concentrate on the game because you only enjoy it when it you win." Lennon is still considering if the game has come too soon to give Freddie Ljungberg his debut. TheSwede was paraded at the club's Lennoxtown training facility on Friday but Lennon is aware it is 10 weeks since the midfielder played his last game for Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer. The manager said: "My only concern is that Freddie hasn't played a lot of football since October, he hasn't played any. I don't want to bring him in and then he breaks down because he has that lack of football or training. I will talk to the medical staff and Freddie over the next couple of days. But there is a huge temptation because he is a quality player."
