NEIL Lennon last night admitted Rangers have improved this season but he couldn't believe Steven Gerrard’s team were viewed as favourites over his free-scoring Celtic side.
The Northern Irishman believed his front men would be key to winning at Ibrox on Sunday, a feat the champions failed to do last season, making the point that his team had scored almost 40 goals already.
Odsonne Edouard will start despite suffering from cramp in Stockholm during Thursday’s 4-1 win over AIK and Kristoffer Ajer, who lasted just 13 minutes of the Europa League play-off, is also expected to be fit.
So, Lennon is confident his team can land an early body-blow on their city rivals who he did concede were in better shape.
READ MORE: Rangers vs Celtic: Herald and Times sports writers give predictions for Ibrox clash
Asked if Rangers were stronger, Lennon agreed but insisted: "So are we. Their results speak for themselves. They are playing with confidence and are unbeaten so far so you’d have to say they have improved as I would have expected over the piece.
“But I think we have. I think we’ve scored nine in the past three. People take that for granted. It can get overlooked. We were struggling to score goals this time last year. We are up to 39 already. I think we’ve improved as well.
“If the bookies think Rangers are favourites, then it suits me fine. I don’t know why because our form has been fantastic. We are winning games convincingly so it’s not bad being the underdog with the way we are playing at the minute.”
Lennon was adamant that the 2-0 loss in May at Ibrox had no effect on this game and promised a completely different performance this time around.
He said: “There was a fatigue there. We’d won the league the week before. Maybe psychologically we’d down tools a little bit but then they go on and win the cup.
"Whether people say it was a dead rubber or not, you always want to compete in those games and we didn’t compete well enough.
“That’s something that we’ll obviously have to look at going into the game on Sunday. We were passive. I don’t know, maybe they were shaving themselves for the cup final. Subconsciously, you can do that.
“Other than the three points, people might say there wasn’t a lot to play for but there’s professional pride as well. Obviously, this is totally different now. It’s possibly the biggest game in a while. It’s the most important one because it’s the next one.”
READ MORE: Laidback and laconic Odsonne Edouard has been a £9million bargain for Celtic
Kilmarnock left-back Greg Taylor is "an option" for Celtic, Lennon confirmed. Sunderland and Nurnberg have made bids for Taylor, 21, with Kilmarnock manager Angelo Alessio saying the club has yet to receive the "right offer".
"We are looking for a left-back," said Lennon. "There are a number of options and Greg would be one of those."
Lennon also said Celtic are "working on a few deals" before the closure of the transfer window on Monday.
He was delighted to be drawn in a group with Lazio, Stade Rennes and Cluj, who ended Celtic’s Champions League hopes. The campaign will begin in France against Rennes on September 19.
Lennon said: “It’s a cracking draw and I’m delighted with it. There’s some glamour in there and a sense of retribution in the air as well.
"We’ve played Rennes before in this competition and had some positive results. It’s great to be in the group stage and last night’s win was important but so was the manner of it.
“Lazio is a great tie for the punters and I’ve never been to Rome myself so it’ll be a great experience.
"They’re a cracking side just now – they won the Italian Cup last season and Rennes beat PSG in the French Cup final as well. I’d have preferred to draw one of the English clubs, though.
READ MORE: Craig Gordon: I'll find out where I stand at Celtic when I see the team to face Rangers
“When you have an all-British tie it adds a bit of extra spice and energy. There were three of them we could have had but we missed out and I think it’s a great group for us.
“As for Cluj, sometimes football gives you the opportunity to right some wrongs and, hopefully, we can do that. I think we’ll be fitter, better and stronger by the time we play them but they had two tight games against Slavia Prague so they’re no mugs. We have the players, though, who can put things right.”
Good chance of getting through?
“I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself but I believe we have the makings of a good team and I’m just glad we’re on the European stage in some capacity. We have three big ties at Celtic Park and we need to maximise our home form and you could see in Stockholm we now have good experience in away games.”
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