Neil Lennon saw his team dance for joy in the Hampden dressing room – but it was the tears some shed that underlined just how much winning their 10th trophy in a row meant to Celtic.
With the Betfred Cup secured for a fourth straight season, the Hoops boss looked on as the emotion of the day – surviving a Rangers onslaught, saving a penalty and seeing out the last half hour with 10 men – meant to his men.
Now Lennon wants them to enjoy the moment with some of them set for a midweek rest with the journey to Cluj on Thursday rendered next to meaningless having already qualified for the knockout stages of the Europa League.
But then they’ll be back and buckled up for the next instalment of a thrilling league race with their rivals from across the city.
He gave his players the day off yesterday but Lennon was at Parkhead, glancing back at an astonishing Hampden showpiece and gazing ahead because he knows neither he nor his club can afford stand still.
He said: “We want to be the best team in Scotland and winning the title is very much the priority. Getting the Betfred Cup won is brilliant, it’s back in the cabinet and we can put that away now.
“I think winning it in that way will be good for them. There were a few boys in tears and then you realise the emotion involved after all the build-up. They’re human beings, at the end of the day.
“Their record is amazing – that’s seven cup final wins in a row and every team wants to beat them and, the longer that goes on, opponents are doing their damnedest to win.
“Overall, it was a magnificent team effort against a side which was heavily motivated and played really well. Maybe that’s the dam bust for them and they can relax now and play the way we know they can.”
Lennon knows Celtic must hit the transfer market next month for a back-up to Odsonne Edouard, who was missing for the first hour at Hampden – and how his team suffered in the Frenchman’s absence.
A major outlay may be required but the Celtic manager isn’t about to accept that one day his team will lose a cup final or a title race. Not without a real fight anyway.
He said: “No chance. The league is the priority for me. No matter what the gap is, we will look to strengthen.
“The League Cup was a great thing for me to have and a 10th trophy for some of the players is just remarkable but the manner of the win will maybe light a fuse going into the next one, knowing that we can be off colour and still win. They don’t have that fear any more.
“We really missed Odsonne’s quality in the first half and that’s not being disrespectful to Lewis Morgan who’s done a great job for us so far.
“But the timing of having him back is pivotal and hopefully we can keep him well until the end of the month.
“He was a bit of a slow burner in his first year on loan but his second season he blossomed and towards end of last season he was fantastic and this season he’s been magnificent.
“He’s got quality and class and it’s turned out to be money well spent. That will give the board something to think about!”
Lennon would also love to have keeper Fraser Forster on a permanent deal but even if that doesn’t materialise, he realises just how lucky he is to have secured the services of the Betfred Cup Final matchwinner, third choice at Southampton just a few months ago.
He added: “He was available and Scott Bain had the injury and it’s a pivotal position. What I’ve got now are three top-class goalkeepers.
“It’s difficult for Craig Gordon because he’s not done a lot wrong and, to be fair, Scotty hasn’t, either.
“The opportunity came around and I just thought, ‘I can’t miss out on this one’ and thankfully it’s turned out to be the right call.
“His movement yesterday, his footwork, was just fantastic. He just wasn’t getting beaten. He makes blocks, he just closes down the angles.
“He doesn’t give himself up too early. He doesn’t second guess the striker – he reads it brilliantly.
“Because of his frame, his wingspan, he can get to balls other goalkeepers can’t get to and it gives the back four a huge shot in the arm to have someone like that in goal.
“I’m going to start Craig on Thursday against Cluj to give him a game and keep him motivated and ticking over.
“It’s very difficult with goalkeepers but it was my call and sometimes you have to make these decisions for what you think is best for the team and for the club.”
Next up is Cluj and Lennon is, understandably, calm about that one before the storm gets whipped up again.
He said: “It’s perfect because we have a huge week next week with
games against Hibs, Hearts and Aberdeen. Some players are needing games, either because they’ve not been playing or because they’re coming back from injury.
“There’s no need for me to take risks on guys who’ve been playing every week getting injured, although you can get injured at any time.”
