Signs of complacency will direct players straight back out of Neil Lennon's plans this season

Chief football writer

Saturday 4 August 2012

NEIL Lennon has told his Celtic players that they will be dropped if he detects complacency in any of their domestic displays this term.

The Celtic squad will be under intense scrutiny not to allow their standards to drop this season. Picture: SNS

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Michael Grant

Bookmakers have the champions as short as 1/50 to successfully defend their Clydesdale Bank Premier League trophy without a challenge from Rangers, which means one of Lennon's main objectives will be to guard against a loss of competitive edge if they go 10, 20 or 30 points clear in the table.

The club's iconic former assistant manager, 90-year-old Sean Fallon, will unfurl the championship flag at Parkhead before their campaign begins against Aberdeen today. Scott Brown and James Forrest are doubtful because of hip and groin problems respectively – both will be spared if it ensures their fitness for the Champions League qualifier away to HJK Helsinki on Wednesday – but those who do play will be immediately under Lennon's constant scrutiny.Usually Celtic have Rangers to keep them on their toes, and vice-versa. Any dropped points are significant mainly in terms of the advantage that hands to the other side. There will be none of that this season, as well as the usual punctuation of four Old Firm games. Even when Celtic do drop points it is unlikely to seem as though any uncertainty has been added to the season.Lennon will challenge his team to win a treble – Kilmarnock and Hearts beat them in the cups last season – in an attempt to maintain their focus from August until May. "We've come close to a treble on a couple of occasions in recent seasons and that's something we'll throw down to the players as a challenge," said the Celtic manager. "Any player who is complacent will be dropped. I want players here who are hungry and challenging for places. No-one is guaranteed their place."The season is going to be different. It's going to be strange not having that sort of nip and tuck [of a race with Rangers]. But we have to deal with that and experience that when it comes along. It's going to be a new experience for all of Scottish football, I suppose."Last season Celtic finished 31 points ahead of third-place Motherwell. A rough repeat of that this time would mean they would win the league with around 10 games remaining, probably in the second half of February. St Johnstone, Hearts and Dundee United did manage to beat the champions last season while Kilmarnock, Hibernian and Aberdeen held them to draws.Lennon dismissed talk of his side winning the league by up to 40 points. "That's just speculative and disrespectful to the clubs. We don't see it that way," he said. "We are looking forward to defending the title and looking forward to the competitiveness of this league. Not having Rangers will give other clubs an opportunity to strive to get to the top."We are obviously the heavy favourites. But we probably would have been heavy favourites anyway. We're just heavier with Rangers not being there."Their defence starts against an Aberdeen side buoyed by encouraging summer signings and solid pre-season results. Niall McGinn and Jonny Hayes will make their competitive debuts: the former a player released by Celtic, the latter one that Lennon thought about signing. "I know Niall and I like Johnny Hayes as well. With Niall, you always worry that ex-players do come back to bite you. Jonny has been a very good player for Inverness and that's a very good signing, an astute signing. I did genuinely consider Hayes. He's one that I quite liked the look of."They've had a good squad for a couple of years and they've got a good manager. I would expect Aberdeen to make a significant improvement on previous years."The league "race" starts when the Parkhead game kicks-off at 12.45pm. Aberdeen will be the first of 11 clubs tasked with denying Celtic an early finish as well.

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Signs of complacency will direct players straight back out of Neil Lennon's plans this season

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