NEIL Lennon takes his place at the head of a table in one of Glasgow’s more salubrious establishments, has a glance at the attendant journalists and asks: “Have you missed me?”

The answer to that one is easy – a big fat yes - if you are a hack whose job it is to make Scottish football entertaining. The always quotable and highly intelligent former Celtic manager is a pressman’s dream and so who better to discuss the upcoming Old Firm game.

And how fitting that missing someone or something was a theme as the tape recorders began to whizz.

Depending on who you talk to these days either Scottish football, particularly Celtic, have been crying in their pillows every night like a heartbroken teenager, waiting and praying for Rangers to one day return. Others will claim that the absence of Rangers has in fact been a good thing and this fixture, which comes with so much negativity, has certainly not been missed.

So then, Lenny, can it be said that a Ranger-less world has been the main factor for falling attendances and growing apathy among the support for whom you brought back the thunder?

“You say that but in the past four years Celtic have been in the Champions League twice, last 16 once, and they are close to winning their fifth title in a row,” said Lennon. “I understand what you are saying and maybe Celtic didn’t envisage the extra year when Rangers didn’t go up but I wouldn’t say they have suffered terribly.

“Maybe attendances are down but they will come back next season, there’s no question of that. But I don’t think the club take that for granted and I do believe that they are in a very, very healthy financial position going into next season.

"It’s not for me to say because I don’t know what the financial position is because I’ve been away for three seasons now but I would imagine they will be in a very strong position to spend if they need to.

“With Rangers coming back you’re going to have at least four derbies a year. For me that will improve the enticement for the Scottish game in terms of selling it around the world, TV rights and I’d like to think more money will be coming into the game. You’ve got the big fixture back, revenues will go up around the grounds as well I’d imagine. The competition and interest will heighten as well.”

Lennon called this Warburton’s “free game” in that if Celtic do win as expected, then the Rangers manager is hardly going to be slaughtered given the job he has done and in the league in which he has done it.

Ronny Deila, on the other hand, is in some ways on a hiding to nothing. Unless Celtic win by a number of goals, which could happen, then the Norwegian won’t get too many pats on the back for beating a team from the lower leagues.

“The pressure is on Celtic who obviously go in as clear favourites,” said Lennon. “Rangers have got a free game, if you want to call it that in terms of having a look at where they are.

"If they win it, that will be fantastic for them and getting bragging rights. If they lose then they will go: 'Well, we know where we are now.'

"I expect them to lose. I think Celtic will win it because they have the stronger and more experienced players but, as always, it’s going to be fascinating to see how both teams approach it.

“If he (Deila) wins then people will have expected him to win it. If they lose then he’s going to come under criticism. Ronny will be as positive as he can going into the game and quite rightly so.

“They are on the brink of his second title in a row, albeit it’s not been magical or memorable performances, but they’re getting the job done. I think Celtic need this game. I think the players need the game. They need the atmosphere. They need the tension, the pressure, the build-up. That’s been missing.”

That word again. It’s as if the whole game has been in suspended animation since David Murray sold the club for a £1 to Craig Whyte. It actually hasn't, no matter what the likes of Graeme Souness have tried to suggest.

Lennon managed Celtic for two years while Rangers were on their “journey” and is now looking for another job after escaping from Bolton Wanderers.

And while yes, he does miss these games, he does not wish he was playing on Sunday because, well, it was just so much better in his day.

“When I played there were world class players on the pitch,” said Lennon. “Last time I was up doing the Hearts game a few weeks ago with Neil McCann and we were talking about the calibre of player at the start of the Millennium.

“Our team had Henrik Larsson, Chris Sutton, Stilian Petrov, Paul Lambert. Then you had Stefan Klos, Jorg Albertz, Tugay, Michael Mols, Ronald de Boer. So it was laced with players who could grace most teams in Europe. Times are different now.

“But still the anticipation is huge for this game. he build-up has been tremendous. It’s heightened as the days have worn on. I will just be a very interested observer, although I won’t be impartial.”