SCOTTISH PREMIER LEAGUE Kilmarnock 0 Celtic 6:THE JOY was great after a stylish and ruthless victory but this, in its own way, was also a match to forget. While it delivered a first Scottish Premier League title since 2008 to Celtic, the real issue lies with the club's capacity to have an impact beyond the domestic arena. Neil Lennon's team had a moderate campaign in the Europa League, which ended when they came third in their group.
The SPL does not set so rigorous a challenge, but becoming champions may galvanise Celtic.
Lennon depicts his squad as fresh and thrusting. Five of the starting line-up at Kilmarnock were aged 25 or under. In addition, the formidable Victor Wanyama, who was suspended against Kilmarnock, is a 20-year-old with much to offer as a midfielder or centre-half.
Covering for the defects and getting the most out of youngsters with potential are the critical tests for Lennon. The 19-year-old substitute Filip Twardzik set up the fifth goal with a backheel to Joe Ledley. The participants were a Czech and a Welshman. Just three men classified as Scots for international football purposes took part for Celtic and one of them, Kris Commons, was born in Mansfield. Such diversity is not uncommon and clubs from a country with a population of some five million will feel entitled to scan the far horizons for prospects.
This is just Lennon’s second full campaign as manager and he has had to learn fast. In addition, there are grave distractions to be kept at bay. He was kicked unconscious in the street when he was the coach in 2008 and has since had a bomb addressed to him, although it proved not to be operational.
Sustaining his focus is part of Lennon’s achievement. “They’ve thrown everything at me but I’m now, after 12 years [with Celtic], at the pinnacle of my professional career, so I’m not going to go away in a hurry,” Lennon said.
While there was something of the scrapper him as a player, the accent is more on style now he is in the technical area. He is prized by his chief executive. “Remarkably, Neil has dealt with most of the stuff on his own,” said Peter Lawwell. “Any time he has wanted support, we have given him it . . . We have, hopefully, played a part in making Neil a championship-winning manager.”
Celtic have a Scottish Cup semi-final with Hearts on Sunday so there can be scant pause for reflection. Having lost the League Cup final 1-0 to Kilmarnock, there was a particular edge and efficiency to Celtic on Saturday. The Kilmarnock manager Kenny Shiels would have appreciated Lennon’s team was set on a reckoning. Celtic chastened the hosts in a ground where three of the four stands were allocated to visiting fans.
Their patience was not tried and Charlie Mulgrew headed in the first of his two goals from a corner by Ki Sung-yueng in the eighth minute. Mulgrew, Kilmarnock’s nemesis on the day, turned provider when his cross from the right was finished by Glenn Loovens after 17 minutes. For the third goal, Mulgrew tore in from the left to score and there was a further contribution as he set up Gary Hooper near the interval. Following Ledley’s goal, Hooper rounded off the day by beating the persecuted Cammy Bell.
Guardian service
